How to Do a Veterinary Prepurchase Exam On a Horse Without a Veterinarian

Knowing how to do the basic prepurchase exam for a horse is an important part of horse ownership. We highly recommend a veterinarian prepurchase exam prior to the purchase of your new equine companion, as there is no substitute for the expert advice you will receive from a licensed and qualified individual. However, there is nothing wrong with learning the basics of a prepurchase exam and performing one yourself prior to your official veterinary prepurchase exam---this can save you quite a bit of money if the horse fails your initial screening. Below are the steps for a basic prepurchase exam, which can be done when you first go to see the horse prior to calling the vet for the official prepurchase exam complete with digital images.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Stethoscope
• a second person
• Hoof testers

1. 
    
   This yearling is an ideal body condition for a horse his age and breed

   Take in the general appearance of the horse. The horse should be alert but calm. There should be no obvious swellings; the eyes should be bright and clear; and there should be no discharge from the nose. The body condition score of the horse should be between a 4 and a 6. Overly thin horses may be underweight due to systemic problems and overly obese horses may have thyroid problems, requiring medication. If it is summer, the haircoat should be completely shed out. Unless the breed specifically has a curly haircoat (ie Bashkir Curly), the actually coat of the horse should never be curly or wavy. A cury or wavy coat usually indicates Cushings disease.

2. 
    
   This horse shows pinfiring scars from an injury at the age of 2. He returned to racing, raced for 3 more years, and retired sound

   Take a closer look at the face, legs, and reproductive areas of the horse. Grey horses especially are prone to melanoma, a skin cancer that will eventually affect the vital organs of the horse (nearly all greys have at least 1 melanoma by the age of 15 and on average grey horses live 2 years fewer than horses of any other color). Feel the throatlatch for unusual lumps. Look for scarring on the legs. Injuries may or may not affect the horse's future performance, depending on the severity of the injury, the age the horse was when it happened, and what the intended use is for the horse. If there are any unusual bumps, scars, or other marks on the legs, your veterinarian will be able to perform a radiograph or an ultrasound and help you determine how likely it is to be a problem in the future.

3. 
    
   His eyes should be clear and bright

   Using a flashlight in a darkened barn, shine the light into the horse's eyes. They should appear clear, not cloudy. Cloudiness is usually indicative of blindness. While many horses have gone to compete successfully in every discipline while partially blind (due to their excellent hearing), you should be aware of this possible handicap. You should not have to pay as much for a horse that is partially blind. Also keep in mind that the horse may be in the process of going completely blind.

4. 
    
   Turn the horse in several tight circles both directions.

   Turn the horse in several tight circles. He should be able to cross his front legs easily in front of the other to turn. His neck should not be noticeably stiff. If he shuffles or has trouble keeping balance, this may indicate arthritis in the legs or neck or a neurological problem. Make the horse stretch his neck left and right using a treat or other incentive. He should be able to bend somewhat close to his side.

5. Have someone lead the horse forward and grab onto his tail, pulling it to the left (stand far enough forward to avoid being kicked). He may move toward you a bit, but he should not collapse or fall into you. He should be able to sufficiently resist your tugging. A horse without this ability may have neurological problems.

6. 
    
   This horse is very young and his teeth are just growing in. He still has milk teeth.

   Check the alignment of his front and lower teeth. They should match relatively well. A horse with an overbite, or "parrot mouth" will have trouble keeping weight on due to difficulty eating, and may also have bitting problems. This is a genetic trait and it is usually not advisable to breed a horse with this condition as it will pass the trait to its offspring. Opening his mouth the same way that you would to put a bit in his mouth, Take a look on his gums to see if there are any rough spots that would indicate sharp teeth edges. Look at the condition of his incisors. If they are very worn down on the top only, it is likely that he either chews a lot of wood or is a cribber. Estimate his age using his teeth, and see if the correlates with what the owner says (a note: if a horse has very worn down teeth or no teeth, he is likely very old).

7. Check his gums for a nice pink color, not too pale or too dark. Take his resting pulse using a stethoscope or your fingers. An adult horse has a pulse of 36-60 beats per minute, while younger horses may be much higher. Take his respiratory rate-he should breathe 8-16 times per minute (foals breathe a little more frequently). He should not give a double-heave when releasing air, and breathing should not be difficult.

8. 
    
   Listen to all four gut quadrants, the lungs, and the heart

   Using a stethoscope, listen to all four gut quadrants for gut movement. Listen to the lungs for any unusual, raspy or gritty sound sounds. Listen to the heart at rest for a normal beating sound.

9. 
    
   You should try the hoof testers while he is standing and also with his leg raised.

   Pick up his feet and check for cracks, abcesses, signs of chronic laminitis (unevenly distributed rings on the hoof wall), or other abnormalities. Using the hoof testers, pinch the sides, top, and bottom of his hoof in every area you can think of. Pound on his hoof with a hammer or the hoof testers. He should not flinch or try to pull away.

10. 
     
    Flex his joints tightly for 30 seconds and immediately trot him off once you let go.

    Starting with his left foreleg, lift, flex as hard as you can, and hold his fetlock joint for 30 seconds. Have someone prepared with a whip or crop to trot him off as soon as the thirty seconds are up. This is called a flexation test, and you are trying to localize joint pain. A horse, especially one who is 8 years or older, may trot off a little stiff for one or two steps, then return to normal. If he continues to limp, however, he likely has a joint problem. Do this again for the knee joints and the elbow joint on both front legs, and also for the fetlock, hock, and stifle joints on the hind legs. Always start with the lowest joint and work your way up. Flexing should not hurt the horse, and if he pulls back or appears in pain, he likely has a problem bigger than you just holding his leg. A head bob indicates a limp, as does an uneven sound of hoofbeats on pavement.

11. Finally, take one last listen to his heart. A heart murmur or other abnormality should be more easily heard when his heart rate has increased some.

12. Now that he's passed your initial exam, it is time to call your veterinarian to do the full exam and take radiographs or ultrasounds. Congratulations on the purchase of your new horse!

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have all the equipment or don't know how to do everything listed, that's okay, just do what you can. You still might find something interesting.
• If he passes the flexation tests for you but fails at the vet exam, yet nothing unusual comes up on the radiographs or ultrasound, don't be alarmed. He may have just twisted his leg that morning. Try again in a week.
• This is NOT a substitute for veterinary advice. You are asked to seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian regarding the health and well being of any horse.
• Only experienced horse people should be handling horses in this fashion. If you are uncomfortable around horses, please do not attempt any of this.