MEDICINES AND YOUR HORSE 

There are still some horse owners out there who do not know anything about the Horse Passports  (England) Regulations 2003 so below are just some pointers as to the reasons and rule behind it:

All horse owners and keepers will want enough authorised veterinary medicines to be available to treat horses that become unwell.  This could be a wormer, pain killer, vaccine or an antibiotic to heal an infection.  Under EU Legislation the horse is defined as a food animal and many horse owners and keepers may not be aware of the rules that have to be followed when using medicines because of the possibility that the animal may eventually enter the human food chain.

Most medicines authorised for use in horses in the UK have not been through the tests necessary to show they are safe to be used in a food-producing animal.  This is because the horse is not generally regarded as a food-producing animal in the UK.  Consequently 75% of veterinary medicines, authorised for use in horses in the UK, carry a warning indicating that they must not be used to treat horses intended for human consumption.

However, it remains important that the meat from any UK horse exported for human consumption is safe to eat.  In other words, we must be sure no illegal residues of medicines remain.  If the safety of the meat from horses slaughtered in the UK cannot be properly controlled one possibility is that many of the medicines which are currently authorised for use in horses could be withdrawn.  The Horse Passport requirements that come into place in January 2004 will reduce the risk of a ban being introduced on these medicines in the UK as long as horse owners adhere to the requirements. 

Please ensure that horses which are to be sent for human consumption do not receive any medicines which carry the warning "not for use in horses intended for human consumption".  They new horse passport legislation will help owners ensure that every horse going for meat production enters the human food chain having received only medicines which are authorised for the treatment of food-producing animals.  These medicines carry instructions defining the suitable treatment-free (withdrawal) period which must be observed before slaughter. 

The following is sections from the Statutory Instrument laid before Parliament on  4 th November 2003 : 

THE HORSE PASSPORTS (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2003 NO. 2780

Made:   4 th November 2003  

Laid before Parliament  4 th November 2003

Coming into force    30 th November 2003

Interpretation

2 (1) In these regulations

"horse" means a domestic animal of the equine or asinine species or crossbreeds of those species

"keeper" means a person who is not the owner of a horse but is appointed by the owner to have day to day charge of that horse

"passport" means an identification document which has been issued for a horse by a recognised organisation and which is completed appropriately and is in conformity with the provisions of the Schedule to these Regulations.

Horses Entering England

6-(1) The owner of a horse entering England without a passport issued by a recognised organisation shall, within 30 days of so entering, apply to a recognised organisation for a passport in conformity with the provisions of the Schedule

(2) A passport issued under paragraph (1) shall state that he horse is not intended for human consumption

Passports for young horses

1. A horse is required to have a passport-
   1. ) by 31 st December of the year of its birth; or
   2. ) by six months after its birth, whichever is the longer; or
   3. ) if, before then, it leaves the premises on which its dam is normally kept for a continuous period of two weeks or more.

Whereabouts of passports

1. - (1) The owner of a horse shall ensure that the passport is held by the keeper of the horse.

(2) If the keeper changes, the previous keeper shall give the passport to the new keeper.

(3) The owner or keeper of a horse shall ensure that the horse is accompanied by its passport when it is moved -

(a) into or out of Great Britain

(b) to other premises for competition purposes

© to other premises to receive veterinary treatment

(d) to the premises of a new keeper

(e) to a slaughterhouse for slaughter

(f) for the purpose of sale; or

(g) for breeding purposes

Sale or death of a horse

15. - (1) On the sale of a horse, the seller shall give the passport to the buyer or, at auction sales, the auctioneer shall give the passport to the buyer.

(2) The buyer shall send the details of the new owner to the recognised organisation of issue within 28 days of the purchase of the horse.

(3) If a horse dies in a slaughterhouse, the slaughterhouse shall retain its passport for one year.

(4) If a horse dies in a place other than a slaughterhouse, the owner or keeper shall return the passport to the recognised organisation with an indication of the date and circumstances of death and the recognised organisation shall amend their records accordingly

Powers of Entry

21 -(1) An inspector appointed by a local authority or the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs for the enforcement of these Regulations shall, on producing some duly authenticated document showing his authority, have a right at all reasonable hours, to enter any premises (excluding any premises not containing any horse and used only as a dwelling) for the purpose of administering and enforcing these Regulations, and in this regulation "premises" includes any vehicle or container.

Penalties

23 - (1) A person guilty of an offence under these Regulations shall be liable-

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or both; or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two year or both.

Enforcement

24 -(1) These Regulations shall be enforced by the local authority. 

As said, all the above is just extracts from the Statutory Instrument.  If anyone wants to read the full extract log onto www.defra.gov.uk/animal   or send a 9x5  SAE to Sally Chamberlain.