BHS Welcome Equine Passports

The British Horse Society welcomes the announcement today that from 31
December 2003 all horses, ponies and donkeys will be required to have a
passport, bringing this country into line with European legislation.

BHS chairman Pat Campbell said: "The BHS welcomes the introduction of
passports for every equine. From a welfare point of view it will make
identification much easier. In buying and selling horses it will be
possible to get a full history as well as a medical record of vaccinations.
Many horse owners may well resent yet further regulation and expense, but we
must look at this from a wider perspective. This new step will mean that
for the first time ever we shall know exactly how many horses and ponies
there are in this country. This will give the BHS greater leverage with
government, both local and central, when putting the case for horse owners."

The British Horse Society is a passport issuing authority. This means that
all those horses who are not eligible to be registered with a breed society
or a competitive discipline or other organisation will be able to apply to
the BHS for a passport. Every animal will also have a unique identification
number which will indicate the identity as well as the country and issuing
authority.