What a pre-purchase exam is, and what it is not

A pre-purchase exam is a vet's look at a horse you are about to buy. It is not a pass or fail. It is a snapshot of the horse's health on that day so you can decide with your eyes open.

What it covers

A basic exam covers the heart, lungs, eyes, teeth, feet and legs, and watches the horse move on hard and soft ground, with flexion tests of each leg. X-rays of feet, hocks and stifles are the usual add-on for a sport horse. Ultrasound, scoping or blood work come in for specific concerns or higher-value horses.

What it costs

A basic exam runs a few hundred dollars; with a full set of x-rays, well over a thousand. It is the buyer's cost. Skipping it to save money is the most expensive saving in horses.

How to read it

Every horse has findings. The question is whether they matter for the job you want the horse to do. A hock change on a fifteen-year-old schoolmaster is a different thing from the same change on a five-year-old you hope to bring up the levels. Ask the vet plainly: would you buy this horse for this job at this price?

Keep the report. On Foalioo it lives in the horse's private records and travels with the horse when it sells, so the next buyer can see it too, if you choose.