See if the current owner will give you the name of the vet who did the surgery and saw the horse since. He can give you the best info.

Good luck, the horse sounds like a nice animal. :)

I know a PPE might seem like a lot of money, but if you really want this horse, I would spring for one. Around here a basic PPE goes for about $150, more if you're looking at X-rays. But think about this, swollen hock/scars on both:( that is not good. If he got hung up in wire, you don't know if the injuries involved the joints or not...with swelling in the one, sounds like a good possibilty. I know what it's like to find a horse that you really want:) But trust me you WILL BE MISERABLE if you decide to buy this guy and he turns out to be a cripple. You'll be out money, you'll have become attached to him, and he'll be nothing more than a pasture ornament. I say spring for the PPE, and we'll keep our fingers crossed for a clean bill of health. Luck:)

I'm with boopster. Get him checked out BEFORE you have to pay to get legs fixed. He sounds like he is coming with enough problems in the scarred leg department. You don't buy lame or swollen legged horses.

Husband the farrier is called to "fix" quite a few horses at the vet clinic. He finds all kinds of problems, with most common being too short toed, horse going on paper thin soles. He has a number of solutions, which get horse up off his sore sole, give him some toe length. He calls them "Happy Feet." Whole appearance of horse changes, hoof and walking doesn't hurt any more!! Quite often these "Western" trimmed horses get REALLY LIVELY, lose that horrible little western trot and canter. They move FORWARD, actually go FAAASSSTTTT!!! Owners are terrified, outraged, can't manage these HAPPY FOOTED animals. Want the old shoes put back on, to produce the crippled horse movement again. Husband doesn't undo his work, they have to find another farrier, usually same one who did the first QH shoe job. I don't know how those folks can look in the mirror. You hear them carry on about how much they "love" their horses!! Makes me sick.

Above story is just a warning, sore horse might lose the quiet gaits if he gets healthy, pain stops. The tests, couple X-Rays of joints and hooves, by vet will help tell you if joints are clean, likely to stay clean and healthy. Ask if horse is on pain medicines. Have vet test for that as well. Some new calmers last 30 days now.

If he passes vet checks, go see him again. Ride him when he is healthy, unswollen, unmedicated, see if you still like him.
If he fails vet check think of vet costs as money well spent, like having an unbiased mechanic look at a used car before you buy it. Saves yourself from the grief of having bought an unusable horse, a burden you will have to maintain for many future years. I don't know any one who puts their unusable horses down, they just feed them until they die.

I didn't get a pre-purchase exam done for any of my horses, but they were all quite old and decrepit and I wasn't planning to do anything but keep them as pets.

That said, on a young horse that you're planning to use for years to come, $150 for a vet exam would be money WELL SPENT.

It really could turn out to be far cheaper in the long run. You could end up spending $150 many times over on a chronic health problem if you buy him. And it could be a heartbreaking experience for you.

Chances are, the vet won't find anything and you'll be happy with him for years to come, but it really is best to find out now, before you buy him.

Who is responsable for paying for the vet check. I have not bought the horse yet. The owner says the horse has never been lame and has never been on any medication. A little girl owned the horse at this stable and rode him at camp and on trail rides. BUT, I know how some horse traiders are so Im not nieve about it. I have known this man for 2 years. But still I head all of your advice. You know how it is when you find a horse you really like and I have been looking for several years. Still Im riding the fence on this one.

The buyer usually pays for the PPE. The PPE will usually go something like this. The vet takes vitals, temp. resp. look at gums, check eyes etc. then they usually do a flexion test on all four limbs. That entails picking up each leg, in the case of the front, they will bend at the knee, holding it in place for a minute, then ask the horse to trot off, usually make a turn on the leg being examined, the idea being that the flexion will aggrivate any injury/lameness and you'll be able to get a better idea of soundness, once again, this is done with all 4 limbs. The vet I work for will usually halt the exam, if a lameness or any significant unsoundness is found, then he'll ask the buyer if they want to continue. Depending on the age of the horse, we usually have someone ride the horse as well. Get their heart rate up, then listen to heart, lungs...If there are any suspicious lumps or bumps on the legs, he may reccomend x-rays. The cost of the horse usaually comes into play of course, as to how much you want to put out in taking pics. As I said before a PPE is always a good idea in my opinion. We had a guy come in the other day, bought a roping horse, paid a pretty good amount for him, no PPE:( Had him a week or so, horse came up lame, fairly crippled in both front. Turns out he was navicular, this didn't just 'pop' up, he'd prob. been that way for a while. may or may not be able to be usable with some corr.shoeing:( People he bought the horse from won't return calls or answer the phone:(. He was prb. buted up, and now this poor guy is stuck with him. So... your call

If you aren't yet convinced - here's another vote for having a pre-purchase exam done!

Another thing to think about - I have gone to look at horses FS that turned out to be stocked up a bit in one or more legs. Often the seller had pulled the horse off the pasture and given him a bath or cleaned him up so he would look his best, then stuck him in a stall so he wouldn't get dirty - that can cause the stocking up.

The PPE is the smart thing to do. It could be as simple as a capped hock, the swelling or knot looks bad but doesn't bother the horse at all. However, you never know.

I also think a PPE is the best way to go, unless you are really comfortable in your relationship with the seller. I bought a pony with no PPE but it was from a friend--I would not have done it from a stranger or acquaintence. Something that I recommend to people who are looking to buy a horse, however, is to look into the possiblity of leasing the horse for a month or two before you buy it. This is kind of like an "extended test drive." You can set a price and sign a contract like any other lease, and if you like the horse, a portion of the lease price can be put towards the horse, and if not, then you're not stuck with a horse you don't get along with, or who comes up lame after leaving the sellers' farm. If you can get the sellers to agree to this, it is a great idea in my opinion. Or if leasing is not an option, ask if you can come out to ride it a few times before you decide for sure, in the setting you would be using the horse for, if possible. For example, if you want it for trail riding, ask if they will let you take it for a trail ride around their farm. If they don't allow this, I would be a little suspicious about the horse.

basically buy any horse is a crap shoot LOL. When I bought my little TB gelding, I knew I was going to be keeping him for a long time, so my vet friend and I went all over him, stem to stern, everything checked out A+++ :) or so we thought. Turns out he was anhydrotic, a non-sweater, so for pretty much half the year he's un-rideable:( Now there's no test for this condition, and I bought him in December, and it was drizzling that day, who knew? LOL so....Hey, ya roll the dice ya takes your chances.

Well, I want to thank all of you. I have a vet coming tomorrow at 2:00 I sure hope every thing is alright cause I sure like this guy. Thank you so much and I will let you know what she says. Teresa

Ahhh,good for you:) Fingers crossed that your guy passes with flying colors.

Did you get the vet check today? How'd it go? Good I hope.

Yes the vet came and you wouldn't beleive she said the horse is lame in his left front leg. But, she thinks it may be the shoe the hoof has grown over it just a bit he also has thrush and a pencil eraser size absess. she was concerned about the swelling. But she said lets see if the front leg can be corrected first. then we'll go from there.
Soooooo I have to wash his hoofs and put thrush buster on them. The Ferrior is coming monday and the owner said he would have the shoes off and hooves trimmed. Then the vet will come back out wed. or thurs. and check him again with no charge. 81.00 so far. 200.00 per leg if xrays are needed. she said right now that horse is worth nothing as far as money goes. He means alot to me. I sware if I had the space and the money I would take him home and let him be a lawn ornament and just love him. My husband is upset cause he knows how much I like this horse. Not only that he is the first horse I have rode in years. I use to ride and I dont know just got affraid. Im not affraid to ride this one. He moves real slow, I guess so hes probly in pain. OK enough. Thanks everyone will let you know what happens next week.

Good for you Teresa. You are doing this the right way. Proceed with caution.

I decided not to get the horse. Im just afraid he has the beginnings of arthritis in his hind legs. The vet said if thats true I may only be able to ride him for 2 more years. So sadly to say I will have to let this one go. Thanks everyone for your good advice.Teresa

I feel sorry for the horse, because you sound like the dream horse owner and he would have been lucky, but you did the right thing. My son bought an absolutely gorgeous mare. Nicest one I ever laid my eyes on. She appeared gentle and looked in great condition.

The problems started when he tried to work with her. She went nuts and after any amount of extended exercise, she would develop a swollen hock. She'll never be more than (like you said) a lawn ornament. He had lots of patience with her and had my daughter who used to train problem horses work with her and whatever is causing the hock to swell appears to be a permanent thing. She looks fine until she is asked to perform and then the hock goes.

Sorry to hear it, Teresa.

Finding the right horse can be an emotionally wrenching experience. You'd think it would be joyful, but it's hard.

Follow up on this story. I went to missouri for a few days and I could not get this horse out of my mind. I just fell in love with him. I called my husband and said go buy this horse (stupid I know) So he's down at the stable where it lives and the owner was showing this horse to some new people telling them "This is a great horse, there's nothing wrong with this horse so on" These people are green and know nothing about horses. They had already bought 2 paints. Well the next day my husbnd goes down to tell the owner we will buy the horse. He had sold it to these people and the horse is gone. My husband was a little mad because these novice horse owners know nothing about the condition of this horse and that man justout and out lied to them. They have no Idea what they are in for. Is'ent that awlful? Well I feel sorry for them and the horse. At least I knew what I was getting in to before I offered to buy. I really liked that horse booboo's and all. I guess it just wasent meant to be. I hope he gets along ok. I will miss him.

It's easy to fall in love with a horse, but horse flesh isn't cheap and it's even more expensive to care for them. What I am getting at is don't miss out on the best part of horse ownership and that is working with them. This poor beast had two strikes against him from the start. If the previous owner had lied about that....hard to tell what else he lied about.

Now you have a chance to get an animal you could get much pleasure from. Not just looking at it, but working it and riding it. You want a horse to match your expertise and if you are new at it, one who is healthy and trainable. Been there and done that with three different horses and I consider myself a rank novice. You have to have one who isn't afraid of grooming and hoof care not one who is ouchie and lame.

Look at this as the silver lining and when you go out shopping for the perfect horse companion, think healthy first.

That's sound advice. No one has mentioned this directly, but the PPE is a test of the owner/seller as well as the horse. If the seller is lying or not well-informed, IMNSHO, run, don't walk, away. My mother's TB is a good example. He was also said to have been ridden by a child and to have nothing wrong with him. The vet did actually find something the owner would have known about, but she bought him anyway. The long-story-short version is that once the drugs wore off he was completely unmanageable, required quite a bit of professional training, and likes to go out of his way to kill dogs. He's got three notches in his belt so far, and these were calm, quiet dogs minding their own business, not barking chasing ones.

You all are right I know that. I guess it was a case of heart over mind. Thanks everyone for all the good advice and heart felt concern. you guys are great. Thanks again

HI
sorry for such a nightmare in finding your dream horse..Good Luck and I hope you find what you are looking for.
There are MANY horses on the market nowadays..and it is truly a buyers market..esp with the higher gas prices, economy, and due to the fact that winter is coming on..prices drop this time of year generally..But..also..a safe well trained horse will be more than a n untrained naturally..
I have 9 horses now and have had horses since I was 6 (I am 47 now)..One thing that I don't remember being mentioned about the horse you were looking at..5 yrs old is VERY young to be having that degree of soundness problems and usually arthritis does not show up till nearer their teens..Matter of fact..a lot of horses in their teens are just in their best years for riding..
Good Luck in your search..and keep us posted!
Casey

Teresa,

My neighbor just went through basically the same ordeal as you. She has been looking for a small draft horse as a companion for her mare. She found this gentle giant with no bad habits and scheduled a vet check. The owner was all for it...next thing Nancy knew, they sold the horse from under her. She's heartbroken. My husband and I have the geriatric crowd out in our barn. We own a 20+ year old Appy with terrible feet (we love him to death) and a 27 year old retired TB off the race track. Good luck finding the horse of your dreams...this is the best time of year to find one. Many of the horses that are leased out to summer camps are for sale because the owners can't winter them over. My daughter's horse "Halo" is one of those horses and she is fantastic!

Think of yourselves as "ships passing in the night", just not meant to be. Sounds like you would have been getting a future headache and big drain on your wallet. There are lots of nice, healthy, SOUND horses available. Don't settle for a cute face, keep looking at the whole animal. Don't buy something you feel sorry for, like they say, no good deed goes unpunished! Best of luck in your horse search.