Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) UK LtdEquine Passports : POINTS TO REMEMBER
By the end of 2003 all owners of equines must have a passport for their animal to bring the UK into line with European legislation. This applies to horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, irrespective of their status or age. There are over 50 Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) to choose from. These range from breed society's issuing breed passports to other organisations registered to issue passports e.g. British Horse Society. Equines of unknown breeding will not be able to register with breed societies but can register with the BHS. BHS charges range from £22.00 to £27.00 per equine.
- Your horse/s will be required to have a passport even if he/she is not intended for human consumption.
- No matter what the age of your horse/s they will still require a passport.
- An up to date flu certificate will not count as a passport but can be enclosed in your application for identification, as the diagram will have been completed by a vet. This will also save you from the job of completing a separate diagram.
- The passport will be for the life of the animal and does not need to be renewed annually. A horse can only have ONE passport.
- If your horse merely lives in a field or on private land without ever competing, he/she will still require a passport.
- On a national level, the Food Standards Agency will be responsible for enforcing the checks carried out at slaughterhouses, and the Local Authorities (i.e. Trading Standards) will be responsible for the rest of the legislation.