Seigi and RyTim bring up one very good point - not all vets are competent! And some vets seem to think PPE is all about trying to “fail” the horse. A PPE is to determine the horse’s health and soundness TODAY. Not whether it will be sound tomorrow or a year from now - no vet can predict that. The horse with perfect xrays and perfect flexions can break a leg tomorrow.
I’ve dealt with a few doozy vets in PPEs - and have learned that one vet’s opinion is not the gospel truth. I had one vet predict OCD based on palpation - I rushed my filly to the local expert and had xrays done - cleanest he’d ever seen. I had another vet find a tiny, cold splint (by ultrasound) and predict filly needs at least 6 weeks off, then shock wave therapy (which she could provide). Horse is perfectly sound and has a small, cold splint that is causing no problems! ANother who xrayed a yearling and decided it had possible OCD. A year later, xrays are perfect. So my advice - don’t be afraid to pay for a 2nd opinion!
I have reached the point where I don’t require certain vets, but I won’t haul a sales horse out to a vet unless it is one that I know does a good job. So if they want “their” special vet, they pay for that vet to travel to my place. And I will set limits - for example no flexions on yearlings and weanlings. And if you are going to xray a weanling or yearling, fine, but don’t expect a lower sales price because something showed up that “Might” be an issue - yearlings are so growthy, xrays are often not useful.
