# vet costs



## bexy1989 (May 10, 2009)

well i finally got my boy on tuesday and since then its been pretty downhill...the farrier that the riding school use has done a pretty bad job with his feet and his hoof is growing over his shoe so his shoe is digging into his foot so im getting the farrier out to sort that problem out.

my main question is how much does it normally cost for a vetting? i need to get one done for my insurance but as i had ridden the horse before i decided to wait till after we had brought him to get this done. 

its going to cost me more and he has an infection ... he struggled to wee earlier, im abit annoyed as it has gone unnoticed the whole time he was in the school but hey ho. i cant clean it myself as he won't let me near it so he will have to be sedated to have it done ... luckily im going with a vet that has dealt with him before so they know his past... does anyone no roughly how much that will cost me aswell? 

many thanks in advance  

bex 
x


----------



## Cascara (Jul 27, 2009)

Oh Bexy, its easy for me, sitting here,never having seen your new horse, to say objectively, "Are you mad?!" I have no emotional ties to the situation. All I can say for anyone ever buying a horse is get it vetted first!

You may be looking at a considerable bill and an unisurable horse here, have you thought of that? Bad shoes, loose shoes, overgrown shoes are all things that are used as a reason for a horse being 'footy' "he just needs shoeing", he trips, "his feet need trimming thats all" Bad management is not a good recommendation for buying any horse. Inability to pee is an immediate vet callout, difficulties when peeing also needs to be treated very quickly or any infection can grow and attack the kidneys. Poor thing. 

You will need to get the vet out for the wee thing, probably sedation, wash out, ointment, antibiotics, steroid jab you are looking at a rather hefty bill already. And then asking the same vet to check him? I don't think so, not until the horse is fit and well.

What kind of vet check do you need? Basic? 5 star? xrays, bloods?

You need to be on the phone and pdq to get this mess sorted.


----------



## Freyja (Jun 28, 2008)

When I had my horse many years ago I was told that a vet that the previous owner had used could not do the vetting for the insurance it had to be a vet who hadn't treated the horse before. 

I don't know if thats still true but I know when I bought Roxy I asked the vet whose daughter had horses on the yard but they couldn't do it as they were the owners vet.


----------



## Cascara (Jul 27, 2009)

You are right that it is unethical for the owner's vet to do the vetting for the vendor, but it is not illegal. I have bought horses before and the previous owner used the same vet as me, a vet we both trust 100% and he was quite happy to do the 5 stage vetting for me and my insurance. One horse passed lol one didn't. But that is an untypical scenario, usually I would never recommend it as the vet is caught in the middle and the vendor needs a fresh and independent recommendation.

There is'nt anything wrong with the vet doing a check on the horse after treating it though, but this is really locking the stable door after the horse has bolted lol. The horse is ill and has bad feet. Why do the insurance want a vetting? Usually only because of the value of the horse or a past history or a disclosure of a material condition or fact.


----------



## tonette (Dec 28, 2008)

What terrible luck you have had, unfortunately vets bills can end up costing loads of money, hopefully all your horse needs is a blood test and antibiotics and that will be it.

My advice then is to get him insured as quick as possible, but once you have made a claim on an illness you can claim on that illness through out the year but when the policy gets renewed then there usually is a restriction on that illness meaning you can't claim on that illness...... very complicated stuff, Dimby our mini is exempt for any illness related to grass allergy and Caddy is exempt for any illness related to uveitis! ........ You know you never have any money when you own a horse...... but you have loads of fun, love and a very good companion so it makes it all worth it!


----------

