If you’re a person who sees value in base-line x-rays, what are the ones you’d look at getting done? Let’s say it’s on a young horse that’s just about to get started, or has been under saddle for a short period of time, and it’s a horse you plan on keeping long-term so these x-rays would purely be for future frame of reference.
For sake of making this a little bit easier, let’s break them up into 3 categories below:
“Standard/gimme/must-have for me”
“Maybe not standard but something I would really like”/“If I had more money to spend on this, I’d also get these”
“Some people talk about these but I personally don’t find value in them”
I buy for resale and often off video from Europe. I make sure I have four images of each hockey, laterals of each fetlock, weight bearing laterals of the front feet, 60 DP of the front feet, skyline of navicular bones, DP of front feet, lateral and DP of stifles, plus neck and back. Those are the images I assume buyers will be getting when we go to sell here in the US.
Well, I start with a lameness exam with the vet FIRST. See if there is anything the vet thinks should have a closer look, as that might decide what I choose to spend my money on.
Since I primarily barrel race, a “must have” most likely for me is hock xrays. They always seem to fuse at some point so it’s nice to have baselines.
Front feet are a “maybe”. It really depends how the horse is built, travels, and what my vet sees in the exam. I have 2 horses with navicular but I’ve also made it a point NOT to buy horses that move like them. Knock on wood, I’ve done pretty good on the last 2 horses I have bought (although I hope I don’t jinx myself now).
I’m really, really, really picky on how the horse moves in the first place. I’ve had enough problems with lameness over the years so I know what I don’t want.
Everything else I don’t really focus on baselines … unless the vet indicates a problem.
Prepurchase exams of course are a little different than if you already own the horse.
Knock on wood, I’ve done pretty good on the last 2 horses I have bought (although I hope I don’t jinx myself now).
