Livestock movements, identification and tracing: horse tracing and identification
Horse Passports Regulations in England and Wales
All horses and ponies (and other forms of equidae) need to have a passport identifying the animal. It is an offence for an owner to:
- export a horse
- use a horse for the purposes of competitions
- move a horse to the premises of a new keeper
- present for slaughter for human consumption
- sell a horse
- use a horse for breeding purposes
if the horse is not accompanied by a valid passport.
Defra is aware that many horse owners, who have applied before the deadline, have yet to receive their passports due to the backlogs that some Passport-Issuing Organisations (PIOs) are experiencing.
Local Authorities have been made aware of the backlogs and therefore, when enforcing the requirement, they will take into consideration the effort that individual horses owners have made to comply with the Regulations and whether their application has been delayed. Enforcement of the Regulations will be fair and proportionate to individual circumstances.
Horse owners who have not yet applied for a horse passport should do so immediately by contacting the most appropriate organisations that are authorised to issue horse passports in the UK after checking the Horse Passports Questions and Answers page.
For further information call: Defra Helpline on 08459 33 55 77
Email: horse.passports@defra.gsi.gov.uk
- The Horse Passports (England) Regulations
2004 No.1397
(369 KB) - Regulatory Impact Assessment to accompany the Horse
Passports (England) Regulations 2004 (73 KB)
The Notes for Guidance
to accompany the Horse Passports (England) Regulations 2004 (95 KB) has been updated with the following addition to the 'Guide for
horse owners' section, paragraph 6: We would advise all horse
owners attending horse fairs or auctions with their horses to take the
horse's passport with them. Although, this is not a legal requirement
owners will need the passport if they subsequently decide to sell their
horse.
7 March 2008 - Information bulletin: Microchipping of foals – agreement reached on new rules covering the identification of equiade.
Further information
- Medicines and your horse (link to Veterinary Medicines Directorate website)
- National Equine Database information and the minutes of the shadow National Equine Database Board meetings
- Gateway to equine issues in Government - Information on Government equine policy and the horse industry.
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Page last modified: 20 June, 2008