Changes to equine 'vettings'
The new format will have significant ramifications for buyers and sellers.
Although the vetting procedure will remain the same and the cost will stay as is, the certificate potential buyers receive afterwards will include additional information in an attempt to make the process more transparent and coherent.
Malcolm Morley, chair of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) committee behind the new format, said: "We've made these changes to standardise the way vettings are carried out and to protect the public."
From September, vets will have to declare previous knowledge of every horse they examine and whether the seller is a client of their practice.
They will have to state on the certificate what additional procedures they carried out during the examination and, crucially, why certain elements — such as flexion tests — may have been omitted.
The overwhelming response to the changes, which will be introduced on 8 September, seems positive.
"This news is extraordinarily welcome," enthused BEVA president-elect Ben Mayes. "The exam in its current form is highly respected, but there's a feeling that vets need to be more prescriptive.
"I think the new format will give vets more confidence as it allows us to explain things more clearly to buyers. I do 150 vettings a year and anything that gives more clarity and detail can only be welcome."
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
