The findings highlighted problems such as a lack of clarity over the responsibility of the vet when it comes to the regulations, with only 16 per cent saying they felt they fully understood this.

Passports not being presented or carrying incorrect owner details were cited as the main reasons for vets struggling to ensure compliance with the regulations.

A third of the vets questioned said that in more than 50 per cent of cases, when they asked clients for the patient's passport, they were not presented with a valid document.

The survey also revealed that 90 per cent of participants felt that, due to non-compliance, the passport system does not prevent unsuitable carcasses entering the food chain - a problem made worse by lack of enforcement, multiple passport issuers and the lack of a central database.

These results have so far been used to make Defra officials and ministers aware of the practical challenges faced by vets. 

The BEVA and Equine Sector Council for Health and Welfare is pushing for changes in the law to address this problem at a national level.

Key changes called for are universal microchipping and a simple central database with cross-border communication. 

Outgoing BEVA president, Keith Chandler, says: "Fundamentally it appears that understanding and compliance are poor across the entire equine sector.