A horse is a big decision — emotionally and financially. Get the records that tell you what you're actually buying, before the wire transfer clears.
A pre-purchase exam is a snapshot. The history is the movie. Knowing how this horse has been managed — vaccinations, farrier patterns, prior lamenesses, training progression — tells you whether the snapshot is the truth or just a good day.
Print this. Email it to the seller. Most respond. If they don't have records — that itself is information.
Once you've got a new horse, Proper Strides becomes the place all those records live. Coggins date in. Vaccination history loaded. Vet, farrier, trainer added as collaborators. Photos uploaded.
The work you did asking the seller for documentation pays you back forever.
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Coggins (current), vaccination history (3 years), vet records, lameness or injury history, farrier records, dental history, current feed program, training history, show results, registration papers, microchip number, and photos or videos of the horse at all gaits.
For any significant purchase, yes. A PPE is a clinical exam performed by a vet — typically not the seller's vet — that gives you an independent assessment of soundness, conformation, and overall health. X-rays and bloodwork can be added based on the horse's intended use.
Basic PPEs typically run $300 to $600. With X-rays (often necessary for sport horses), the total can be $1,000 to $2,500 depending on the number of views and the horse's intended use. Worth it on any meaningful purchase.
It's a yellow flag, not necessarily a red flag. Some private sellers genuinely haven't kept records. Ask what they remember, get a thorough PPE, and budget for catch-up vet work in the first month of ownership.
Build the horse profile first (breed, age, color, registered name, microchip). Then load the Coggins and vaccinations from the seller. Invite your vet and farrier. Take baseline photos. Within a week you'll have a complete file.
Build the file your future self will thank you for.
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