Horse ownership
Anyone who wishes to own horses (including horses, donkeys, mules, and hinnies) must be prepared to take on responsibilities for properly caring for their animals. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that horse owners are following the requirements of horse ownership within the Declared Control Area.
Declared Control Area for keeping horses
The local authority can create byelaws that set out the rules and regulations of owning a horse within a Control Area. The Control Area is the area that the local authority considers their Control of Horses Byelaws to apply.
These byelaws will set out requirements including that the horse has:
- Adequate shelter, suitable for its size
- An adequate exercise area and regular exercise
- Access to clean, potable water at all times
- Access to an adequate amount of wholesome food and/or access to adequate pasture
Sufficient veterinary care
Contact your local authority to find out if the place where you are keeping or are planning to keep horses is within the Control Area. Anyone with a horse licence will be added to the public Horse Owners Register.
The premises where the horses are kept must also be registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Horse Licence
Anyone who owns a horse within a local authority’s Control Area must have a horse licence.
To apply for a horse licence, you will need to fill out a form and pay a fee. The local authority may ask Joabout where you are planning on keeping the horse and how you will care for it to make sure you meet the standards for keeping a horse.
If you wish to ride your horse on a public road, you must bring the horse licence with you and follow the rules of the road for horse riding.
In addition to the horse licence, you must also have a valid horse passport, a Unique Equine Life Number (UELN), and a microchip with the details registered to you. The horse passport and UELN can be bought from an approved Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO) and the microchip must be inserted by a vet.
Can a horse be seized by the local authority?
Local authorities have a responsibility to make sure horses are under control and well cared for. They can seize your horse if:
- The horse is abandoned or stray
- The horse is causing a nuisance
- The horse is posing a danger
If a horse is found wandering three times within a 12-month period, the local authority can seize the horse and you will not get it back.
What to do if your horse has been seized by the local authority
If a horse is seized by the local authority, it will be taken to a designated Horse Pound. If the horse is not reclaimed within five days, the horse can be rehomed, sent to a rescue organisation, or put to sleep.
To reclaim your horse, you will need to provide the local authority with proof of ownership and relevant documents including your horse licence and horse passport and details of the microchip registration. There is a fee for reclaiming your horse depending on how long it has been in the care of the local authority.