Pre Purchase Exams / Lameness Exams

Pre-Purchase Exams

Pre-purchase exams (PPE) are full body exams that are typically completed for a potential buyer prior to a horse changing hands. During the pre-purchase exam aspects of the horse are evaluated for abnormalities with major emphasis on detecting lameness. Pre-purchase exams are not a guarantee, rather an evaluation of the horse at that time.

The basic PPE is as follows:

  • Evaluate the horse’s basic condition and body score

  • Evaluate the horse’s mobility jogging in a straight line

  • Flexion tests: All four limbs are individually flexed and the horse jogged, to exacerbate and identify mild lameness issues.

  • Auscultate the heart, lungs, and G.I. System for abnormalities

  • General ophthalmic and oral exam

​These exams can be very basic as above or become extremely detailed, generally corresponding with the purchase price and the anticipated future use of the horse. There is an additional cost for radiographs, endoscopy, ultrasound, lab work, etc. that can be added to the exam.

It is important to remember, we represent you the buyer, we will do everything within our power to give you the best representation of the horse we can. We are, however, looking at these horses in a brief window of time, and our observation represents what we see at that moment, and does not guarantee future soundness or the horse’s ability to perform at the future desired activity.

We are also able to provide post-purchase services including:

 

Lameness Exam

The majority of Finger Lakes Equine’s racetrack practice revolved around the lameness exam. We take a hands-on approach to diagnosing lamenesses and feel that the most information can be gained from an up-close examination with our hands on our patients.