I’m sure this has been posted before, but I can’t find a full discussion so here goes…My family and I are looking to purchase a reining horse for our daughter (17yr old) and we are not new to having horses just new to reining. Aside from feet, stifles, and hocks any other x-rays we should consider doing? This is on a 5yr old gelding that has been shown by a youth rider for the past couple of years and started as a two yr old (I believe, however I have seen video as a 3yr old). Any other testing we should consider? Thanks!!
Get the skyline view for navicular as well for feet. And knees. At least PSSM testing. And depending on where you are buying, a drug screen.
You have a good show reining trainer advising you?
If you don’t, better start there.
Reining is a small world, trainers know many of the horses/trainers/riders/sellers and can steer you in the right direction.
Buying the right reiner for a rider is extremely important.
Once you have a trainer’s advice, what all the trainer knows about the horse and it’s management and record will help decide what all you need to ask your vet to check.
A really good vet experienced with reiners, one that shows reiners especially, would be invaluable to help steer you to and away from suitable or better stay away from horses you may be interested in.
What may be significant for a horse in another discipline may not bother a reiner, or the other way around.
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I agree with above. I have also been told that reining trainers get a lot of suspensory issues, so may be worth an ultrasound if the horse has trained heavily.
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What part of the country are you in? I would be scared to death to buy anything in the mid west…their junk starts at 25k.
Blood panel is first for me, most important x rays are front feet including navicular views and stifles for me followed by knees and hocks. All reiners hocks that have been trained since 2 and shown are going to have arthritic changes by 5, if they didn’t i would say they were not trainee and shown as much as you were told. Just keep in mind with x rays, they have gotten so good that you’re almost looking into the future now, no horse will pass with flying colors, you just have to decide what you can live with. Significant navicular changes, OCD lesions that are in a spot that can cause a problem and a blood panel that shows psychotrophics in the systems are a pass for me. Most other things I can live with. Good luck, how is the prospective horse bred?
