Horse Passports
PASSPORTS — THE RULES AND REGULATIONS
Commission Regulations 504/2008, The Horse Passports Regulations 2009 and Horse Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2009 require all owners to obtain a passport for each horse they own. This includes ponies, donkeys and other equidae and also zebra and other exotic equidae not previously covered. Horses require a passport by the 31st December in the year of birth or by 6 months of age, whichever is later.
Foals born on or after 1 July 2009, must have an electronic microchip implanted by a qualified veterinary surgeon when being first identified. In addition, all horses that have not yet been correctly issued with a passport by that date will also require a microchip when being first identified. In order to protect the human food chain, horses that are not identified within the time period outlined in the paragraph above, will be declared, by the Passport Issuing Organisation, as not for human consumption on Part II of Section IX of the passport. Subject to individual Passport Issuing Organisations’ rules this method of identification replaces the need for a completed silhouette (horse diagram). The implanted microchip contains a unique coded number. Both passport and microchip details will be recorded on the issuer’s database and, centrally, on the National Equine Database.
As from 1st July 2009, a horse may not be moved without being accompanied by its passport. There are exceptions to this rule e.g. when the horse is stabled, or on pasture (in which case the passport will need to be produced without delay); or if the horse is being moved temporarily on foot (where the passport will need to be produced within 3 hours). Enforcement officers are expected to be flexible and pragmatic in enforcing this particular aspect of the regulations. Keepers with primary responsibility for the care of the horse (e.g. keepers of horses on loan, full livery yards, transporters and race horse trainers) would be expected to hold the passport whilst the horse is in their care.
Under new regulations (2009) it will be an offence for a keeper with ‘primary care responsibilities’ e.g. full livery yards, persons caring for horses under loan agreements, breeders, trainers and transporters, to keep a horse that has not been issued with a passport. Keepers will need to satisfy themselves that a horse has been correctly identified before accepting the animal into their care and ensure that the passport can be made available without delay.
After purchasing a horse, the buyer must send its passport to the Passport Issuing Organisation which originally supplied the passport. This must be done within 30 days of the purchase and be accompanied by the details of the new owner. The PIO must complete the updated details of ownership and re-issue the passport to the horse’s new owner.
If such amendment is likely to take more than a few days the PIO will issue a temporary document, which will allow the movement of the animal within the UK, which is valid for a period of up to 45 days.
A valid horse passport must accompany all horses leaving the UK.
In the case of a horse imported into the UK without a valid EU passport the owner must apply for a passport within 30 days. Passports may only be issued by organisations authorised as a Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO) by Defra, the Welsh Assembly Government, the Northern Ireland Assembly or the Scottish Government. Further details can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/horses/documents/guidance2009.pdf.
No horse may have more than one passport, although over-stamping the passport may indicate registration with additional organisations and societies. It is an offence to knowingly obtain a second passport for any horse.
The National Equine Database (NED) contains details of passports issued in the UK, as well as information on the breeding and sporting records of some horses. It may also be used by enforcement officers to identify abandoned animals or those with welfare problems. It can be accessed at www.nedonline.co.uk
If the horse is ultimately intended for human consumption Section IX of any passport issued before July 2009 must be unsigned or Part III endorsed and signed accordingly. Part III must be signed before the horse is presented for slaughter for human consumption. For passports issued after July 2009 all horses are considered to be eligible for the food chain unless the declaration at Section IX Part II stating that the horse is not intended for human consumption is signed. There are restrictions on the types of medicines that can be used to treat horses intended for human consumption. Certain medicines must never be used in food producing horses.
A written record of the details of all veterinary medicines used must be kept by the owner or keeper of a horse intended for human consumption. The record may be kept in the passport or elsewhere as desired, but if a medicine containing a substance in the Essentials List (1950/2006/EC - List of substances essential for the treatment of equidae) is used, the record must be entered into the passport by the veterinary surgeon administering the medicine. At the time of publication government and industry were in discussions about clarifying the process. Please refer to the Defra website for latest guidance.
The “withdrawal period” (the minimum length of time which must elapse between administration of the medicine and slaughter for human consumption) for each medicine used must be strictly observed and the horse’s passport together with its treatment record must be presented at the slaughterhouse at the time of slaughter if for human consumption.
No horse can be slaughtered for human consumption unless six months have elapsed since any medicines on the essentials list (1950/2006/EC) have been administered. The administration of certain drugs permanently bars a horse from being slaughtered for human consumption and Section IX must be signed accordingly.
If the horse’s passport is endorsed and signed as “not intended for slaughter for human consumption” the administration of medicines need not be recorded in the passport by the owner or keeper but the animal is permanently barred from slaughter for human consumption.
In addition, whenever a veterinary surgeon administers treatment of the type listed in sections V to VII of the Passport, they must completes the relevant part of the horse passport. These sections of the Schedule cover some vaccinations and laboratory health tests.
Under new regulations (2009) veterinary surgeons may well need to see the passport before fist treating a horse as they will need to be aware of the human consumption status of the horse before deciding which category of medicines may be administered to the horse e.g. human food chain suitable medicines or otherwise.
