Health concerns raised less than a week after purchasing a horse (who was vetted prior to purchase)

[Bellybug]

I bought a new horse last week from a dealer; the dealer has a good reputation and had very positive feedback on the Facebook Dodgy Dealers pages. I had a 5 stage vetting completed which the horse passed. My instructor having seen videos of the horse being ridden prior to purchase advised me to check one specific point with the vet; which I did and they advised that in the professional opinion it was not a concern. However within a few days of having the horse home my instructor raised some concerns about the horses presentation when ridden, specifically in canter. I had the vet out today and they raised a number of concerns and advised it was going to difficult to diagnose a specific cause for these; essentially stating a large amount of money could be spent on investigations and there was a significant likelihood the outcome would be inconclusive. I now have a horse I have owned for a week that isn't rideable . The vet who came today couldn't conclusively say when these issues started but thinks it likely they were present pre purchase. The vet is very clear they are not being caused or exacerbated by the fit of the tack or anything else that is easily remedied. I sought some advise from the BHS legal helpline when the concerns were first raised and they advised that I have a right to return within 30 days if the horse proves not to be fit for purpose and suggested I contact the dealer explaining the situation and advising that I wish to return the horse and seek a refund. I spoke with the dealer and their position was he had passed the vetting and must have injured himself since I had bought him. I took out insurance the day I purchased him but he won't be covered for anything as the first fourteen days only offer cover for accidental external injury. I managed to speak to the original owner, who had him prior to the dealer and she advised he hadn't had any issues that she had had treated; however she had him out on loan while owning him so I presume wouldn't necessarily be aware of anything that may have occurred then. I am going to seek legal further legal advice as I am not in a position to retire a horse I have owned for less than two weeks; but equally I am worried that if I seek to return him he then may get sold on without the issues being disclosed; he is the sort of horse that, without these issues, lots of people are currently looking for. Although the idea is horrible to contemplate I am wondering if the right thing to do may be to put him to sleep; please don't judge me harshly for thinking this; I am just trying to work through a very difficult situation and try and do the best thing for the horse and myself. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

[TooManyAnimals94]

Was the vet you had out to him this week the same one who vetted him?
What exactly is the issue and why does the vet think it would be difficult to diagnose? I can see the dealer's point that it passed a 5 stage so they have no evidence that the horse hasn't gone lame since it's been with you.
Are you in a position to turn him away for 6 months and see how he comes back? I know it's disappointing but might be worth it if you have a rideable horse at the end of it.
I am sorry though OP, sounds very frustrating and difficult.

[Crinklecuts]

Is it some sacroiliac issue ?

Horses can pass a 5 stage vetting one day and fail the next tbh. I’m also wondering if it’s the same vet ?

It sounds tricky, but I think you need to contact citizens advice.

[WTF475878237NC]

Could you get a second opinion from another vet as to what's going on?

If you don't know for sure what the problem is or what it is caused by, I think unless you have the money for court the dealer isn't going to budge.

But PTS for an issue in canter specifically that you have no context on yet? Is that what the vet recommends?

[Lastqueenofscotland2]

What is the issue in canter, and who is the dealer (feel free to PM)
I think this is tricky, it was flagged to you before, the vet checked it, said it was fine, now it’s not? Is it definitely an issue or is it just a poor mover?

[maxelly]

Is the issue in canter now the same one your instructor queried pre-sale? And is the vet now saying expensive/long winded diagnostics needed the same one who did the vetting? Also are you sure the dealer actually owned the horse when he was sold to you or was s/he acting as middle man/agent for former owner as that can make a difference legally?

I don't think you're evil or anything for having PTS as an option in the back of your mind but it's probably too soon to go there and you need to take your legal advice and sort out your priorities first - for instance if your main aim is to get your money back (and I don't blame you at all if so), you probably are going to need to accept that means the horse has to go back to dealer and it's then their responsibility to decide what to do with him, I don't think it would be reasonable to get a full refund and also keep the horse just on a suspicion that they'll resell without disclosing the problem, a dealer with a valued and long built up reputation would be unlikely to do that anyway. Also if you really want to keep the horse, on what you've said I wouldn't be totally hopeless of getting him to come right, some vets can paint a very negative picture and obviously if insurance won't cover diagnostics it's more challenging but 6 months or a year at grass will fix a surprising number of issues, appreciate that wasn't what you wanted when you bought him and maybe you do need to just cut your losses at this stage but I'd certainly get a second opinion before doing anything drastic!

[XelaM]

So sorry OP, this is an awful situation! What does the original vet who completed the 5-stage vetting say?