Dr. Beau Whitaker specializes in Lameness and Sports Medicine, Equine Rehabilitation, Regenerative Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging at Brazos Valley Equine Hospital in Salado, TX. Brazos Valley Equine was onsite for the WPRA Finals and Dr. Whitaker agreed on an impromptu podcast interview to talk about pre-purchase exams.

I feel like a good pre-purchase exam is a non-negotiable part of buying a performance horse or any arena prospect. There is enough risk between the time you acquire a horse until the time they reach the arena that I try as hard as I can to start with a good clean slate. It’s an expense that I know I have to just eat if the horse doesn’t pass the exam, but in the end it’s going to be a lot cheaper than buying a horse that could fall apart or have an unforeseen issue in the future.