Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage
Second
Edition - Arriving Soon!
In a few weeks, I'll be receiving the
first copies of the revised edition of Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage. This book
was reprinted over 30 times since it was first published in 1990. The second edition
has 120 more pages than the first edition, twice as many drawings (by that partner
of mine, Richard Klimesh), and twice as many photos PLUS the entire book is in
color! I took many of the photos here at Long Tail Ranch so you can see our facilities,
pastures, horses, and management.
I've included more information about arenas
and footing, caring for the environment on our horse farms and ranches, and I
updated and expanded the entire tractor and implement section. There are so many
other new features in this book that you will just have to see for yourself. We
are taking pre-publication orders now. Click here to order:
https://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_books/Horsekeeping_on_a_Small_Acreage.htm
It is a Fact of Life
Legal issues are a fact of life. I receive a dozen questions a
month from people that are in the throes of legal wrangling related to horses.
Although the problems can relate to liability, insurance, boarding, and other
business matters, the most common area that legal problems crop up is over the
purchase or sale of a horse. That's why I recommend that you be thorough when
you horse shop and get things in writing. You can find more details about the
business aspects of buying or selling a horse in my book "Horse for Sale".
This month, I'm going to post an excerpt from it about the Pre-Purchase Exam and
Contract.
Horse for Sale, How to Buy a Horse or
Sell the One You Have
(https://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_books/Horse_For_Sale.htm)
*******************
THE
PRE-PURCHASE CONTRACT
excerpt from Horse
for Sale
If you have found the perfect horse, you can ask the seller
to hold the horse for you. When a horse is put on hold, he is essentially taken
off the market. That's why many sellers would require you to sign a pre-purchase
agreement. Such a contract will indicate your serious intent, outline terms of
the sales agreement, and it might also state a limit to the number of times you
may try the horse and a deadline for your decision. A pre-purchase contract clarifies
items in writing that you discussed with the seller.
Usually a deposit
is required in addition to your signature. A deposit can reduce risks for both
parties. The deposit will compensate the seller if you do not buy the horse and
he loses a sale to another customer because the horse was off the market while
you were further considering him. A deposit also provides you a guarantee that
the horse will not be sold to anyone else while the contingencies of the contract
are being met. The contract also fixes the price at the one originally quoted.
A well-designed contract is really a protection for both the buyer and the seller.
In most states, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) requires a sales contract for
any goods costing over $500. A Pre-Purchase Agreement (or Contract to Purchase
or Sales Contract) can satisfy this requirement. Confer with your agent about
the laws of buying and selling horses in your state.
Items that might be
covered in a CONTRACT TO PURCHASE OR PRE-PURCHASE AGREEMENT OR SALES CONTRACT:
To
read the entire article, go here:
https://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_management/pre-purchase_contract.htm
A pre-purchase veterinary examination is
often a contingency in a written sales contract or an informal contingency in
a verbal offer. The prospective buyer selects the veterinarian, schedules the
exam, and pays for it. In order to avoid conflict of interest, the veterinarian
should not be the seller's regular vet. The information obtained during a pre-purchase
exam should be summarized in writing. It may be necessary for the buyer to formally
request this from the veterinarian. The written report becomes the property of
the person who paid for it, the potential buyer. If someone else, such as the
seller, wants a copy, the only way he should be able to get it is through permission
from the potential buyer. It is privileged information contracted between the
veterinarian and the prospective buyer. Often both the owner and the seller are
present during the pre-purchase exam. With the permission of the buyer, the veterinarian
can verbally report findings throughout the examination.
If
you are at all concerned about a horse's health or soundness, he should have a
thorough pre-purchase exam performed, especially if you are inexperienced. It
is not wise to accept a seller's claim that the horse has already been "vetted"
because all that might mean is that at some time the horse was looked at by a
veterinarian.
A pre-purchase exam is a fact-finding session
and can be a useful tool for both the buyer and the seller. It is not a guarantee,
an insurance policy, or a value appraisal and it is not a certificate of ability,
temperament, or merit. It is a physical examination for evaluating health and
serviceability on a particular day. It is a window in time. A pre-purchase exam
should not be thought of as a soundness exam.....
excerpt from Horse
for Sale
Be on the lookout for conditions that might make a
horse unsound, unusable, or unsuitable for you.
Lameness-related
problems such as:
Arthritis - early stages can be managed;
end-stage joint inflammation and degeneration cause loss of use.
Bowed Tendons - thick, bulging flexor tendons; depending on severity, may or may
not be serviceably sound; prone to reinjury.
Navicular syndrome
- forelimb lameness from mild to severe; often treatable with proper shoeing.
Laminitis (founder) - horses that have had a severe bout with laminitis make poor
performance choices but can make acceptable breeding animals. Mildly affected
horses, if managed correctly, might return to some level of use but may be at
increased risk to refounder.
Cracks - Deep, vertical cracks
extending to the coronary band can be a red alert, especially if there is a moist
discharge from them. It..............
To read the entire article,
go here:
https://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_management/unsoundnesses.htm
*******************
(usually they do not affect serviceability, but
ask your vet to examine each one)
Proud flesh - tumor-like
mass over wound site on lower limbs that can inhibit movement; can be treatable
depending on location and severity.
Sarcoid - scaly or wart-like
virus invasion of tissue often around head; often reoccur following treatment.
Splints - lumps on the inside or outside of cannon bone; usually a self-correcting
condition; if horse is not lame, no problem.
White spots -
patches of white hair at site of old injury or areas of pressure such as at withers;
if inactive, no problem.
To read the entire article, go here:
https://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_management/blemishes.htm
There is no standard pre-purchase examination. Inform
your veterinarian of your intended use for the horse and any special concerns
you have. Then together, with economics relative to the horse's price in mind,
you can decide what tests will be necessary to make such a determination. The
exam will take from an hour to several hours or more. Costs for an exam can run
from $100 to $1000, depending on the number of radiographs required, what lab
tests are ordered, how many miles the veterinarian must travel, and how much time
is involved in the exam. The findings of the exam should be made in writing.
General Clinical Exam An overall health check is the minimum that should be performed.
First the veterinarian must identify the horse using markings, brands, and registration
papers. Then he should get a thorough history of the horse from the owner including
such information as vaccinations, deworming, previous illness or injury, surgeries,
previous x-rays taken, breeding records, and any vices or unique problems. If
you recorded this information during your buyer exam, you can provide the information
to your veterinarian to save time and money. The seller may be asked to sign the
report.
Some veterinarians make an examination of the horse's
pen or stall for clues to general eating habits, fecal consistency, and telltale
signs of such vices as cribbing, wood chewing, pacing, pawing, stall kicking,
and weaving.
The veterinarian next performs what is often
called a general physical or clinical examination: the vet looks at, listens to,
and touches (palpates) the horse. After palpation and observation, the veterinarian
can provide a report or continue with more specialized tests as...............
To
read the entire article, go here:
https://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_management/tests-exams.htm
If any of you live near Murfreesboro,
Tennessee and want to come by and say hi, I'll be judging the Road to the Horse
competition March 5 and 6, 2005. You can read more about it here
I
will have a sneak preview copy of Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage, Second Edition
there with me too!
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Horsekeeping
on a Small Acreage - Second Edition Coming Soon!