I’ve found a horse schooling 3rd level dressage, in work 5 days/week, lovely and going to try him this weekend. The price is in my budget because his xrays had made 2 previous ppl balk for different reasons. My vet has seen all the films from a previous PPE (1 year ago) and said “there is some risk, but not huge”.
Do you buy the horse if he checks all the boxes? I know you don’t ride the x-rays, lol. Have you bought the horse despite the x-rays and won the gamble? I know they are all gambles 
How old is he?
What kind of changes are we talking about? Arthritis? Coffin bone rotation? An old chip?
Is it something that they maintain? Injections, etc?
If you like him than it’s probably worth taking a new set of x-rays to compare. If they look the same than it may be a non-issue. If there are changes than I’d probably walk.
Can you afford to retire him and get a second horse?
How big a risk does your vet think the issues are? Yeah, horses are risky but can you manage if you get the short straw?
I think the fact that the horse is in consistent work with no issues definitely helps mitigate the risk. I’d make sure you mentally worked through what you’d do if something shows up later? GoodTimes asks some good questions.
Depends on what you’re seeing in the x-rays!
He is 9 yo. In basic shoes, no maintenance. The 1st person’s vet didn’t like the sidebone, so they walked. The 2nd person’s vet was fine with the sidebone, but didn’t like the navicular. My vet said there is some risk - maybe 10-15% more than a horse without sidebone, he saw nothing alarming from a navicular standpoint.
I’ve rolled the dice a bit in the past: bred my mare got a great gelding I got to 3rd on (lost him to colic). Bought a yearling, clean leg xrays, just sold her as a trail horse cause I couldn’t keep her comfy for neck arthritis. My budget is tiny from a dressage standpoint which is why I’m always “starting over”. Can’t find anything trained and going in my budget.
You say the existing X-rays are a year old… so to me it depends on what current X-rays show compared to those year old X-rays.
I’d take new xrays but probably not a huge deal for me based on the description.
would not entertain a purchase until new x-rays by your vet Ӣ
Do you trust your vets judgment and expertise? If so get new x-rays and go from there. As you said it is always a gamble.
Side bone, unless maybe enormous, doesn’t bother me - it doesn’t usually cause lameness issues.
You need to know more than just “navicular issues”, so you would definitely need your vet to evaluate the older xrays (and you might need to pay to get them), discuss what she sees, see if it’s worth getting new ones. For all anyone knows, what’s on the older xrays have been there his whole life.
It may also be worth seeing if the horse is negative to hoof testers and/or if the owner would let you block one front foot (whichever looks “worst” on x-ray) and seeing if the horse is bilaterally sore.
If sound, it wouldn’t bother me except for knowing I’d want yearly shoeing radiographs and a very good farrier to make sure you are not putting any extra stress on the navicular and soft tissues.
Navicular xrays are tricky; I’ve know horses with horrible looking ones that stayed sound for years, and horses with caudal heel pain/navicular systems whose xrays looked fine.
So I concur with the advice above: get new xrays and compare them to the old ones, have your vet do a more thorough lameness exam, including @theresak’s excellent suggestion to block one foot.
I would buy him as he is sound and trained and the only one affordable and enjoy every second with him.
You can wait, get a horse untrained or trained with perfect xrays and they break their leg the next day tripping over nothing.
How much do you trust the seller?
Are you sure the horse is sound because he IS and not because of “better living through chemistry”? I’d want to know for certain.
As others have said, sidebone is typically not a big deal.
And navicular rads have little correlation with clinical lameness.
Get some current rads, and trust your vet’s judgement.
May be worth requesting the seller have her DVM forward the medical records to yours–if the horse isn’t having issues, full disclosure shouldn’t be a problem.
This.
While purely anecdotal, my warmblood gelding was diagnosed with navicular changes via xray at 14. He’s now 27 and still sound in moderate work
I would definitely do a PPE; flexions, hoof testers and some new foot rads to compare with 2019. I’ve also asked for the medical records to be released. Thanks for everyone’s thoughts!
Good Luck ~ I hope this works out for you ~ glad you are doing your ‘homework’.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
