Posted by Chris Newman on March 22, 2003 at 03:21:59:
In Reply to: Re: Big mess after prepurchase; need direction posted by Phil Armitage on March 20, 2003 at 21:42:15:
When anyone I know is thinking of buying a horse,
Especially if it is a Quarter Horse over 8 years old,
I usually ask them to get a 3" common nail, dull the tip so that it is no sharper than a newly sharpened pencil after writting only your name...pointed...but not razor sharp.
On "known good" horses...practice lightly pushing the point between the bulbs of the heel unitl the horse lifts his foot from the annoyance (Don't try this on a known navicluar horse. This test can help diagnose navicular, since an affected horse will respond to less pressure than the average horse, but doing this to a known NAV horse will cause unwarranted pain).
Once you pretty much have the feel for how much pressure the average horse requires before lifting the foot/moving it away from the pressure...try it to the horse you are thinking of buying. If the same results occur...the horse in not "nerved" (Palmar Digital Nerve Block)
If the horse does NOT respond to the average pressure,
take a sharper nail and lightly poke over and over(BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK THE SKIN) A "nerved" horse will not
move the foot away. If the horse is not knowingly nerved and does not move the foot away...there may be something else awry...or drugging involved to overcome some other pain or condition ( back pain... bad manners, etc.)
Have two vials of blood drawn. One for the seller's vet.
One for YOURS.