I understood that, but the OP is saying this horse that she’s had a great time with for the last year and didn’t have any idea anything was wrong with it (despite some of the history being within the lease timeframe), her trainer never said anything was wrong with, etc. is now dead lame -
When nothing changed but having a PPE done.
Oooh, I can see how I read your post wrong. I read that you were saying it was one year after the PPE.
I agree with what you are saying about it seems weird that a horse that has been going fine for the OP, etc.
Another question is does the OP need a horse at this level if she only did one show during her year lease?
Totally - I always remind myself that the PPE isn’t a “is this horse lame or sound,” it is a discovery mission. What does this horse have going on so I can best prepare to make the vetwork and maintenance decisions I need to keep him sound and happy? If it is extensive work and expensive regular injections, maybe one walks. If it’s a once a year stile injection - that’s pretty common on a performance horse, I’d say.
The way I read it, this horse is not dead lame. He flexed slightly (1.5) and vet noted there’s something going on. Rads would be the next course of action if it were me to discover what would be the cause of the positive flexion. Or, OP, save the money on the rads and put that in your “injections” fund and keep up with what he needs so you can keep enjoying him.
This is exactly what I’ve been wondering as I’ve read through this thread. Who the heck does a lease-to-buy of nearly 6 figures in order to go to one show/year?
There is a lot here that doesn’t make sense to me.
Me lol. I can’t afford to show that often (as of right now) but I wanted a a nice horse that I really enjoyed. I don’t know why that seems so wild?
“Need”? No. Want? Yes.
You can get this for A LOT less than six figures, though. If you need a horse that will safely, happily, and soundly jump around 3’ courses, help you develop as a rider, but not be competitive consistently at the rated level, that’s a much cheaper horse than one that can campaign and win at that level.
OP, I’m a reasonably sound person, but if you flexed any one of my joints I’d trot off at least 3/5 lame. That doesn’t keep me from doing anything I enjoy, it just tells me how I need to take care of myself to continue running marathons and riding horses and having fun.
That’s what a PPE is supposed to tell you: what’s the current physical state of the horse and what care is he likely to need to stay well and happy in his career?
When a teenaged horse with a resume flexes positive in any limb, it’s pretty unsurprising. The horse has been on the planet using his body for some time, he’s going to show signs. The question to ask your vet and trainer are: What do these findings mean for the horse’s suitability to do the job I want him to do?
And then you decide if that’s something you’re prepared to do.
It sounds like you love the horse, he’s been sound with maintenance and able to do his “be a lovely and kind partner at the 3’” job for the last year, and now you just know more about what’s going on in his body. This is the start of a conversation with your vet, not the end of one.
This. Totally this.
But, in the end OP, it is your money to spend how you want to spend it.
I agree a lot with @Renn_aissance.
Not flexing well–I’d look for context. That isn’t a deal breaker for me. I’d defer to my vet and farrier on what the root causes might be and if they’re maintainable over time for the work I want to do.
Injections–Again I’d look at context. What was this horse doing before? 14+ shows a year? Did it start jumping and showing very early in life? If a TB, what was its prior career? I started injecting the joints on my TB when he was 11. He also raced 40x through his six year old year. 
All of that can influence soundness.
Suspensory injuries–I personally would be very leery of paying six figures for a horse that had that history of multiple suspensory injuries. They are such ambiguous injuries; you just never know if you’ve fixed it or if it’ll come back again. This horse would have to have a pedigreed show record IMO to justify six figures with suspensory injuries. There’s a reason most horses step down in workload after a suspensory injury. And if this horse has already stepped down a couple times, what happens if it’s a third time? Are you OK just putzing around 2’/2’6’’? Or just trail riding even?
If it were me, you like the horse a lot, and you don’t see workload changing, I’d talk with vet and farrier about their outlook for maintenance and longevity for the job. I’d then talk to the owner about price negotiations based on PPE findings and history.
They may not be willing to negotiate–some people have a set figure in their head, even if the animal is probably in the best situation it could hope for given health history. And then you can make your call about whether to keep or walk away.
I would not expect a 12 year old with a decent show career to have perfect flexions and need no maintenance.
It sounds like the horse has done well on the current maintenance plan, with injections once a year, and has remained comfortable and serviceably sound.
A PPE will not change that. They are not “pass/fail” or “sound/lame” exams.
But speak to your trainer and your vet.
Eh, I don’t know. Again, to me this is a conversation point and I’d like to refer to historical vet records here if the owner is amenable. My horse had had 2 forelimb suspensory injuries by age 14. Turned out to be mechanically induced- he had an area of roughness on his cannon bone and when his feet got to a certain angle it would pull the suspensory across that area of the bone and led to a lesion. That was fun to diagnose. The solution: switch him to a strict 4-week shoeing schedule. Never had a problem with that ligament again. Horse kept competing successfully at the level.
As you say, you look at the horse in context. The OP has great background on the horse from having lived with him for a year. She knows what maintenance helped him be sound and happy at the desired work.
He sounds like a nice horse who has made her happy. I’d hate to see her throw that away without further discussion just because he flexed a little funny.
We don’t have perfect information here, but this is my take based on what we know…
Horse has been doing an “easier” job with the OP for the last 6 months+ . Horse is getting a moderate amount of maintenance and has a previous suspensory injury. We don’t know what the suspensory looks like now, although I wouldn’t buy the horse without knowing. Despite the easier job and the maintenance, horse is not baseline sound. Horse also flexes poorly.
I think the most likely story is as follows: Horse is in fact unsound and has been since the beginning of OPs lease. Horse is NOT being “maintained” sound on the current combo of injections and work. Trainer either doesn’t have a great eye for soundness and wasn’t aware, or thinks horse is serviceably sound for what OP is doing and therefore hasn’t pushed OP to increase maintenance.
If I loved the horse, I’d do the following: 1) ultrasound that suspensory; 2) get the x-rays reviewed by a radiologist and review the report; 3) sit down with the vet and ask if you bought the horse and kept him in the same level of work he is in now, what would the vet’s plan be to get him sound and maintain him that way? Then ask yourself if you can live with that, and if you can live with the risk that it might not be enough and he might need an easier work load. If you want some certainty (at some expense to you) ask the owner if you can extend the lease for another 2 months and have your vet treat as if you had bought the horse. Then repeat the jog and flexions after treatment and see if you have managed to get him baseline sound.
It sounds to me like the horse is serviceably sound and will continue to be so with maintenance that is within the scope of the OP’s vet.
OP, if you love the horse and are happy with how it’s gone for the past year, what you’ve reported doesn’t raise a lot of red flags for me.
Given your stated goals, do I believe that you could find another horse to enjoy for a lot less? Absolutely. But you could have found that last year, too. Are you at a point in your riding now where you might need a different horse? That’s something to consider. I’ve had a few horses that I thought were irreplaceable. In truth, they might have been, but I’ve found other horses that are wonderful in different ways.
What made you decide that you wanted this horse at this price point? If that hasn’t changed and you can afford the horse, go for it. The first lease payment is a sunk cost. I don’t know what the ramifications are for pulling out of a lease to buy contract so you’d need to review your contract (probably with a lawyer).
<<If I loved the horse, I’d do the following: 1) ultrasound that suspensory; 2) get the x-rays reviewed by a radiologist and review the report; 3) sit down with the vet and ask if you bought the horse and kept him in the same level of work he is in now, what would the vet’s plan be to get him sound and maintain him that way? Then ask yourself if you can live with that, and if you can live with the risk that it might not be enough and he might need an easier work load. >>
This is good advice but does require more investment on your part. My trainers have always told me to be careful about spending $$ to find out why someone else’s horse is lame, but you are a year into the journey and may have more interest in spending the money.
What does your trainer think?
Without knowing more about any x-rays or imaging that was done, it is really hard to say “yes, buy this horse” or “absolutely no way.” A few statements…
Someone that wants to enjoy the quality of horse 6 figures gets you, but doesn’t want to show more. Doesn’t seem that wild to me (or any more wild than anyone else spending 6 figures on a horse).
I would walk away. I doubt the horse has been “fine” all year tbh. All those suspensory injuries don’t just magically heal up so quickly. Coffin injections only work for a few years typically before they don’t anymore. This horse is not doing well physically.
It’s VERY common for horses that can’t be sold due to PPE findings to be leased to novice riders who don’t realize they are riding a lame horse. I see it all the time in hunter world.
At a minimum haul the horse to a big clinic and get another PPE for a second opinion. If you’re not “allowed” walk away from the horse, trainer and barn completely. Don’t be a sucker.
Flexions don’t always bother me because they are a little dicey and unreliable. They’re a reason to look a little closer, not necessarily a reason to reject. Same with injection history.
If the horse has been sound for you in the year you’ve had him, that’s a good sign for your intended use, regardless of history. The advice to talk to the vet and say, “how would you manage this horse for the next year” is a good way to get actionable clarity from the findings.
I would x-ray all the way around for a horse in this price point if you haven’t. You might as well know what’s in there. Sometimes unexpected x-rays can lower the price.
This is an expensive horse. That’s cool, just know that it’s money out the door that you’ll probably never see again. Don’t think of it as any kind of investment but more like a really great vacation that you hope will last for many years of enjoyment.
I hear a lot of uncertainty and doubt in your post, so here’s what I’d advise: go horse shopping. Try some other horses, use as your budget the remainder of what your payments would be. The market has changed, and so have you as a rider. Go sit on 5-10 other horses that are for sale and decide if you’d rather have one of them.
From this you will learn:
I suppose you are correct. It’s just that I can’t wrap my pragmatic middle-class brain around that concept. 
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