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Specific Requirements Horses & Other Equines
As from 1st May 2012, any premises (which includes shows, fairs and markets) where horses or other equines are gathered must be registered with the Department of Agriculture. Owners/persons in charge of such gatherings are required to submit a completed application form for registration and to keep records of movements on/off their premises. Records must be retained for at least 3 years as they may be required by the Department for the purposes of tracing disease. It is important therefore that Show organisers should contact their local District Veterinary Office in advance so that consideration can be given to compliance with the requirements.
Any further information on the requirements for moving of horses and equines to shows will be provided on the Department’s website
www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/animalidentificationmovement
Irish Law(EU Directive)
Under Irish Law, all horses moving from one location to another must be accompanied by their passports. It is in your own interest to ensure that this is the case. Failure to do so is an offence under Irish Law and is liable on summary conviction to result in a fine of up to €3,000. All passports must be registered with the name of the current owner.
Embryo Transfer: Where a foal is produced by this method, the dam’s passport must bear a declaration dated, stamped, and signed by the stallion owner (or accredited practitioner where AI is involved) stating the date on which the dam was last covered (or inseminated) and the name of the covering stallion.
The owners of Champions and Reserve Champions are invited to submit the animals’ passports to the ISA head office where the placing will be endorsed and officially stamped with the seal if the ISA as a permanent record.
It is in the interest of shows hosting championship finals that photographs and results are forwarded to the Irish Farmers Journal immediately following judging.
Equine Identification
All Equines (which include horses, ponies and donkeys) must be identified in accordance with EU and national legislation
o Possession of an unidentified equine is an offence under the legislation.
o Passport must be issued by approved Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) within the calendar year of birth (by December in the year of birth) or within six months of birth (whichever is later) and is valid for the lifetime of the animal. A list of the PIOs is set out in Appendix 1.
o Microchip – all equines issued with a passport after 1st July 2009 must have corresponding microchip implanted by a veterinarian, which is recorded in the passport and creates a link between the passport and the animal. A keeper must o Have an equine registered with a PIO. o Have a passport issued in accordance with EU and national legislation.
o Comply with the provisions of the legislation whereby a passport must accompany the equine whenever it is moved to events such as shows, sales and to slaughter plants, etc.
Posters and leaflets can be supplied and further information on stud book equines is available by contacting Livestock Breeding, Production and Trade Division, Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Farnham St., Cavan (Phone +353 49 4368200) or in relation to non-registered equines further information is available from Animal Identification and Movement Division, Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, 2nd Floor, Administration Building, Backweston Complex, Celbridge, Co. Kildare (Phone +353 1 5058881)
Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, February 2013
