BOOK PREVIEW imaging findings can vary markedly depending on the age of animal, stage of training and intended purpose.
Expectations Purchasing an unbroken yearling is a highrisk investment when considering the likelihood of racetrack or resale earnings providing a return over and above the combined cost of purchase and training. This risk is considerably lower for the horse in training that has typically been selected for examination on the basis of demonstrable athletic ability. Expectations of athletic potential for a yearling should be considered in the context that only 40–50% of horses will race at two years old, and around 20% of horses will not have started a race by the end of their three-year-old season.
Conditions of sale at public auction Conditions of sale at public auction differ between sales companies and types of sale. Most have clauses regarding return of lots due to undeclared infirmity of wind, stable vices and use of anti-inflammatory drugs, and it is important to be familiar with the relevant
“Every effort has been made to build a reference manual from a scientific base but also incorporating shared experience accumulated over generations in equine veterinary practice” conditions when undertaking pre-bid inspections. Legislation in some countries permits the return of animals with latent defects far beyond the scope of published conditions of sale; however, preventing such situations arising in the first instance through competent examination is always preferable.
THE VETTING PROCEDURE Preliminaries Establish the intended purpose for which the horse is being examined; imaging requirements and relevance of findings differ between jurisdictions. l Communication with vendor prior to examination regarding level of exercise required/recent medication. l Verbal or written statement from vendor regarding stable vices and history of previous surgery, EIPH or any other significant veterinary intervention. l Establish recent racing form. l Verify identification from passport and l
record vaccination history. Physical examination: summary l Condition and conformation: apparent fitness, overall health and obvious conformational faults. l Eyes: horses with severely impaired vision can function seemingly normally in training with few or no behavioural irregularities. Gross assessment, direct ophthalmoscopy and evaluation of ocular reflexes. Menace reflex is reasonable test of vision (requires intact sensory and motor pathways), unlike pupillary light reflex. l Heart: rate, rhythm and murmurs.
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Auscultation from both sides of chest at rest and immediately following exercise. Mouth: teeth (evidence of stable vices); corners of mouth (bit damage). Neck: throat and submandibular space (scarring/lymph nodes); jugular grooves (patency of jugular veins/recent injection); poll and wither (headshyness/injury). Girth, topline and belly: sarcoids (interference with tack); muscular pain/asymmetry of topline and pelvis; abdominal scars (previous surgery); tail (tone and injury). Genitalia: both testicles fully descended/ palpably normal (colts); mammary glands
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