Horse Passport and vaccinations Flashcards
The passport is a document that :
- Describes the animal for example by breed, colour, species
- Lists all vaccinations
- Names the registered owner
A horse passport should be provided when:
- When the animal is examined or treated by a vet
- When an animal health inspector or other enforcement officer requests to see it
- When the horse is sold or given to a new owner.
WHo needs a passport?
- Horses, ponies, donkeys and related animals (including
zoo species like zebras) must have an equine passport
Exceptions: semi-wild ponies in Dartmoor,
Exmoor, the New Forest or Wicken Fen only
need a passport if they are not free to roam in
these areas or if they are treated by a vet
When do passport rqs apply?
» A passport must have been issued before the animal reaches 12
months of age.
» Owner needs to send application by 30th November of the animal’s
year of birth or within 6 months of birth (whichever is later)
How is passport obtained?
» Passports are obtained from a Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO).
* Over 80 PIO in the UK
* Can be breed association or stud book if pedigree
» Horse passports are lifelong and don’t have to be renewed unless lost
or stolen.
» It is illegal to have more than one passport for a horse
What needs to be certified by vet surgeon?
Individual horse identification
What does horse indentification involve?
- Age (estimated by dentition if not known)
- Breed
- Height
- Body Colour
- Natural markings
- White hair
- Hair whorls
- Muscle deviations (‘Prophet’s Thumb Mark’)
- Acquired markings
- Scars, white hair etc
- Microchip number
- Brands
What different ‘colour’s are there?
How do we put down the markings?
» White body marking must be accurately drawn and hatched in red pen and
described in lay terms.
» Flesh marks solid red.
» Typically ≥5 distinguishing characteristics required for each horse.
Describe whorls and feathering
Hair whorls and feathering patterns are uniquely placed and must be noted with a cross for whorls
and a line for feathering
Commonly:
* Forehead
* Crest
* Ventral neck
* Chest
* Flanks
* Can be other places
How to show other identifying marks?
» Permanent brands and acquired scars are also important
identifiers
» Microchip numbers should also be noted on the passport
» M to mark location of chip
* Within the nuchal ligament in the left crest
Describe Donkey passports?
» Different list of acceptable colours for Donkey Breed Society.
» Muzzle and ears often a different colour to body so should be
described
» Presence or absence of a dorsal stripe and/or a shoulder
cross should be noted.
» Donkeys often have Prophet’s Thumb Marks but this may be
either visualised as a depression or a black spot near the
jugular groove.
describe passport change of ownership
» Passport should be re-registered in the new owner’s name within 30 days of
purchase.
» Usually a fee for this update and the passport usually needs to be returns to the
PIO for this update.
Passport updates: castration
If the horse has been castrated since the passport was issued, a vet needs to confirm this and the passport requires an update by returning it to the PIO.
Passport & food status (outside of it) ?
» Horses are considered food producing animals unless they are signed out of the
food chain in their Horse Passport
* Prior to 2016 - Section IX
* Post 2016- Section II
» If the horse is signed out of the food chain, there is no need to keep a record of
medicines administered in the passport.
» Once the horse is signed out of the food chain, this cannot be reversed.
» The declaration should be signed by the Owner and they should update the PIO.
Passport & not signed out of food chain?
» If the horse is not signed out of the food chain, there are restrictions on the drugs
that can be administered.
» Administration of certain prohibited drugs (including Phenylbutazone) results in
permanent exclusion from the food chain.
» If the vet administers prohibited drugs, they can sign the horse out of the food chain
by necessity.
» Unless noted on the horse’s clinical record that the horse is signed out of the food
chain, the passport should be checked by the vet each time a treatment is given or
dispensed.
What does the british horse racing authority say about this?
“All horses entered to run a race in Britain must be
signed out of the human food chain via its passports
by 1st January 2022.”
DO horses need to be legally microchipped?
YES -> can be fined if not
Microchip n° should be in horse passport
What id horse has been microchipped after passport issued?
the passport needs to be updated. The
microchip number will be confirmed by a vet and the
passport sent to the PIO for the update.
What should you not do as vet?
complete a passport applications without
confirming the presence of a readable
microchip/inserting a microchip if none found
What is Overstamping?
when another organisation formally adds their credentials to an
existing horse passport.
Reasons for overstamping?
- Horse’s original passport issued by non-UK PIO
- Horse originally issued an identification only passport but subsequently realised the horse is eligible for a studbook/pedigree passport
- Part-bred horses that can be registered with 2 or more breed societies
- Horse required to compete in a specific regulated sporting event
T/F - Legal requirement to register an imported animal with a UK PIO if it staying in the UK longer than 60day
FALSE -> 30 days
What happens if death of horse?
» When a horse dies, the passport must be returned to the PIO that issued the
passport within 30days of the horse’s death.
» They will update their records and invalidate/destroy the passport.
» Owner can request for it to be returned but it will be invalidated.
