The Purchase Investigation

Why should an AKU be carried out?

If you want to buy a horse, an AKU is an important factor for the purchase decision. If the trial was a success, then the AKU should take place. Even if a horse appears to be healthy, lame-free and fit, it can never be ruled out that health restrictions or clinical abnormalities exist that are unknown to the seller because they have not yet had any effect. In individual cases, however, the seller is even aware of problems that he knowingly conceals from the prospective buyer. Therefore, the AKU is the best way to ensure that one buys a healthy and resilient horse. On the other hand, it is also a safeguard for the seller: with an AKU, he can prove that the horse was healthy at the time of the sale or that any defects were known to the buyer. Depending on the scope of the inspection, it may be quite cost-intensive - but the risk of unknowingly acquiring a horse that is only fit to a limited extent or is ill carries significantly higher costs. It is also fair to the horse if it is checked in advance whether it can meet the requirements of its new owner. Therefore, an AKU is strongly recommended for every horse purchase and sale, regardless of the price range of the horse. 

Who pays for the AKU and what does it cost?

Who - seller or interested party - commissions and thus pays for the AKU is a matter of negotiation and should definitely be clarified before the examination. If the seller orders the examination, it is called a sales examination. Such a sales examination is often required for horses that are to be sold at auction.
Sometimes the costs are covered depending on whether the horse is purchased or not, or depending on the findings. Please clarify in detail in which case (= with which findings) you and in which case the seller pays.
Usually the prospective buyer pays the AKU, since he is usually also the one who arranges it. In addition, he is then also responsible for the choice of veterinarian. The costs of an AKU depend on what is done: While a so-called "small AKU" only includes an external assessment by the veterinarian, the "large AKU" also includes imaging procedures, such as X-rays.
Accordingly, the small AKU is also cheaper: The costs for it amount to up to 250 euros. The large AKU, on the other hand, can cost up to 1500 euros or, if special procedures are used, even more.

What is done during a small AKU? 

As a rule, the following is examined during a small AKU: 

1. Assessment of general condition (feed and muscle condition, behavior
2. Heart and lungs are listened to
3. Control of coat, skin, teeth and eyes
4. Measurement of PAT values (pulse, respiration, temperature) 
5. Examination of nervous system and feces
6. Examination of the musculoskeletal system at rest and in motion
   a) Palpation of legs and back
   b) Trotting forward on hard ground, in turns and in a straight line
   c) Flexion test
   → In the flexion test, one leg of the horse is strongly bent for a short time. Immediately, the horse should be trotted forward. This load allows lameness to be better detected. However, the significance of the flexion test is controversial. A competent veterinarian can provide an assessment of how much value should be placed on a possible positive flexion test.
   d) Lunging on soft ground
7. Stress test for heart and lungs 

Clinical examinations may not always detect damage to the equine musculoskeletal system. Factors that affect the validity of these tests are for example: 

• Excitement of the horse
• Fitting
• Drug administration
• Prior sparing or warm up
• Muscular training condition
• Ground conditions
• Change of feed
• Weather

These factors can affect the horse both negatively and positively. Lameness may not be seen because the horse shows imponier behavior. Or the horse may run with feeling because it has had its horseshoes removed shortly before or the ground is particularly stony or frozen. In very deep sand it is also difficult to judge the movement. Perhaps there was a new feed the day before, which affects the digestion. It becomes clear: A small AKU is always a snapshot. In order for it to be as meaningful as possible, factors such as those mentioned should be clarified beforehand.

What is done during a large AKU? 

In addition to all the clinical tests performed during the small AKU, the large AKU adds: 

1. 10 to 18 radiographs - nowadays 18 images are recommended according to radiographic guidelines
   a) four lateral radiographs of the toe (all legs)
   b) two lateral radiographs of the toes of the forelegs with focus on the hoof joints
   c) six radiographs of the hocks (three per hind leg)
   d) four radiographs of the knees (two per hind leg)
   e) two radiographs of the hoof rolls
2. additional options at the big AKU
   a) Endoscopy
   b) Ultrasound
   c) Semen sample in stallions
   d) X-ray of the back
   e) Blood sample

Do I need a major purchase inspection?

The X-rays can immediately detect impairments such as spavin, chips or changes in the hoof roll. Depending on the planned use of the horse, some findings are exclusion criteria, as they can lead to lameness and pain later and/or at higher loads. The radiographic classes that classified and scored any findings into four categories until 2018 have now been abolished. Findings are marked with an "R" for "risk" in the protocol of the examination. This means that the diagnosed irregularity may result in lameness, according to the veterinarian's assessment with reference to international literature and the Society of Equine Medicine (GPM) X-ray committee. Anything that cannot be reliably identified as a risk is assigned an "obB" - "without special findings." Both a risk finding and an "obB" provide no guarantee that the horse will ever show discomfort - or remain permanently lameness-free. Nevertheless, radiographs at the AKU minimize the risk of buying a horse that will not stand up to the stress test. 

The standard program does not include images of the back. Thus, problems such as kissing spines, a narrowing of the spinous processes, are not detected as part of the standard large AKU. This is due to the lack of scientific data regarding radiographs of the horse's back: how certain radiographs and findings must be interpreted in order to predict a possible impairment has not yet been sufficiently proven. Therefore, there is no one hundred percent diagnostic certainty.
The spinal problem kissing spines, for example, in which the spinous processes of the dorsal vertebrae approach or touch each other, can be so painful for the horse that it is no longer rideable. On the other hand, even a horse with radiographic findings can be a good riding horse for life. Despite these imponderables, it may be wise to have the horse's back and cervical spine x-rayed - as an added safeguard for both parties. 

The blood test is also not included as a standard part of the large AKU. However, it can be very useful, and not only to detect possible deficiencies: There are also black sheep among horse sellers who administer medications such as tranquilizers and painkillers, anti-inflammatories or other doping preparations to the horse for trial. Because the analysis of such samples in special laboratories alone can cost several hundred euros, a blood sample can be frozen for a period of at least six months and only analyzed in the event of suspicion. However: In the event of a legal dispute, a blood sample stored in this way may not be considered very meaningful as evidence. If you want to be absolutely sure, you should have the sample analyzed immediately. By the way, it can often be a warning sign if a seller reacts dismissively when mentioning a desired blood sample during the inspection - a serious and professional seller would not see such a sample as a sign of mistrust on the part of the prospective buyer, but would react sympathetically, provided he has nothing to fear. 

Regardless of whether the AKU is a large or small one, it must be recorded in detail by the veterinarian performing it. Usually, the veterinarian works through a kind of checklist. You will receive this protocol at the end. A good veterinarian should also give an assessment after the AKU as to whether the horse is suitable for the desired purpose: A potential leisure horse that is to be ridden mainly cross-country "may" show different findings than a young horse that is bought for high classes in dressage or show jumping, since the stress on the horse's body is higher there.
Also the decision "big or small AKU?" cannot be answered in a general way. In the case of horses that are expected to perform at a high level of athleticism, a large AKU is strongly recommended. However, x-rays in particular are always sensible - - even for non- or only occasional competition riders. High veterinary costs can of course always be incurred by horse owners. However, this risk can be minimized by not buying an animal that is sick from the start.
With older horses, however, it should be kept in mind that they almost always show certain irregularities on x-rays. Depending on the age of the animal, x-rays may therefore not be necessary. However, especially horses that are to be used for breeding should be examined even more closely from head to hoof: Including endoscopies and ultrasound to check the internal organs. For most buyers who pursue equestrian sports as a hobby, these examinations are usually not necessary. If you are unsure, ask your veterinarian for advice.

Is an AKU necessary for young horses and foals?

The answer to the question of whether an AKU makes sense for a foal or yearling is somewhat different. Certain points of the AKU, such as the bending test and lunging, cannot be performed at all on foals and yearlings. X-rays are also not meaningful in a foal, as the development of the bone structure has only just begun and many things still have to "grow into place". In addition, chips, for example, only show up later. A health check by a veterinarian is nevertheless advisable. For example, he can detect heart defects, infections or problems with the eyes and breathing. 

In the case of young horses that have already been taken into light work, an AKU should again be carried out - ideally with x-rays. Especially in a young horse, there should be no serious defects. In addition, for example, possible chips that need surgery can be detected early.

Is the veterinarian liable if the AKU was wrong?

What if the veterinarian overlooks a major defect during an AKU and the horse was purchased on the basis of a supposedly unremarkable AKU? If this is the case, the veterinarian can be held liable and there may be claims for damages. However, the equine veterinarian is explicitly not liable for a completely correct examination, but only for a dutiful and careful implementation of his tasks - if he has acted to the best of his knowledge and belief, he cannot be held liable. Since horses are animals that can never be controlled one hundred percent and behave differently depending on their character, it can never be ruled out that the veterinarian overlooks certain problems or could not see them at all because the horse did not show them on the day of the AKU. If it can be proven that the veterinarian acted negligently and missed a finding on the horse due to an inadequate examination or evaluation, which would have led to a non-purchase, the veterinarian can be sued. In addition, the seller is obliged to rescind the purchase contract due to the so-called material defect. The buyer is free to sue the veterinarian or the seller if the latter is not willing to return the horse without any problems and to repay the purchase price as well as possible further costs incurred by the buyer.

8 tips for the AKU

1. Have each X-ray evaluated individually: If a serious defect is found that precludes purchase, save the money for the following x-rays. 
2. Allow enough time for an AKU. How long an AKU takes depends on many factors. For a small AKU including discussion you should expect at least one hour, rather more. If x-rays are planned, considerably more. Then the AKU can take several hours. 
3. Be there in person at the AKU - this is the only way to be sure that the AKU is performed according to your expectations. 
4. If possible, choose the veterinarian yourself. If a seller vehemently insists on a certain veterinarian, you should become alert. 
5. Sometimes it is also referred to as a sales survey - this is ultimately the same thing, but is commissioned by the vendor.
6. Many veterinarians increase the price of the AKU if the horse to be examined exceeds a certain price. Clarify the costs beforehand. 
7. Do not let the seller turn you away with the statement that the horse is "tested" and healthy - if there is already an AKU by another interested party, have it shown to you.
8. You can sign the purchase contract for the horse even before the AKU. It is then important to include a so-called "condition precedent": The purchase contract only becomes effective when the AKU is considered to have been passed. Define beforehand what is considered "passed"!

So the purchase examination is an indispensable step when buying a horse. Even if it is tempting to save money here: High veterinary costs due to an undetected disease are usually much higher. Therefore, an AKU should be carried out with every horse purchase. At the end of the examination, the veterinarian discusses the results with the prospective buyer. If there are no findings that lead to exclusion, nothing stands in the way of a purchase - and a long, healthy horse life.