Horse passport regulations from 1 July

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26 June, 2009

Please find below a summary of the changes to passport regulations which kick in on 1 July 2009.

From 1 July, every foal must be microchipped by 31 December in the year of its birth or by six months old
Owners of horses over six months old who do not have a passport must apply before 31 December 2009 and the horse must be signed out of the food chain.
Horses for whom duplicate or replacement passports are required must also be marked out of the food chain
Only vets may microchip horses and chips may only be implanted in the neck
Ponies on Dartmoor, Exmoor and the New Forest will not need passports or microchips until they leave the moor, unless they are treated by a vet. Rump stickers and passports will be used when a pony is moved for slaughter
The keeper of a horse is responsible for ensuring it is passported
Only an owner can apply for a passport. Changes of ownership must be made within 30 days
A horse’s passport must be carried each time it is transported. An inspector can also require that a passport be produced within three hours at any other time
Vets must check a horse’s passport before it is treated with any medicine and record the drug on the passport. If a passport is not available, only drugs suitable for use within the food chain may be used.
Passports must be returned to the PIO within 30 days of a horse’s death
Failure to comply with the regulations is punishable by a fine of up to £5,000

This information was first published in Horse & Hound (25 June, 09)

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