09/05/2025
📋 What is a Pre-Purchase Exam (PPE)?
A Pre-Purchase Exam (PPE) is a comprehensive evaluation of a horse’s current health and soundness before you commit to buying.
✅ Benefits of a PPE:
• Informed Decision Making – Know what you’re buying, from health status to potential risks.
• Identify Soundness Concerns – Detection of lameness, musculoskeletal conditions or conformation faults.
• Uncover Unknown Medical Issues – Heart murmurs, dental problems, past injuries, and more.
🐾 What’s Included in a Standard PPE:
• Full physical exam (head to toe)
• Conformation assessment
• Limb palpation and flexion tests
• Gait evaluation on different surfaces
• Hoof exam (including hoof tester evaluation)
• Lameness evaluation
• Optional: radiographs, ultrasound, drug testing (We always pull blood for this regardless just in case), bloodwork (based on intended use & buyer request)
🚨 Why YOU Should Schedule Your Own PPE:
Even if the seller offers a previous PPE or lameness exam and states the horse is “sound,” horses can change day to day. Lameness can be intermittent, issues can develop over time, and vets may have varying findings.
A lameness evaluation’s purpose is to diagnose a specific performance or soundness issue, that focuses on one or more problem areas vs looking at the horse as a whole.
A PPE is your investment , protect it with an independent, unbiased assessment by your own veterinarian.
📞 Ready to Schedule?
Contact Mallo Equine today to book a pre-purchase exam or learn more about what’s best for your situation. We’re here to help you find a horse that’s a perfect fit for your goals and your future. We pride ourselves in thorough pre-purchase exams with a performance horse focus.
