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  Discussion on Prepurchase exam for weanling?
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Posted on Tuesday, May 30, 2000 - 7:01 pm:

I'm toying with the idea of buying a very nicely bred foal for my "future" prospect and having the fun of the little one, breed shows, etc. The mare is a proven producer of premium warmbloods, and the stud is also very nice. The foal is registerable in two different registries.

I'm assuming a prepurchase and insurance exam is in order ... what exactly is assessed on one of these little guys? Is it normal to wait until the foal is weaned? Or are purchases/insurance deals done prior to weaning?

The breeder is willing to board the foal for the first year, so the care, fencing, etc. is good. I'm just trying to figure out when I really need to make a decision.

I figure a few weeks will give me an idea of the foal's natural movements. I've seen both her parents.

I'm not sold on this idea, but am in "information gathering" mode. The cost of bringing up baby is not lost on me. I just figure I'd never spend the big money for a started filly of this quality 3-4 years from now.

Thanks.

Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2000 - 4:27 pm:

Well it is really like a regular prepurchase exam minus the work on lunge, flexion tests, and work under saddle. Some might want to have the joints radiographed for OCD since it is a Warm Blood. But which joints would be debatable and the significance of lesions without lameness is uncertain.
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Jun 1, 2000 - 12:12 pm:

Hi Chris - when I bought my baby at 5 months, my vet checked eyes, ears, lungs, heart, checked to see if his testicles were there, watched him walk and trot towards and away from her, and watched him briefly in the round pen (he knew what that was for). We didn't do xrays. Definitely no flex tests.

Posted on Thursday, Jun 1, 2000 - 1:37 pm:

Dr. O -

Would OCD lesions even show up on a weanling? Somehow I thought they developed at a later age.

Thanks to you and Jordana for your replies.

Posted on Friday, Jun 2, 2000 - 6:43 am:

Hello Chris,
You can find OCD lesions in babies but you are right, some OCD lesions do not become radiographically evident until later, so the radiographs are no guarantee.
DrO
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