As per the Guidance Notes, the purpose of a PPE is as follows:

The pre-purchase examination aims to carry out a thorough clinical examination on behalf of a potential purchaser to identify and assess factors of a veterinary nature that could prejudice the horse’s suitability for its intended use. Each pre-purchase examination is carried out on behalf of a specific prospective purchaser so that the opinion can be based on that purchaser’s individual needs and intended use of the horse. Examinations performed on behalf of a seller are not advised except in the case of a few specified auction sales.

In summary:

• A PPE is specific to the horse presented, the buyer who commissioned the examination, and the purpose put forward by the purchaser on that occasion. 
• For this reason, the same horse may be deemed suitable for one buyer but not another, and similarly for one purpose but not another. 
• Hence why these aspects of a PPE are important and must be specified, meaning a PPE is non-transferable.

In the UK, PPEs are usually carried out at the request of the prospective purchaser (or their agent), which makes them the client of the examining vet. Therefore all responsibilities during the examination are on behalf of this client.

Examining a horse on behalf of a seller is not advisable except in the special circumstances of an auction. It is difficult to carry out pre-purchase certification of a horse for unknown buyers and for an unknown purpose.

It is important to ascertain who the purchaser is and to communicate with them prior to the PPE (written and/or verbal). During this conversation the objectives and expectations of the examination can be clearly determined by both parties. It should be reiterated that the objective of the examination is to assess whether the horse is fit for purpose. As such the intended purpose of the horse should be clearly stated prior to the examination and recorded on the certificate.

The purchaser may choose to be present during the PPE, which enables them to see for themselves any findings as they presented to the vet at the time of the examination. All communications between vet and buyer should be conducted confidentially unless the buyer has granted permission to share information with the seller/persons present.

The findings of the PPE and any relevant history are then discussed with the buyer, including any implications for the intended use or cover for insurance (where the buyer has informed the vet of their intention to insure the horse - which should be determined prior to the PPE - see PPE Worksheet).

Following completion of a PPE, the buyer receives a PPE certificate which states all the relevant clinical findings and/or history. This information should be described in a manner that is easily understood and meaningful to the buyer i.e. using terms understood by the average horse owner.

It is not advisable to rely on an agent of the seller to pass information on, and you are advised to speak directly with the prospective owner at all times if possible.

For the purpose of a PPE the seller is the owner of the animal. This may not be the person presenting the horse for examination, so it is important to establish the identity of the individuals involved as soon as possible and before the PPE takes place. 

It is important to remember at all times that the seller is not your client during the PPE. Any information acquired from the PPE is the property of your client (i.e. usually the buyer in the UK) and may only be discussed with the seller where the buyer has given consent to do so.

If the seller cannot be present for the PPE, they must officially transfer responsibility for the horse during the examination to the person presenting the horse, and this should be noted on the worksheet and recorded on the certificate.

The seller may also delegate the sale of the horse to an agent, which should also be recorded as above.

This distinction is vital to ensure complete transparency. For instance, an agent may not be able to provide the same knowledge as the owner, or vice versa, with regards to the Seller Declaration and when asked questions during the examination.

The vet should communicate with the seller throughout the PPE to ensure they understand and accept the procedures that are involved. Permission should be obtained from the seller/person responsible where non-mandatory and 'additional procedures' are to be carried out as part of the PPE, e.g. flexion tests, trotting on a small diameter circle on a firm surface, radiography, blood sampling, etc.

Where any part of the PPE is omitted for any reason (e.g. unable to examine eyes sufficiently, it is unsafe to perform flexion tests, there is no suitable area for trotting on a small diameter circle on a firm surface, etc), the PPE can continue but the omitted procedure and reason for doing so must be recorded on the certificate. The significance of the procedure being omitted should be discussed with the buyer and taken into consideration when forming the concluding opinion.

The Guidance Notes state the following with regards to the identifying the seller and potential conflicts of interest:

Before performing a pre-purchase examination, the veterinary surgeon should endeavour to ascertain who is selling the horse and the horse’s identity. If, as a result of such information, the veterinary surgeon feels any conflict of interest, which means he/she cannot act wholly in the interests of the purchaser, the veterinary surgeon should decline to perform the examination. If the veterinary surgeon feels able to act without conflict, the fact that the seller is an existing client of the veterinary surgeon’s practice should be declared to the purchaser in advance of the examination. Additionally, if the veterinary surgeon, or his/her practice, have any prior knowledge of the horse from any source, permission should be obtained from the seller for full disclosure to the purchaser of all such information that might be relevant. If this is not possible, for any reason, the veterinary surgeon should decline to perform the examination.

There is a paragraph in the Guidance Notes specifically about identification of the horse, which states the following:

Identification of the horse

The horse should be identified by recording the horse’s markings in the form of a diagram and written description as well as searching for a microchip and inspecting any available documentation. The diagram may be omitted if the presence of a microchip can be confirmed by scanner and the diagram of an accompanying passport matches the horse. In this instance, both microchip and passport numbers should be recorded on the certificate.

The presence of a passport is not a requirement for a PPE, however it is preferable to have it available. The passport and any associated documents can offer helpful information about the horse, for example documented age may be unreliable where the passport has been issued when the horse was already a mature adult. Other details of interest include the registered name, if different from that which was used to present the horse (e.g. a ‘stable name’), the passport/UELN number, microchip number, vaccination history, and whether the horse has been signed out of the human food chain (“not intended for human consumption”).

The colour and markings should match the horse being presented, other than where the horse may have changed with age and duly noted.

Brands, freeze-marks and scars are useful identifying features worth noting.

The horse should be scanned for a microchip, the number recorded and confirmed to match that recorded in the passport. Always check for the presence of additional microchips by making sure you scan the whole neck on both sides.

Where a passport is not available, the horse should be scanned for a microchip, the number recorded and the markings drawn.

If a microchip is not found, this must be recorded and the buyer informed that microchips are a legal requirement for horses in the UK and will need addressing should they proceed with the purchase. 

Where the passport or microchip number does not match the horse being presented, notify the buyer (and it is likely they will discuss this with the seller), although this does not prohibit proceeding with the PPE. As it is the responsibility of the purchaser, and not the vet, to ascertain correct ownership of the horse prior to proceeding with the purchase, this warrants thorough discussion with the owner before proceeding.

While every care has been taken to cover the more common aspects of the examination of horses for specific reasons, this publication is intended as a guide only. 

It is not intended to offer legal advice. 

It is not intended to offer definitive advice on the appropriate procedures to be conducted by a vet, who must rely on their own professional expertise.

The BEVA does not accept any responsibility for vets conducting examinations or writing certificates in reliance upon any of the matters herein.

All vets performing these examination should consult appropriate veterinary resources for more detailed information, and especially where such examinations are performed infrequently.

If such examinations are performed infrequently, or if the vet undertakes relatively little equine work, then consideration should be given to referring the examination to a colleague with more appropriate expertise.

Special thanks to Tim Mair, David Green, Richard Stephenson, Tim Phillips and Tim Brazil, Huw Griffiths, Deidre Carson, Jon Pycock, Ben Sturgeon, Susan Donaldson and Mark Georgetti for their contributions and editing.