HOW-TO SESSION: PRE-PURCHASE EXAM FOR THE WESTERN HORSE


injections (distal interphalangeal joint, tarsi, stifles, back, or other sites) to maintain soundness. This information, however, may not be available if the seller is not forthcoming. Particularly frustrating and an issue that puts the veterinarian at risk for potential litigation is the horse that has been in- jected recently to achieve soundness and this fact is not disclosed by the seller. This hides the current state of the horse being examined. Although the horse may be sound on the day of examination and for some time after, once the injections begin to wear off, lameness will again become apparent. These types of situations present great risk to the veteri- narian for legal exposure. Many of the author’s clients use a multitude of veterinarians such that a seller may only provide the least alarming medical records from the practitioner whose records have the least incriminating evidence. The vast majority of sellers, however, are typically forthcoming when questioned about the medical history. The past medical history is very important to consider as the veterinarian helps the buyer make judgments re- garding suitability. If the horse being considered for purchase has medical records at the examining veterinarian’s practice and the pre-purchase exam is being done in-house, the seller is advised to disclose those re- cords to the buyer. If the seller does not allow release of the medical records from the practice to the buyer, a pre-purchase exam should be refused, and the seller referred elsewhere. Conflict of inter- est issues may develop when the veterinarian is asked to perform a pre-purchase exam on a horse for which they have been the attending veterinarian, the buyer also uses the same veterinarian, and the seller declines going elsewhere. If possible, the exam should be conducted by another practice. If not, the seller should be advised that the veteri- narian is working for the buyer. This situation puts the veterinarian in a potentially untenable sit- uation; however, both parties should be informed that the veterinarian will present the findings in an unbiased manner. These are awkward situations that both attorneys and practitioners recommend avoiding but sometimes are inevitable.


3. Lameness Examination


A lameness exam that includes watching the horse trot in hand (baseline exam) followed by flexion tests of the fore and hind limbs (dynamic exam) is the typical starting point. Palpation of the legs include evaluating joints for effusion and range of motion, tendons for pain and symmetry or tendon sheath effusion, and suspensory ligaments and suspensory branches for pain or enlargement are key to starting to develop a picture for an individual horse. Sus- pensory branch enlargement is not uncommon in rope horses and if non-painful may not be a reason to not purchase the horse. Often, the seller is un- aware that there has ever been a problem and many of these horses are “rope horse sound.” Rarely does


470 2019  Vol. 65  AAEP PROCEEDINGS


the author lunge a Western speed horse as part of the pre-purchase exam. Many rope horses do not know how to lunge and it is a fruitless endeavor. Watching the horse perform is impractical unless on video. Evaluation of the calf horse and heel horse stopping, the barrel horse turning, and the head horse turning off and facing can be helpful, but all are rider dependent and may not transfer with change of ownership.


4. Neurologic Examination


A cursory neurologic exam includes assessment of cranial nerve function, circling in tight circles to evaluate conscious proprioception, backing, observa- tion of the horse traveling up and down a hill, and subjective assessment of strength via standing tail pull. The tail pull is performed with the horse standing rather than in motion. A normal horse will brace and pull the opposite way when the tail is pulled laterally. Each side is compared to the other. A weak response to one side may indicate paresis that can occur with diseases such as equine protozoal myelitis (EPM) or wobbler syndrome. The tail pull is very subjective, and interpretation of response will vary widely amongst veterinarians.


5. Radiographic Examination


The decision of what to radiograph and how many views per anatomic site is often determined by the buyer’s budget. In the author’s practice, radio- graphs are charged by the view; however, many veterinarians charge a “package price” so more of the horse is evaluated at a reduced price. There are pros and cons with either approach. It is im- portant to document everything that is found on the exam and on the radiographs. Hard decisions must occasionally be made with the buyer’s budget in mind and in doing so may expose veterinarians to the hazards of litigation. In situations where the budget is tight but allows


a few radiographs, a minimum series for either dis- cipline will include a skyline view of both front na- vicular bones, a lateral of each tarsus, a lateral oblique of each stifle, and 1–2 radiographs of the dorsal spinous processes in the mid-back region (barrel horses).1–3 Explain to the buyer that these are survey films that will provide a glimpse of those areas but that because the series is limited, it is possible some important issues could be missed. Not only is the veterinarian interested in finding issues that would steer away from purchase but also to determine if there are issues that would compli- cate resale. If so, those issues are discussed at length so the buyer can determine if they are willing to assume the risk. When radiographing prospects, young horses in


early training, or horses early in their career, veterinarians may be more critical of radiographic abnormalities. For older horses that have been campaigned and have proven to be able to do their job, some radiographic issues (e.g., mild navicular


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