We fear the horse passport system is 'broken'

28.02.2013

In the wake of the horse meat scandal and ongoing welfare concerns for horses, we are again expressing our deep concern about the usefulness of the horse passport system, which aims to keep track of horses for disease control.

We have found that three quarters of the horses we take in do not have passports and are not microchipped, a legal requirement. A lack of enforcement means that owners don’t keep passports updated and many horses aren’t microchipped or don’t have their up-to-date details registered. This makes it much more difficult to track down those responsible if there are concerns about horses’ welfare.

RSPCA equine co-ordinator, chief inspector Cathy Hyde, said:

The passport system is failing and we estimate that a shocking 75 per cent of horses coming into RSPCA care are not microchipped.

Passports are not updated and, without microchipping or a central database, there is no enforcement. Horses can change hands for a small amount of money and end up in the hands of irresponsible owners and traders.

They can’t be traced back to their owners, making it very difficult to prosecute and try to stop these people keeping horses. 

The number of charges have more than doubled

Last year, 146 people were served with a summons relating to horse welfare, compared to 119 in 2011, a 23 per cent rise. The number of charges more than doubled, from 426 in 2011 to 779 in 2012.
 

We also received more than 23,000 complaints about horse welfare in 2012 (23,019), with an extra 2,207 received in Wales.

The numbers confirm concerns voiced by horse welfare charities in October last year in a report on the approaching equine crisis facing England and Wales.

Last week the House of Commons committee on food and rural affairs recognised in its report (published 14 February) that the passport system was failing to stop horses entering the meat trade, and we believe that the welfare and population crisis amongst horses is increasing the pressure to evade passport controls.

Increased cases of cruelty

Horses taken in by us and not microchipped/registered include:

• An injured mare found at the side of a road in Ribchester, Lancashire in December 2012 – she had no microchip.
• A three year old pony found injured and in foal on a road in Stockport in December 2012. She was microchipped and registered to a breeder, but she had been sold through Clitheroe market and there was no record of her purchaser. Her chip had not been re-registered.

Chief inspector Hyde added:

Our inspectors investigated more than 4,900 complaints involving equines in 2012 and are always working hard to improve the lives of those animals.

Together with irresponsible breeding, many owners have ended up with too many horses that they either can’t or don’t want to look after. Some dealers have over 2,000 horses, the majority of which will not have passports.

They need to be made accountable which proper enforcement of the passport system might help with.

What needs to be done

What the government and public can do:

• The government should introduce legislation targeting fly grazing as no existing laws adequately address the problem.
• Introduce legislation or mechanisms to better link horses to owners so enforcement agencies and landowners can take action where needed.
• Increased intelligence-led enforcement of horse imports and exports.
• Review the Tripartite agreement that allows the import and export of vulnerable horses and ponies into and out of Britain from Ireland and France.
• Encourage responsible breeding through guidance and the facts on the unprofitability of the lower end of the horse market.
• The horse owning public can respond to this crisis and play an important part in rehoming horses and ponies, or in supporting the RSPCA through donations.
• If horse owners need help, please contact one of the horse welfare charities for advice before their situation escalates into a welfare problem.

Members of the public can also write to their MP and ask them to lobby the Secretary of State about the national horse crisis and ask them to support tougher laws to encourage responsible ownership and improve enforcement. 

We can't do it without you

Currently we have over 600 horses in our care, which in 2012 cost us £3.7 million.

• To help us rescue and care for these horses, please text HELP to 78866 to give £3. Text costs £3 plus one standard network rate message.
   
• Find out more about horses and ponies on our horses pages, or read some of the fantastic rehoming success stories.