Passports for Horses
Passports for Horses
Up until recently I have been very confused about the new legislation for horse passports, mainly due to the lack of information about why the legislation is being put in place and how to go about getting a passport. Therefore I decided to find out some more information and as I suspect I am not the only confused one I thought I would share the results with our members.

What is the New Legislation
After June 30 th 2004 (this was originally 31 st December 2003), all horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in the UK, irrespective of age or status, will need to have a passport. This is to implement EU legislation to help control horsemeat entering the human food chain. The passport will also need to accompany the animal when it is sold therefore it should also help to protect those buying a horse.

What is new about the Passport
The passport is similar to existing horse passports with addition of something known as section IX. This section allows the owner to declare whether or not the horse is ultimately intended for human consumption. Once a horse has been declared not for human consumption then the owner or subsequent owners cannot change this. If the horse is declared for human consumption then the administration of certain veterinary medicines will need to be recorded on the relevant pages.

When do I Need the Passport
Your horse should be accompanied by its passport when:
  • It is moved into or out of Great Britain
  • It is moved to other premises for competition purposes
  • It is moved to other premises for veterinary treatment
  • It is sold to a new owner
  • It is moved to a slaughterhouse for slaughter
Although the passport is not needed for a vet to treat a horse, if it is not present then the vet may not be able to administer certain medications that are not authorised for food producing animals.

How do I Get a Passport
You should get your passport through one of the routes given in the list below:
  • If you are member of a breed society you should contact them first as most breed societies can issue passports.
  • If you have breed papers that are issued by a foreign society or issuing authority you should refer to them as the basic ID passports do not include pedigree details.
  • If you already have a BHD passport then contact Weatherbys about how to get it updated.
  • If you have a horse with an F.E.I. passport you should contact the British Equestrian Federation directly.
Otherwise you can go to one of the general issuing organisations such as the BHS, BEF or Weatherbys and obtain a basic ID passport.

How Much Does it Cost
Passports cost between £17.50 and £30.00 depending on the issuing organisation, some organisations offer discounts available if a number of passports are required. If you are updating an existing passport it can be considerably cheaper but it depends on the issuing organisation.

Who Gets the Passport
You should note that it is the responsibility of the owner of the horse to obtain the passport. If you have a horse on loan then you should ensure then owner gets a passport but you should hold it while you have the horse.

What about Foals
If you breed, as I know some of you do, you will need to get a passport for a foal before it is six months old or before it leaves the premises on which it was born, whichever comes sooner.

What about the Silhouette
As part of applying for a passport (unless you are having an existing one updated) you will need to supply a silhouette. There is currently a lot of confusion as to who can fill in and sign the silhouette, this is not helped by the fact that the way Defra has set the rules up different Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) can have different guidelines as to what is acceptable. As far as I can tell the rules about who can sign a silhouette are:
  • The owner can fill in the passport provided that they can satisfy the PIO that are are competent to do so and that the silhouette is therefore accurate. It is up to the PIO to determine how this competency will be proved.
  • The silhouette can be signed either by a vet or a competent authority acting on behalf of the PIO. The definition of a competent authority is unclear and is essentially by appointment of the PIO, possibly after attending a training course.
  • Alternatively, an owner or breeder, without such training, can complete the silhouette provided a microchip is also inserted and the number recorded in the passport. Any microchip inserted must not begin with the 826 UK code. PIOs will provide guidance on the type of microchip that can be used.

It is still possible to provide a silhouette that has been completed for other purposes, such as one produced for vaccination or vetting. Technically such a silhouette may not meet the full requirements of the legislation as the description on the silhouette must be in both English and French (and possibly other languages), the layout may also differ slightly from the required format. Defra have stated they will be happy for PIOs to accept such silhouettes as long as they meet the following guidelines:

  • The silhouette must have been signed by a vet or other recognised authority.
  • The silhouette contains the same information as required by the regulations.
  • The PIO decides to accept such silhouettes.
A passport containing such a silhouette may however not be acceptable if the animal is transported to another EU Member State.

If you are in any doubt check with the Passport Issueing Organisation that Check with the issuing organisation you are going to use first as the rules vary from one to the other.

Other Forms of Identification
While microchips can be used to support an owner certified silhouette it is to assist identification and is not an alternative to the silhouette. No other forms of identification, such as a freezemark, will be accepted apparently because of concerns about welfare, tampering and ease of reading.

It appears that some PIOs may accept a freezemark in support of owner certified silhouettes providing:

  • The mark is cross checked against independent records before the passport is issued.
  • A silhouette was created at the time the freezemark was applied for.
  • The passport is issued before 30 th June 2004 and carried both the freezemark and the Unique Equine Life Number issued by the PIO.

What is the Unique Equine Life Number?
This is a unique number issued with each passport that can be used to identify the horse.

Contact Details
 
British Horse Society
Passport Office
Stoneleigh Deer Park
Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 2XZ
 
Tel: 01926 707700
Fax: 01926 707800
Email:
 
British Equestrian Federation
Mrs Maggie Moreton
Stoneleigh Park
Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 2LR
 
Tel: 02476 698871
Fax: 02476 696484
 
Weatherbys
Jo Abraham
Weatherbys ID Passports
3 Brisbane House
Corbygate Business Park
Priors Haw Road
Corby
Northants
NN17 5JG
 
Tel: 01536 201301
Email:
 
Useful Web Sites
 
defra
Passport Issuing Organisations
BHS Passport Page
Weatherbys Passport Site

I hope this makes things at least a little clearer.

Steve Mudford.