Pre-purchase Examinations

Public Auctions

  • We offer a renowned international sales service at all the major bloodstock sales in Europe, America, Japan and the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Our dedicated sales office at Tattersalls, Newmarket is open throughout their sales periods and can be contacted by a direct phone/fax line on +44 (0)1638 617763.
  • Veterinary services include pre-purchase examinations, digital radiography and ultrasonography, endoscopy, post-sale wind examination, pregnancy diagnosis, pre-export tests and examinations.
  • Vendors consigning their horses in Newmarket can also take advantage of our 24 hour ambulatory services for all their pre-sale veterinary requirements.

Private Purchases

We undertake pre-purchase examinations or 'vettings' for horses of all types and ages, from thoroughbred racehorses and breeding stock to performance and leisure horses, either at Newmarket Equine Hospital or we can travel to wherever the horse lives in the UK or abroad. The examination is intended to give the purchaser a veterinary opinion on the horse's suitability for its intended use. The certificate can also be used to obtain insurance cover for the horse, from a simple mortality cover to a full loss of use insurance. All pre-purchase examinations comply with the standards issued by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Equine Veterinary Association. Three of our vets are also Hong Kong Jockey Club Nominated Veterinary Surgeons.

The full FIVE STAGE vetting examination consists of:

Stage One – Preliminary Examination
This is a methodical examination of the animal's body to assess general appearance and condition. It includes examination of the teeth, the resting heart, the eyes by ophthalmoscope, the skin, the limbs and feet, and flexion of the limb joints to reveal pain or limitation of movement.

Stage Two – Trotting Up
The animal is walked and trotted on hard, level ground in order to detect gross abnormalities of gait and action.

Stage Three – Strenuous Exercise
The animal is given sufficient strenuous exercise to
1. make it breathe deeply and rapidly so that any unusual breathing sounds may be heard
2. increase the action of the heart so that abnormalities may be more easily detected
3. tire the animal so that strains or injuries may be revealed by stiffness or lameness after a period of rest.

Stage Four - A Period of Rest
The horse is allowed to stand quietly for a period. During this time the breathing and the heart are checked as they return to their resting levels.

Stage Five – The Second Trot and Foot Examination
The horse is walked and trotted again, turned sharply and backed, in order to reveal abnormalities exacerbated by the strenuous exercise stage.

A TWO-STAGE vetting only incorporates Stages 1 and 2 detailed above.

If you are buying a horse for racing or competition, it may be necessary to have further tests incorporated in the vetting, such as an endoscopic examination, an X-ray examination, an ultrasound scan, blood samples, etc. As part of the routine procedure, a blood sample is usually taken to detect the presence of anti-inflammatories or painkillers at the time of the examination. It is stored for a period of time and can be sent for analysis at the purchaser's request. Please feel free to discuss any requirements or concerns you may have about the potential purchase with the vet before he carries out his examination.