Prepurchase Exams: History, Important Considerations

For more than 150 years veterinarians have been performing prepurchase exams, also referred to as vetting, purchase exams, and soundness exams. The definition of “sound” in England in 1842 implied “an absence of disease or seeds of disease” as a qualification for being used for an intended purpose, noted Steve Soule, VMD, who gave a presentation on the subject
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For more than 150 years veterinarians have been performing prepurchase exams, also referred to as vetting, purchase exams, and soundness exams.

The definition of "sound" in England in 1842 implied "an absence of disease or seeds of disease" as a qualification for being used for an intended purpose, noted Steve Soule, VMD, who gave a presentation on the subject of prepurchase exams at the 2009 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) convention, held Dec. 6-9 in Las Vegas, Nev. Soule explained that now we consider a horse as "serviceable," stressing the veterinarian neither passes nor fails a horse, but finds out what might be wrong and how this affects serviceability. With that in mind, Soule went on to say that the evaluation of "suitability" is not applicable to the veterinarian's role in a prepurchase exam (PPE).

In the late 1960s veterinarians established a standardized exam procedure in Britain, although their U.S. counterparts did not. Since then radiography, advanced imaging, endoscopy, ultrasonography, and drug testing have evolved as procedures that might be incorporated into the exam.

The veterinarian doing the exam should have a familiarity with the breed and/or discipline. Soule recommends that some parameters should be established during the initial contact with the prospective buyer. The horse's full performance, medical, and surgical histories should be made available by the seller. Because the equestrian world often sees crossover between sellers, buyers, horses, and veterinary practices, all such connections should be disclosed, but this should not necessarily preclude a veterinarian from performing the exam. Any seeming conflicts of interest should be documented in the record

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Written by:

Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care. She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.

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