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Owning a horse and horse passports

Owning a horse is a huge responsibility, both financially and in terms of time. One aspect is making sure you have a horse passport, which is required by law. The following information and contacts may also help you.

Looking after a horse or pony

If you're thinking of buying a horse or pony and have no previous experience, you'll need advice. You will be responsible for all aspects of the animal's welfare, from feeding through to exercise.

If you're not sure about the financial and time commitments involved with owning your own horse, you can contact an equine organisation, such as the British Horse Society Ireland, which produces information packs for horse owners.

Contacting equestrian specialists and visiting local stable yards will help you with your decision as to whether you have the lifestyle to manage a horse or pony. You should also get help if you are an experienced horse owner and are having problems coping with your commitments.

World Horse Welfare is a leading equine welfare charity offering advice to improve the lives of many horses.

Approved riding schools and livery yards

Many horse owners will keep their animals at a riding school or livery yard. Both may provide riding facilities, a training area for schooling and grazing for your horse. Other facilities may include stabling and in-house services for looking after your horse.

One way of ensuring that the establishment you pick is accountable is to check to see if it is approved by an official body. All riding schools, according to law, must hold a licence to operate their business, which is granted by local authorities. Some riding schools may choose to get additional approval from an equine organisation.

The British Horse Society (BHS) operates an approval system for riding stables and livery yards. It will check to see that an establishment complies with all health and safety regulations, is insured against public liability and takes proper care of horses and ponies.

Horse passports

If you import a horse from another country inside the European Union (EU), it will need a valid horse passport. The passport must have been issued by an authorised Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO) in the EU.

All passports issued by EU Member States conform to a set format defined in legislation, so any EU-issued passport should meet UK specifications.

If the organisation is unauthorised, or a passport hasn’t been provided, you’ll need to apply for a new passport to a PIO in the UK. This must be done within 30 days of importing the horse. Follow the links below for a list of authorised PIOs in the UK and the EU.

Updating ‘Section IX’ of the passport

If the horse’s passport doesn’t include Section IX, it will need to be updated. Section IX includes a declaration stating whether or not the horse is intended for human consumption. You should send the passport to the organisation that issued it to have it updated with Section IX.

Importing a horse from outside the European Union

If you import a horse from a country outside of the EU and it doesn’t already have an EU-compliant passport, you’ll need to apply for a horse passport from an authorised PIO in the UK. You must do this within 30 days of importing the horse. If you have identification papers with a completed and certified silhouette these may (at the discretion of the individual PIO) be added to a new passport issued to comply with the new requirement.

Horses that are in the UK for a short period

If you import a horse, but it remains in the UK for less than 30 days, it won’t need a horse passport. However a valid passport must accompany horses that are moved from the UK to other Member States. If such horses are exported directly to a Third Country, they may require a passport if this is a particular requirement of the importing country.

Exporting a horse

You’ll need a valid passport if you are moving your horse out of the UK. You must sign the declaration in Section IX of the passport and have it counter-signed by the PIO or a local veterinary inspector.

Import and export controls and procedures

Importing or exporting a horse normally requires careful planning. More information, like whether your horse needs a route plan or an export licence, can be obtained by e-mail or by calling the following telephone numbers:

Export controls and procedures

DARD Veterinary Trade Section

Telephone: 028 9052 0989

E-mail: tradeadminpost@dardni.gov.uk

Import controls and procedures

DARD Veterinary Trade Section

Telephone: 028 9052 0989

E-mail: tradeadminpost@dardni.gov.uk

Route plans and transport

DARD Transport Guidance

Telephone: 028 9076 5882

E-mail: animal.welfare@dardni.gov.uk

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