Buying a horse without a passport

[thatsmygirl]

There has been a change made to legislation, and it is now also illegal to buy without a passport.

I took on a little filly who had no passport after the owner died. When I rung to passport the filly I was almost landed a £1000 for breaking the law by buying without one. I got away with it but they weren't nice about it. I know loads off un passported horse cause the owners don't agree with it and can't blame them it's a complete joke the whole lot off it.

 

[ladyt25]

Well, you shouldn't have been fined seeing that (a) it is not illegal to buy a pony without a passport and (b) you didn't actually buy the horse anyway if you just took over ownership!

I do see people's point about it being a farce BUT that's because it just isn't taken very seriously. If the law actually was applied then it would be a lot harder for people to try pass on horses that they may have acquired through less than legal means. There seem to be far too many stores of horses being stolen and never seen again.

I also worry (probably totally unnecessarily) that what if my horse or horses were stolen for someone to make a quick buck selling them to an abbatoir - do abbatoirs have to check passports by law and DO they actually check?

 

[thatsmygirl]

Well, you shouldn't have been fined seeing that (a) it is not illegal to buy a pony without a passport and (b) you didn't actually buy the horse anyway if you just took over ownership!

I do see people's point about it being a farce BUT that's because it just isn't taken very seriously. If the law actually was applied then it would be a lot harder for people to try pass on horses that they may have acquired through less than legal means. There seem to be far too many stores of horses being stolen and never seen again.

I also worry (probably totally unnecessarily) that what if my horse or horses were stolen for someone to make a quick buck selling them to an abbatoir - do abbatoirs have to check passports by law and DO they actually check?

It is illegal to buy without a passport.
Abbatoirs are very good when it comes to passports. When I rung Potters up I was asked a 1000 questions about the horses passport to make sure it was all in order and that I wouldn't have a waste off journey.

 

[nicnag]

ALL abbatoirs should be checking passports against all animals they have coming through their lines, although something I find a little amusing about a few of the (cattle mainly) slaughter lines I have worked they often don't double check ear tags against passports until AFTER then animal has been shot, pointless in so many ways.

My feeling on it would be I wouldn't buy the horse unless the present owner is prepared to arrange the passport for him prior to purchase, the whole system is a joke anyway but why make yourself another one of the reasons that it is an abomination!

 

[ISHmad]

Its illegal, the owner has to get it passported before selling!

Bizarrely it is not illegal to buy a horse without a passport but it is illegal to sell a horse without a passport.

My big worry would be if the horse was stolen and that was why there wasn't a passport. After all it's been the requirement for many years now, so there's no excuse really.

 

[martlin]

Bizarrely it is not illegal to buy a horse without a passport but it is illegal to sell a horse without a passport.

That loophole (if you could call that) has been closed, it is also illegal to buy now.

 

[icemaiden113]

If horse has a passport or not that in no way proves/disproves its stolen!

A passport only shows the identity of the horse in question.

 

[competitiondiva]

If horse has a passport or not that in no way proves/disproves its stolen!

A passport only shows the identity of the horse in question.

Except that now passports are linked to microchips it IS getting harder for stolen horses to be sold on etc..... and to think in the future ALL horses will be microchipped and owners will be found quickly and efficiently!!! (can't wait!!!) Why can't they do the same for dogs!!.......

 

[MissTyc]

In my personal experience, stolen ponies are more likely to have a passport (either without matching microchip or worse, with microchip number written in manually ... usually with no microchip at all if they are older). Easy to get a passport. though hopefully this will change with the microchipping laws.

Also easy to use another horse's passport unless unique marking (and then, how often do they really check? The one and only time I got checked on the road with two ponies on board by some miracle I had both passports on me and the guy looked in the jockey door and counted heads and that was it!)

Many equines, especially small ponies and backyard bred coblets comes without passports. People just don't bother. It's wrong, but ...... again, it's still easy to get a passport. Maybe this will change soon, but for now I don't worry about buying unpassported horse as long as I have a vague idea of its origins.

 

[ISHmad]

That loophole (if you could call that) has been closed, it is also illegal to buy now.

I didn't realise that Martlin. Makes sense to me as I did always think it a little odd you could buy without the horse having a passport. Apologies to OP for my earlier misinformation.