Equine Prepurchase Examination (PPE)
If you are considering purchasing a new horse/pony we strongly recommend that you get a PPE before buying. The PPE or ‘vetting’ is a thorough examination carried out on your behalf as the potential purchaser. The examination has been developed as the best means of detecting signs of disease and injury and often they are only a fraction of the final sale value of the horse/pony; investing in a 'vetting' may well save you money, time, effort and heartache in the long run.
Every PPE is carried out by a Veterinary Surgeon of your choice in accordance with the standardised guidelines laid down by the RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) and BEVA (British Equine Veterinary Association). The examination is conducted in 5 stages:
Stage 1 – Preliminary examination
This is a methodical examination of the animal’s body to assess general appearance and condition. It includes examination of the teeth, the resting heart, the eyes by ophthalmoscope, the skin, the limbs and feet, and flexion of the limb joints to reveal pain or limitation of movement.
Stage 2 – Trotting up
The animal is walked and trotted on hard, level ground in order to detect gross abnormalities of gait and action.
Stage 3 – Strenuous exercise
The animal is given sufficient strenuous exercise:
- To make it breathe deeply and rapidly so that any unusual breathing sounds may be heard
- To increase the action of the heart so that abnormalities may be more easily detected
- To tire the animal so that strains or injuries may be revealed by stiffness or lameness after a period of rest
Stage 4 – Period of rest
The horse is allowed to stand quietly for a period. During this time the breathing and heart are checked as they return to their resting levels.
Stage 5 – The second trot and foot examination
The horse is walked and trotted again, turned sharply and backed, in order to reveal abnormalities exacerbated by the strenuous exercise stage.
In order to complete all five stages it can take a couple of hours and someone will need to be available to ride the horse.
Following the examination the vet will discuss any remarkable issues that have been demonstrated, together with the suitability of the horse for purchase with regard to the type of work it will undertake. If the vet deems the horse to be appropriate for your requirements a certificate will be issued, which may be a requirement of insurers prior to taking out insurance cover.
During every examination a blood sample is taken. This sample is stored for 6 months and if the horse subsequently becomes lame, the blood can be tested to screen for any substances that could have artificially masked the problem on the day of examination.
Occasionally we are asked to conduct only a 2-stage examination. We do not advise limited examinations as they may not reveal certain conditions which may have been discovered during the course of a full 5-stage examination. However, such requests can be accommodated.
At Uskvets we have two equine Veterinary surgeons who are happy to perform PPEs, Alastair Mitchell MA VetMB MRCVS and Graham Smith BSc BVSc MRCVS. Both have attended specialised PPE training courses and between them they have over 70 years experience in equine practice, making them highly proficient at carrying out the examination.