Prepurchase examinations (PPEs) or vettings have long been a pillar of the horsebuying process. But according to a panel of leading vets and industry professionals at the 2026 National Equine Forum (NEF) on 5 March, the system is under unprecedented strain. Expectations have shifted, litigation fears have risen, and horses and humans are increasingly caught in the crossfire.During a frank discussion Dr Sam Cutts MRCVS, director of Hook Norton Veterinary Group,Dr Mark Georgetti MRCVS, clinical director of Three Counties Equine Hospital, Dr Lucy Grieve MRCVS, veterinary projects officer of the British Equine Veterinary Association, and dealerJulia Martindelved deep intowhatsgoing wrong, whyitshappening, and what must change.Vetting: a snapshot,nota guaranteeVetting is a risk assessment not a warranty, not a guarantee, stressed vet Lucy Grieve. Its a snapshot in one day, and its a living creature youre looking at.Lucy said buyers increasingly expect certainty rather than context, equating the vetting process with a pass/fail exam. But horses cannot be distilled into black and white results.People expect more fromvettingsthan is possible, she added. Theres been an expectation drift.The myth of pass or failEvery vet on the panel agreed the industrys obsession with the idea of passing or failing a horse is at the root of many problems.Vet Sam Cutts explained:A vetting is suitable or not suitable for the purpose described but people interpret that as pass and fail.Sam went further, emphasising thatvettingsare opinions, not verdicts.Itliterally saysin my opinion at the end of the certificate. You could show the same horse to three experienced vets and get three different opinions.Buyers want perfection but itdoesntexistDealerJulia Martin, who has sold horses fornearly 40years, says the desire for flawless horses especially from inexperienced amateur buyers is destroying the market.People want perfect. There is no perfect, she explained. Years ago, one in 10 horses would fail. Now two in 10 will pass.According to Julia, older horses, which are often the safest for amateurs, are now being routinely rejected for normal wear and tear.We are writing off too many horses, she said. And the people who need the older, safe horses are walking away because they want perfection.Litigation fear: the silent force behind toughervettingsSam revealed thathalf of all veterinary indemnity claims stem fromvettings, and that fear permeates the process.These days if someone buys a horse and it doesnt work out, its somebodys fault and if its not the sellers fault, then its my fault, stated Sam. Lucy Grieve agreed, saying the pressure has driven many young vets away from PPEs altogether.These are the cases that keep you awake at night not for a couple of days, but for weeks or months.One young vet, Julia recalled, was even followed home by an angry purchaser and left the profession altogether.Why vetsdontalways agreeVet Mark Georgetti said differing opinions are inevitable, rooted in:Differing risk tolerance. Personal experience. Differing interpretations of Xrays. Varying understanding of the horses intended use. Differing knowledge of the riders true ability. A horse might be fine to stay at its current level, but not if you want to move it up three levels.Thatsa different conclusion about the same horse, Sam explained.Mark noted thatvettingsare far easier when the vet already knows the purchaser.Its easier to assess a slightly lame horse when you know the rider, the home vet, and the management itll receive, he explained. The hidden variable: rider abilityA horse that vets sound may still unravel with a different rider somethingvettingscannot predict.A horse can look perfect under a professional and fall apart under a less experienced rider, said Lucy. Fitness, symmetry, tension riders influence all of it.Jullia agreed saying:The horse will tell you. If its ears are pricked and it wants to work great. But a new rider can change everything.The rise of Xrays and how they could bemaking things worseRadiographs are now routine, but the panel agreed they often complicate vettings rather than clarify them. Xrays create more questions than answers, said Mark, noting the vast differences in interpretation.As for gait analysis as a tool? Not one vet on the panel supported its use in PPEs.All horses have asymmetry. You will always find something, said Mark.Julia added:Ive lost sales because of gait analysis. Clinically the horse was sound then the machine said otherwise.A system at breaking pointJulia said buyers now regularly undergothree or fourvettingsbefore finding a horse, each costing up to 1,500.People are giving up buying horses.Itstoo stressful, she stated. For sellers, delays can mean weeks of lost time, during which they must keep the horse, turn away other buyers and risk the horse developing a new issue simply by existing. Itscosting 200 a week to keep a horse. Youcantwait three weeks for a vet who specialises in one tiny thing to come out and sayitsnot perfect, said Julia. What needs to change?Every panel member suggested a magic wand solution:Lucy Grieve:Support and mentor young vets so they feel confident doingvettings.Mark Georgetti:Create consensus on radiographic findings we need clear, agreed significance levels.Julia Martin:Reduce overreliance on Xrays. And bring back trust and transparency.Sam Cutts:Move from pass/fail to low, medium, orhigh riskcategories.The audience suggestion of making full veterinary histories follow the horse (not the owner) split the panel mostly due to concerns that unscrupulous sellers would simply find ways around it.The bigger pictureIn the end, one theme ran consistently through the discussion:the system is failing because people are afraid buyers, sellers, and vets alike of imperfection, being sued and possibly making the wrong decision. The paneldidntpretendvettingswill ever be perfect, but they made it clear that if the industry wants a sustainable future, it must rethink its expectations.As Sam put it:We need to accept thatvettingsare opinions and horses are individuals. If we forget that, thewhole systembreaks down.Related contentWhat to expect from a five-stage vettingWhat are the benefits of a five-stage vetting?9 essential things to get right when youre taking care of a horseFuture of equestrianism to be explored at NEF 2026The post Calls grow for overhaul of UK equine vettings amid rising disputes and buyer confusion appeared first on Your Horse.