A prepurchase exam is a risk assessment for a prospective buyer. Our prepurchase exams are scheduled for four hours. We start our exams by carefully documenting the horse’s appearance and identifying information, including brands, tattoos, and microchips. We then carefully examine each horse from nose to tail, evaluating their conformation, hoof health, and scars or surgical marks, followed by evaluation of their dentition and vision, and careful auscultation of their heart, lungs, and abdomen. The horse will be examined at the walk and trot in hand, as well as lunged or ridden both directions at the walk, trot and canter. Flexion tests will be performed as well. Depending on results of the physical exam, radiographs and/or ultrasound may be pursued to get a more detailed picture of the horse’s athletic health. More information on prepurchase radiographs is available on our ‘Diagnostics’ page. Additional diagnostics we can supply at your request include blood work to further evaluate systemic health, and medication screening to see if the horse has been recently treated with common pain relievers, sedatives, or steroid based joint injections. Following the exam, all of our findings will be discussed with the prospective buyer and written report supplied.
Our goal is not to convince you that a horse is a good or bad purchase, but to present you information on areas of the horse that are strong, and areas of the horse that may be weak, and how they may affect your goals with that horse. Our job is to help you recognize what the future investment in that horse may look like.
