Getting a PPE?

[nevertoolate]

I'm looking at getting a horse in the next week or two, and am looking for advice on getting a PPE. He's several hours away, and I don't know any vets in the area. Is there an issue with using the horse's current vet, or is it a conflict of interest for that vet? I can see both sides - vet is aware of any issues with the horse, but it could be a problem if they are find something that the owner isn't disclosing. If you don't use current vet, how do you go about finding one for PPE? Appreciate any advice!

[saultgirl]

I had the same situation when I bought my guy. I basically did a Google search of vets in the area. The seller's vet would NOT do the PPE (not a good idea anyways) and they also would not send another vet from the same clinic, as it was still a conflict.

I had other vet clinics in the area tell me they just *don't* do PPEs anymore because they don't want to be held liable if they say a horse is suitable for a purpose and it turns out not to be.

The only clinic that would do it for me was too far away, so I had to have the horse shipped to them to do it (the seller kindly offered to take him there!).

Good luck - Hopefully you can get it done and everything goes well - so at least you only have to do it once! It gets expensive if you have to vet a few horses.

[horsepoor]

I would not use the seller's vet unless it happened to be a vet that I already had a relationship with (happens here locally as we all go to the same guy so much!) and the vet didn't have a problem with it.

To find a vet, I usually call my own vet and ask him for a recommendation. He has worked with so many in other areas, he can usually come up with a good name. You also could just post the area here on COTH and see if anyone has some recommendations. Or if you know another trainer in the area, see who they use. I have done all of those!

[goeslikestink]

i wouldnt use the sellar vet but get an independant one for an unbias opnion
find an equine large animal vet or clinic

[xQHDQ]

In 2 cases where I was looking at horses away from home, the seller/seller's trainer recommended local vets who were not the horses' regular vets. In both cases, the vets were people who had done PPEs for other people who were buying from these sellers. In 1 case the vet was a different member of the same practice as the vet who regularly treated the horse (very large practice).
In one case, the horse failed (miserably). In the second case (vet from same practice), the horse passed with flying colors and within a year, problems arose that should have been detected on the PPE (ie, heart murmer, heaves, weak stifle). In the third, the horse passed but when I got him home my farrier found issues (but issues I could [have to] live with). I don't think there was bias in any of these cases.

Maybe the horse's regular vet can suggest another practice?

Maybe put a refundable deposit, bring the horse home, and have your regular vet do the PPE?

I personally don't put much stock into PPE if the horse is doing the intended work and has been sound. However, it's nice to have it as a baseline if anything comes up in the future.

[atlatl]

Second the suggestion to get a recommendation from your regular vet. There aren't that many vet schools around and I've found pretty much everyone knows someone else somewhere.

I've had decent results using the same clinic as the seller, but a different vet. The key is to talk to the vet who will be doing the PPE privately before hand and give them some idea of how much risk you're willing to take on. I've had one vet who I didn't think was quite working for me, but gave an honest assessment of what he saw and I made the decision to pass. The owner was there through the entire process and was peeved as she "didn't hear him fail the horse". If she'd been listening she wouldn't have heard him "pass" the horse either.

Good luck.

[Aggie4Bar]

Ask the seller or seller's vet for a list of other practices in the area. Or, if you know, or know of, anyone in the area, ask them for a reference. There may even be people here on the CoTH forum who live in that area, so it might be worthwhile to start another thread specifically asking for vet contacts in that area.

When I had to PPE a horse about 6 hours away, I contacted a rider whose webpage I'd stumbled across. She lived in the same area as the seller and was short-listed for the Olympics, so I figured, what the heck, she's got to know at least one vet! I got a really great referral.

[IronwoodFarm]

I've bought and sold a number of horses over the last 10 years and from time to time used the seller's vet or had the buyer use my vet. I don't have any problem with it.

First of all, no self respecting vet is going gloss over some deficiency simply because its a client's horse. Talk about a liability exposure. I know if my vet is doing a PPE on one of my horses, I keep out of the way as his obligation is to the buyer, not to me.

Second, I've found the seller's vets I have used to be brutally honest. I've passed on at least 2 horses based on what the seller's vet found in the PPE. I've also had a sale horse that my vet examined that didn't "pass" the PPE.

Are there crooked vets out there who would do a bad PPE to make a sale? I am sure there are, but I expect they are in a small minority. Most vets I have encountered are quite honest and uncompromising with the PPE.

[Vesper Sparrow]

When I was buying a horse in Florida, I had the seller's vet do the PPE, and then the digital xrays emailed to my own vet for his opinion. My own vet turned out to be more positive about the horse than the seller's vet.

[Diamondindykin]

I have done three pre-purchase exams on three different horses.

Horse one was 6 hours away (roundtrip). I had seen videos of her but decided to have the pre-purchase done on her before I went to ride her. They only had one vet in the area that did pre-purchase exams and it was their vet. The vet had the owners and me sign something saying that in this case that he would be working for me and that both parties were ok with it. The horse failed that exam miserably and I walked a way.

Second horse was several states away. I called a local vet in their area that was not their vet and horse passed and i bought him.

Third horse was 3 hours away (round trip). I went and looked at the horse and made an offer to buy the horse if he passed a pre-purchase. I went back out to their place picked the horse up in my trailer. The owner followed me in her car and we took the horse to my vet. The horse passed the pre-purchase exam and I paid the owner right there in the clinic and took the horse home. If he would have failed I would have taken the horse back to his old home.

[theoldgreymare]

When I was buying a horse in Florida, I had the seller's vet do the PPE, and then the digital xrays emailed to my own vet for his opinion. My own vet turned out to be more positive about the horse than the seller's vet.

I recently did similar. Vet doing the PPE was not the seller's vet but one on her list of recommended vets in the area. As I am paranoid about who is connected to who in this small world we live in, I arranged for the PPE vet to consult with my vet during the PPE. The vet doing the PPE was more than happy to consult by phone during the exam and emailed the films to my vet's clinic immediately for his review. If my vet said pass, I would have despite what the PPE vet had to say.

I would not use the seller's vet. A reputable vet should tell you if it is a conflict of interest. If there is not another vet in the immediate area ask the seller to transport horse to the nearest clinic (at your expense) for a PPE so you can be assured of a neutral opinion.

[MelantheLLC]

Even if you use the seller's vet, they are not allowed to give you information from the horse's (seller's) records UNLESS the seller signs a release.

I would highly recommend you arrange for this with the seller in any case, prior to the PPE, whether you use the seller's vet or not.

I took a horse to Rood and Riddle for a PPE. The seller's vet there did the PPE. I could hear the lameness in the flexions myself, and after that point the vet paused before continuing the exam and asked me into his office to speak privately.

He told me flatly that he couldn't even access the horse's prior records at the clinic w/o the seller's release, or tell me anything he remembered about earlier exams. The (cooperative and honest) seller faxed the release on the spot, and at that point the vet told me the horse had shown evidence of suspensory issues in prior ultrasounds, and in his opinion the flexions indicated the problem was still there in spite of whatever earlier treatment they had done.

So, with much regret, I had to call the seller and tell her this news. She was very disappointed, of course, and I signed a release so that she could have the use of my PPE records. The vet was recommending further treatment and at least seemed to be positive about the outcome, but I did want to buy this problem.

I was extremely impressed with R&R, the seller, and everyone involved. I was out a good deal of money, including a flight to Lexington, hotel and the PPE itself, but the vet saved me a lot by stopping the exam at the flexions, so I could make a decision before going on to xrays, etc.