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The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and Veterinary Surgery (Exemptions) Order 2015, required veterinary consent before veterinary physiotherapy is carried out on an animal.

In 2020, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) updated these conditions:

1. Under current UK law, musculoskeletal therapy can only be performed by a suitably qualified individual as part of a vet-led process. Animals with illness, disease, or pathology can only receive treatments from therapists under the approval of a veterinary surgeon. Under this rule, lame horses or poorly performing horses must first have been examined by a vet before the vet can approve musculoskeletal therapy.

2. Healthy animal do not require veterinary referral for maintenance care by a therapists, though the horse does still need to be registered with a veterinary practice. As such, therapists and horse owners DO NOT need to contact a veterinary practice to seek approval for this care when a horse is not ill or injured.

Therefore, veterinary consent is still required by law, if the animal has an ongoing condition or is found to be lame. The Veterinary physiotherapist is also required by law to maintain contact with the vet and refer the animal back to the vet if necessary.