In an effort to make the purchase process more efficient for both buyer and seller, the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has introduced a new Pre Purchase Examination (PPE) Seller’s Declaration as a part of its new online PPE toolkit for vets.

The new declaration is an extensive, five-stage stand-alone document which requires the seller to disclose any pertinent information – such as previous lameness, specific management requirements and previous veterinary interventions – prior to the PPE proceeding.

“BEVA’s new Seller’s Declaration will iron out the PPE process to make it smoother and more efficient for all three parties involved: buyer, seller and vet,” said Lucy Grieve, veterinary projects officer at BEVA. 

“The advantage is it cuts out the vet as a middleman – asking if the horse has received any medication, or coughs on dry hay and so on.

“The new Seller’s Declaration means that the seller should declare those things to the buyer straight off. If completed in advance, it should give the buyer more robust information on which to base proceeding with the PPE or not.”

Declaration comes first

The buyer should request the new declaration, which has been revised with the support of British Equestrian (BEF) and British Horse Society (BHS), from the seller before beginning the formal process of the PPE. 

Originally the Seller’s Declaration was a part of the BEVA PPE Worksheet, containing a series of questions for the attending veterinarian to ask the seller. 

“We always urge a buyer to make careful considerations when going through the process of purchasing a horse,” said Gemma Stanford, director of Horse Care and Welfare at British Horse Society. 

“It’s a decision that should never be rushed and one that needs to be made with every detail to hand. 

‘Great resource’

“BEVA’s new Seller’s Declaration will be a great, supportive resource to help with this process,” continued Gemma.

“Sellers can easily input all the information required in one go, while buyers have peace of mind that they’re making an informed decision. Critically, it’ll ensure that the welfare of the horse is always the key priority.”

BEVA’s new PPE toolkit also contains a new digital version of the BEVA PPE guide, a new BEVA PPE worksheet and useful links.

Horse owners can find out more about the new Seller’s Declaration here.

BEVA members can access the new PPE Toolkit here.

Image © CVS CHEC.

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