# PPE & deposit



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

My answer would be to get it in writing that should she fail the PPE then your deposit will be refunded in full. 

When I was dealing with a lot of horses I always returned the deposit should the horse,fail the vet. I would also ask the purchaser if I could have the vet report. More often than not they gave it to me.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

I think that it is pretty common to give a deposit if the buyer is serious. I would just have it in writing that the deposit is towards the purchase of the horse pending a clear PPE. If the horse fails the PPE the deposit is refunded in full.

If the seller is on the up-and-up, they should not have a problem with this at all.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

I would also say there very well might be grey area between "passing" and "failing" a PPE, depending on what you do during the PPE. With the most recent horse I bought, all the lameness-related elements of the PPE (including x-rays) turned out well. The bloodwork unexpectedly showed she was testing positive for Lyme disease (she was asymptomatic and had no signs she'd test positive- I asked to run that with the bloodwork as I had just been through treatment with my other horse). That might have been a "fail" for some people, but given where I live, it's pretty much a guarantee that horses test positive for Lyme, and I was comfortable taking on her treatment. However, I wanted the cost of treatment to be factored in to the purchase price. So, even with a "ding" on her PPE, I still wanted to move forward; the deposit did go towards purchase as planned, but we re-negotiated the price. If I had walked away, then the deposit would have been refunded.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

clwhizy said:


> I’ve owned a horse for 20 years but have very little experience buying and selling. My old girl is retired and I found a lovely mare I’m considering buying. As I’m now older and wiser I’ll be having a PPE done this time around, but my question is: do most sellers require a deposit first and if so, is it refundable if the mare fails the PPE? Before seriously making an offer to the buyer I’d like to be aware of the common practice and to be fair to both parties.
> Thanks for the input 🙂



Have everything clearly in writing.


You'll also want to define "fail" for the PPE. What might be an issue for one buyer, might not be an issue in the seller's eyes.


You don't have to do a deposit, but some seller's might want it in case they have to turn other buyers away so you can get your PPE. That will be decided between you and the seller.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

beau's post reminded me of another experience I had in the last go-round of horse shopping. I rode a gelding I really liked but he had horrible feet that were clearly interfering with his movement. I wanted to have a PPE after the seller had him trimmed, which she promised was happening the next week when the farrier got his rig fixed and could get out. I rode him on a Saturday and arranged the PPE later the following week, after the planned "farrier visit." She didn't want a deposit. I got a call on Monday that he was sold to someone Sunday who didn't care about a PPE. I was discouraged as I really liked the horse, but in retrospect, he had foot and body issues that would have been a concern and wanting the PPE helped me not make an emotional decision and wind up with problems down the line. I guess the point is that depending on what the seller's goals are, asking for a PPE may mean you ultimately lose the horse. That was worth it to me, but everyone has different opinions about these things!


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