IN London at the National Equine Forum (#NEF26) in early March, the sometimes thorny subject of pre-purchase examination or PPE held central stage. In my earlier vet career, I ‘vetted’ hundreds of horses: it was a matter of some pride that the verb ‘to vet’ meant something different than ‘to doctor’!

At the NEF, I was fascinated to hear how much had changed, but in some ways so little too. The panel comprised of highly experienced people in dealing, trading, vetting and resolving court disputes. I took away some points from both listening to the panel and speaking with fellow attendees afterwards. I hope they might give some cause for thought: