The Culture of Fear Around Pre-Purchase Vettings

The Culture of Fear Around Pre-Purchase Vettings

In the horse world, it sometimes feels as if there are two types of veterinarians.

The first type looks at the whole picture. They observe the horse, how it moves, how it uses its body. They listen to the owner and to the plans of the buyer. What is the goal? What is the horse expected to do? And does this horse physically suit that purpose?

With all that information in mind, they examine the horse during the pre-purchase vetting and give a professional opinion.

And then there is the second type.

The type that seems to be searching for something — anything — to put a remark on the report. Not necessarily because the horse shows a clinical problem, but because it is safer to mention something.

After all, if something ever happens in the future, they can always say:
“I already noted it during the vetting.”

This mentality has created a rather strange culture of fear around pre-purchase examinations.

I once witnessed a horse being tested to the absolute limit. The rider was asked to perform a full Grand Prix test without warming up. Additional exercises followed, extreme bending, everything possible to see if a weakness would appear. The horse was sweating from head to toe, yet it did not take a single wrong step. Even the veterinarian had to admit that clinically the horse was completely sound.

Then the X-rays were taken.

The same X-rays as before. The same finding.

And still the sentence came that nowadays seems capable of destroying so many deals:

“With different management this might become a problem in the future.”

Maybe.

That single word was enough to end what could have been a fantastic match.

The horse was later sold to another rider and has been performing without any problems. The first buyer is still searching for a horse.

A remark on a veterinary report often follows a horse for years. Sometimes a theoretical possibility becomes a permanent stigma.

Let me be clear: good veterinarians are essential. No one wants to hide a real problem or mislead a buyer. Quite the opposite. That is exactly why experienced and knowledgeable veterinarians are so valuable.

But there is a difference between careful examination and creating a situation where every theoretical possibility is presented as a risk.

The best veterinarians I know share one quality: calm confidence. They are able to evaluate the horse as a whole and give a clear professional opinion.

Not only about what appears on an X-ray, but about what that finding actually means for the job the horse is expected to do.

Because in the end, that is what matters most.

Not whether a horse is perfect on paper.

But whether the horse is suitable for the task ahead of it.

And sometimes I wonder if, in today’s vetting culture, we have started to forget that.

— Viola Belksma
International Dressage Horse Broker
Founder of EquiNL Exclusive Dressage