Horse Passports Regulations in England and Wales
The passport is a bound document containing details of the scanned microchip reading, an identification silhouette of your animal, its name, date of birth and description. Details of the owner are held, together with the breeder; where known. The animal is registered and allocated a unique reference number. There are also pages where records of vaccinations and any other form of veterinary treatment should be kept.
The prime purpose of the document is to ensure that any equine that has been treated with medicines not intended for use on food producing animals cannot enter the food chain.
In the United Kingdom most people are horrified at the thought of their beloved horse or donkey being eaten, but in the rest of Europe, this is commonplace and, being a member of the European Community, these laws affect us all.
Once you have your passport, it is held by the animal for life, although should be returned to the issuer for updating whenever any details change e.g., gelding, change of ownership etc. There is a charge of £5.00 made for applying these changes, but if your animal's details do not change, applying is a one off effort and cost.
Passport Application Forms
Can be downloaded as a PDF document: Or are available in printed form from: The Passport Administrator, Bryncelyn, Llanfyllin, Powys.SY22 5NE
It is now an offence for an owner to:
- export a horse(donkey/mule/hinny)
- use a horse(donkey/mule/hinny) for the purposes of competitions
- move a horse(donkey/mule/hinny) to the premises of a new keeper
- present for slaughter for human consumption
- sell a horse(donkey/mule/hinny)
- use a horse(donkey/mule/hinny) for breeding purposes
if the horse(donkey/mule/hinny) is not accompanied by a valid passport.
The Statutory Instrument for Horse Passports (England) Legislation 2009 can be read in full on-line or downloaded from
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/pdf/uksi_20091611_en.pdf
Richard Steel (Horse Passports)Ltd
The Donkey Breed Society has been appointed by DEFRA to manage the passports that Richard Steel issued as a PIO, Mr Steel having retired in October 2008.
The transfer for each horse will cost £15, the fee originally set by Richard Steel, the cheque now made payable to the Donkey Breed Society.
Can you please fill out the various boxes on the details of ownership page with your own information and the transfer page where one exists; if those two pages are not present then your own details including a telephone number and the date on which you purchased your horse on a blank sheet of paper will suffice. The original documentation is held on file and the authenticity of each passport is checked against these.
Please send the passport and cheque, together with a prepaid envelope to:
Passport Administration
Bryncelyn
Llanfyllin
Powys
SY22 5NE
The passport will have any new pages required added, a new more substantial cover put. A computer record will be created for NED purposes with the data uploaded to NED at each month end. Passports are returned to owners within 72 hours, Post Office willing.
Registration of Donkeys:
It is worth noting that for the purposes of donkeys registration and passport issuing are inter linked and the donkey will be assigned a registration number in the correct register for its status.
The Studbook rules are currently under review to ensure that they conform to the most recent government legislation but in brief:
A donkey with parents that are themselves registered in the Pedigree Stud Book will be registered as progeny within the Pedigree Stud Book. Those breeding conforms to Studbook rules for entry to the Pedigree Studbook, i.e. a pedigree showing four immediate generations clear from any inbreeding, where the parents were aged four years or older at the time of conception, and who have no other obvious barrier to progressing within the Pedigree Studbook may at four years of age be inspected by a veterinary surgeon appointed by the Donkey Breed Society for freedom from hereditary diseases and if passed will be elevated from the Pedigree Stud Book progeny section.
Imported donkey who are themselves already registered in a Pedigree Studbook for their type in Europe will be accepted into the Donkey Breed Society Pedigree Studbook with their entry marked as European, whilst imported donkeys registerd in a stud book from outside the EU will be entered onto the Foreign Bred register.
Other donkeys will be entered into the most approriate register according to their status, with all donkeys attaining at least the minimum entry level which is the General Register.
Miniature Donkeys, will be placed in the General Register at birth and where their pedigree and breeding conforms to the general rules for entry with regard to pedigree and age of parents at conception, may be measured at maturity and if they are still under 36 inches in height will be assigned a Miniature Register Number and an entry in the Miniature Register.
Transfer of Ownership/Duplicate Documents
The Donkey Breed Society is unable to transfer ownership or issue replacement passports on behalf on any other PIO, each document must be returned to the approriate organisation for its administration; contact details can normally be found inside or on the cover. The exception to this are passports from some other EU countries where we have a reciprocal agreement
Prior to 31st December 2006 passports issued by commercial providers without the authority to verify breeding could be rescinded in favour of a Breed Society Passport with breeding information - this facility has now been withdrawn. The Donkey Breed Society, in instances where breeding history for a donkey whose passport has been issued by another PIO can be traced through the Published Stud Books can issue a Donkey Breed Society Regisrtration Card as an addendum to another organisation's passport document. Contact:registrar@donkeybreedsociety.co.uk
PASSPORTS - Fact or Fiction- Frequently asked questions
Q) My donkey never goes outside its paddock so I don't need to apply for a passport do I?
A) Yes I am afraid that even where a donkey or pony never leaves home it still needs a passport to identify it by name, number and address, so that in the event of an outbreak of disease the whereabouts of all equines can be traced through their entry on the National Equine Database.
Q) I can't be doing will all this bureaucracy, no-one will ever know whether I have passport or not, will they?
A) You may well think so! However if your donkey needs medical help, a veterinary surgeon is required to enter details of the medication given into the relevant pages of the passport, and whilst they are unlikely to refuse urgent treatment they are within their rights to refuse future involvement without a passport document, and to report that fact to the Trading Standards Animal Welfare Officer for the area. In the event of the animal needing to be destroyed the passport is required by the abattoir. Is it really worth the risk of a heavy fine of £5000 or imprisonment?
Q)The legislation states that all donkeys had to have a passport by June 2005, but I forgot to apply, can I still do so?
A) Yes you can and application forms are available from the DBS Secretary, or can be dowloaded from this site, but since 1st July 2009 every equine that hasn't previously had a passport must now be microchipped by a Veterinary Surgeon in accordance with the legislation.
Q) I have got a passport for my donkey but it has the old owner's name in it does that matter?
A) Yes it does matter and the legislation requires changes of ownership to be recorded in the same way that you would record the changes of keeper in a car log book. A form is inserted into the back pocket of every DBS passports so that you can inform us of your purchase, however a fee is payable for this service.
Q) I am selling my donkey but I haven't applied for a passport, now I won't need to will I?
A) Yes it does matter as it is a prosecutable offence to sell a donkey or pony that does not have passport?
Q) My donkey has sadly died, do I need to tell the DBS?
A) Yes the Donkey Breed Society does need to know so that the passport can be cancelled and the entry on the National Equine Database amended. The passport should be returned so that it can be stamped by us to cancel it after which time it can be returned to the owner if desired, or archived by the DBS.
Q) My donkey had a foal last year but as it's still a baby it doesn't need a passport does it?
A) Yes it does, and you must apply by the time it is 6 months old or at the end of the year in which it was born, whichever comes first. The fee for a donkey foal belonging to a member is currently £10.00 providing the application is made within those timescales otherwise it rises to £15.00
Q) I've lost my passport, does it matter, you will know that I did have one won't you?
A) Yes it does matter as you are required to produce the actual document if requested to do so by any official acting on behalf of Trading Standards, Environmental Health, a Show or Event. A replacement passport, marked as such can be obtained from the original issuing organization, at an enhanced fee. The new passport will be marked as a duplicate.
Q) I've got passports, but not with me in my transport, no-one will know will they?
A) Try telling that to the owners in the West Midlands and Shropshire who have been refused entrance to pony club events and Shows because they couldn't produce their passports when requested by Environmental Officers, who then followed up with home visits threatening prosecution, a fine of £5,000 or three months Imprisonment. The passports must accompany the equines on journeys to shows, events, veterinary visits, and be available at the premises where the equine is kept if that is not your home.
Q) My donkey has got two passport, aren't I lucky?
A) No you are not - It is illegal for any equine to have more than one passport, and the one issued first will take precedence, the second document must be returned to the PIO who issued it and cancelled.
Q) Does my donkey have to be microchipped to have a passport?
A) Any donkey who has not previously had a passport must now be microchipped and the reading recorded on the application form and the relevant pages endorsed by the veterinary surgeon carrying out the procedure. It is also worth noting that animals imported from America where microchips are are not recorded on a database, could not be traced back to a UK owner in the event of theft or straying.
Q) The information in my passport isn't correct! can it be changed?
A) A passport is a legal document and as such it is not intended that the identifying pages are reprinted, although if there is gross inaccuracy that may be necessary and the passport data programme will record the fact. Providing a veterinary surgeon verifies inaccurate ages or heights or any other changes to the identifying features the passport can be marked as containing amended data on the first page and the amendments shown on page 4. The animal's name as recorded on the document on Page 1 cannot be altered as it is cross referenced to the Unique Equine Life Number, however the name by which you personally refer to your donkey may be different and is one of personal preference, and your preference for another name rather than the one given by the owner at the time of application, can be added to the passport as an amendment on page 4.
