What does a pre-purchase vet check on a racehorse include?

Usually a clinical examination, X-rays of the joints, an endoscopic examination of the airway (wind scope), and often a blood sample. The exact list depends on the sale or the agreement and the buyer's plans.

How much does racehorse insurance cost?

Mortality cover for a racehorse is priced as a percentage of the insured value, often around 3 to 3.8% a year, depending on age, use and the insurer. Always get a written quote.

What should a bloodstock agent put in writing?

Their fee, who else (if anyone) pays them, your maximum price, and confirmation that you pay the seller directly. Silk Road Bloodstock charges 5% (minimum US$5,000) and acts only for the buyer.

Protecting a big racehorse purchase: vetting, insurance and honest agents

By the Silk Road Bloodstock team · 21 October 2026

Racehorses training on Warren Hill in Newmarket, England — Racehorses training on Warren Hill, Newmarket. Illustrative image, not a Silk Road Bloodstock horse. Photo: Richard Humphrey, CC BY-SA 2.0

You would not buy a property without a survey, a contract and insurance. A racehorse deserves the same care. Here are the three protections every serious buyer should insist on.

Buying this season? Book a free 20-minute call. Tell us your budget and target race, and we'll tell you honestly what is realistic. Book my free call

1. The vet check

An independent vet examines the horse for you before you are committed. A thorough pre-purchase examination usually includes:

A clinical examination: heart, eyes, movement and soundness.
X-rays of the key joints, often already lodged in the sales company's repository and reviewed by your own vet.
A wind scope: a camera down the airway to check breathing.
A blood sample, stored or tested, so medication can be checked later if needed.

No horse is perfect. A good vet report tells you which findings matter for your plans, and your agent should share it with you in full, good points and bad.

2. Insurance from the right moment

Mortality cover pays out if the horse dies or must be put down. It is priced as a percentage of the value, often around 3 to 3.8% a year depending on age, use and insurer.
Start the cover when risk passes to you. At auction that is usually the fall of the hammer. In a private sale it is the date set in the agreement.
Transit cover matters when the horse flies to the Gulf, Hong Kong or Australia.
Ask for a written quote and read the exclusions.

3. An agent who works only for you

The bloodstock world is built on trust, and most agents are honest. Still, it pays to get these points in writing:

The fee. A clear percentage, agreed before the search starts.
Who else pays the agent. If the seller or anyone else pays the agent anything, you should be told.
Your limit. A signed maximum price for every bid or offer.
Where the money goes. To the seller or the sales company, not through the agent's own account.

That is how we work: 5% of the price (minimum US$5,000), agreed in writing, and anything else we receive is disclosed to you. Your purchase money never passes through us. Read our fees and process.

A short checklist before you commit

Full vet report read, with your own vet's view
Race form, ratings and videos reviewed
Written mandate and fee signed
Insurance quote ready to start on the right day
Transport, trainer and stabling confirmed

Racing is never certain. Careful checks do not guarantee wins, but they protect you from avoidable mistakes.

Ask for our written buyer mandate

See exactly how we work before you spend anything. We will send it in English or Arabic.

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