want to buy a horse but concerns about her hoofs

Question
hi, iam looking at buying this mare. she is a percheron cross. iam concerned about one of her hoofs because it has a fairly good size crack from the bottom to the top. she does have shoes on and the owner assures me its purely cosmetic. It doesnt seem to slow this horse down at all but, Iam not sure whether or not to purchase this horse. any help would be appreciated thanks. crystal  

Answer
Hi Crystal,

Before purchasing any horse, it's prudent to do a vet check to confirm the horse's soundness and health.  A vet check is about $100-$200 and the purchaser is responsible for the cost.  You can either do a vet check at the farm where the horse is located or at the vet's office. I recommend doing a vet check with both the seller and purchaser present.  

If the horse does have a pre-existing problem the vet check can save you lots in future costs and heartache.  If this crack in the mare's foot is cosmetic the vet will be able to confirm it and may have recommendations on how to correct it.  If the owner of the horse balks at getting the horse vet checked there may be other issues they don't want you to know about.   

Should you have any more questions, please let me know.

Regards,
Jessica
jess@ahorseappraiser.com