Equine
Passport Scheme
The Horse Passports Regulations
2004, which came into effect on 28th
February 2005, requires all horse owners
to obtain a passport for each horse you
own. The
introduction of the legislation will
bring the UK in line with laws across
the European Union. The legislation
underpins a robust control system to
ensure that horses which have been treated
with veterinary medicines not authorised
for use in food-producing animals, cannot
enter the human food chain. Moreover,
it will contribute to allowing the UK
horse industry to continue to use such
medicines on horses not intended for
the human food chain. Veterinary
authorities have stressed the importance
of this measure for horse welfare. DEFRA
states that is is legal responsibility
of the horse owner to ensure that the
passport is correct and the legislation
adhered to. This means that we
can and will continue to treat and, if
necessary euthanase a horse that is not
accompanied with a passport, but this
is not preferable. If
this is the case, we will issue you with
a form that will list the treatments
the horse has received with a declaration
to enter the information into the passport.
Westmorland Veterinary Group encourages
all our clients to bring their passport
with them to their veterinary appointment.
Remember
we can still provide a passport and
Microchip for £32.47
excluding VAT and call out fee – tremendous
value. However if your horse is of
known breeding you would be advised
to register with the appropriate breed
society
-
Every horse, pony or donkey
must have a passport.
-
No passport and owners will be
breaking the law.
-
Vets will not be able to
prescribe certain drugs for equines without a passport.
-
Passports must be from a DEFRA
approved Horse Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO).
-
No horse or pony may be sold
without a passport.
-
Passports should accompany the
horse when travelling.
Horses may only have one passport, existing passports may
be valid and not need any additional paperwork, check with the passport issuer.
Vaccination certificates which include a silhouette may be sent to some PIOs
for overstamping. Please note that at the time of writing height certificates
issued by the JMB do not constitute a recognised passport.
If you do not have a passport, you need to do something
NOW.
It
is important to register with a breed
society if your horse is of known breeding,
so it may compete in breed or show
classes, or if you decide to breed
from the animal in the future.
Both
Westmorland and Tithe Barn hold a list
of Passport Issuing Organisations.
If
your horse is of unknown origin and
not eligible to be registered with
a recognised breed society, Pet-ID/JRC
Defra approved passports
can be obtained from the practice .
Horses may be brought to Tithe Barn
at Kirkby Lonsdale. Although a silhouette
is the required method of identification
for passports, this practice wishes
to encourage the use of microchipping
for identification. More than 2.5million
dogs and cats are microchipped in the
UK. For the last few years every thoroughbred
foal registered at Weatherbys has had
to be microchipped. Vets, animal
centres, local authorities, the police
and a network of over 50
master saddlers are all equipped with
scanners to read the ISO standard chip.
Please
feel free to speak to any of the vets
or nurses if you require more information.
If
a valid horse passport is not available
at the time of treatment of the horse. We are therefore obliged under the “Horse Passports
(England) Regulations 2004” to notify you in writing of any medicines
administered containing substances not included (for any food producing
species) in Annexes I, II or III of European Council Regulation 2377/90 and
give written notification that administration of these medicines must be
recorded in the Section IX pages of the above horse’s
passport if the horse
is declared as “intended for slaughter for human consumption” or “undeclared”.
In those circumstances the following substances administered to or, prescribed
or dispensed for, the above horse need to be so recorded by you along with the
date of the last administration of any of these substances.
See VMD
list for complete and up to date list of medicines
included and not included www.vmd.gov.uk
Further
information can be obtained on the BEVA website www.beva.org.uk
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