Is this the norm or a bit odd?

HorseyTee

HorseyTee

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You may remember me posting recently about looking for a new yard for my boys.

Well I went to view another recently. Whilst chatting, the YO said that if I decided to move them there, that I need to bring their passports which she will keep hold of whilst they are at her yard.

I've never heard of a YO keeping the passports before and it actually made me feel uneasy.
Is this a usual thing to happen?
 
It depends on whether it is DIY or full livery, the passports should remain with the horse so it theory the YO can ask to keep them but it would usually only be full that insist on it because the owner may not be on the yard so regularly.
 
None of my yard owners have ever asked to see my horses' passports. I can see why some might, but I wouldn't really want them in someone else's keeping.
 
I was asked to hand my passport to the yard owner when my horse was on livery, I don't think its unusual. I was told the the horse's passport is supposed to be with the horse at all times in case the vet needs to access it before any treatment, hence keeping it at the yard. I remember seeing an article in H&H about it.
 
If you are uneasy about them keeping the passports at the yard then ask if a photocopy will do. A copy of the front naming page, markings page and up to date vaccinations page.
 
Horses passport is supposed to be with the horse.I have all my liveries passports locked in a safe - they can come and grab them whenever they need them, and it's never been an issue for any of them
 
I always kept my liveries' passports in the safe. This was on the basis that I was almost always there, so could deal with any emergency vet visits, whereas the owners might not be. I also often dealt with vaccination visits, so ditto. Mixture of full, part and DIY (when I couldn't avoid it).
 
I am surprised. I had never heard of this until now.
I am aware passport should be with horse but never known a YO to want to keep hold of it.

Would that cause issues if there was a problem and things turned unkind, if somebody else had your horses passport? Would they not be able to sell your horse without you knowing or refuse to give you access to take the horse for example?
 
HorseyTee said:
I am surprised. I had never heard of this until now.
I am aware passport should be with horse but never known a YO to want to keep hold of it.

Would that cause issues if there was a problem and things turned unkind, if somebody else had your horses passport? Would they not be able to sell your horse without you knowing or refuse to give you access to take the horse for example?
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A passport isn't proof of ownership. It'd be more of an issue to me if a horse needed transporting to the vet, or I had DEFRA on my doorstep, and the passport wasn't accessible because the owner was away/uncontactable.
 
You can transport a horse in an emergency without a passport. You can also travel them with photocopies of the relevant pages. So it's not a huge issue. But no passports are not a proof of ownership.
 
EKW said:
You can transport a horse in an emergency without a passport. You can also travel them with photocopies of the relevant pages. So it's not a huge issue. But no passports are not a proof of ownership.
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True. I've never not had the passports, so forgot that was a thing!

I don't think many people are aware that they might be fined if they can't produce the passport "without delay" when it's requested by an inspector.
 
Auslander said:
True. I've never not had the passports, so forgot that was a thing!

I don't think many people are aware that they might be fined if they can't produce the passport "without delay" when it's requested by an inspector.
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That, and that if you did need to transport the horse to the vet, then you need to show it to the vet prior to treatment (although ime no vet would actually refuse to treat a horse in an emergency).
 
Thanks.
Always things to learn. I keep my passports at home as mine are currently on grass livery...so there is nowhere to keep them with the horses. They are in a field with no storage or anything.
 
stormox said:
Its actually law the passport must be with the horse at all times. My last livery yard (part DIY) kept the liveries passports.
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What about horses that are kept at grass livery with no facilities or storage? As in my case currently.
Also what if the passport was ever stolen during a theft at a yard?
 
Rowreach said:
That, and that if you did need to transport the horse to the vet, then you need to show it to the vet prior to treatment (although ime no vet would actually refuse to treat a horse in an emergency).
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I have never had a vet ask to see a horse's passport at any time except vacc's and I have had emergency and routine check visits. Our horses and their passports are at home, so it would be very easy to show them to a vet.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I have never had a vet ask to see a horse's passport at any time except vacc's and I have had emergency and routine check visits. Our horses and their passports are at home, so it would be very easy to show them to a vet.
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Ours are getting much stricter with asking for them, and whenever I've had to go to the horse hospital (rather more than I'd like) they won't treat the horse without it. Technically they shouldn't treat the horse without checking that the bit at the back has been signed.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I have never had a vet ask to see a horse's passport at any time except vacc's and I have had emergency and routine check visits. Our horses and their passports are at home, so it would be very easy to show them to a vet.
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Then they have seen them, know they are signed out of the food chain and probably have it on record for every horse owned by their clients, which is what my vets did a few years ago, so no need to look every time, you would be asked to take it if you went to a different clinic for treatment in case they need to use drugs during treatment.
 
HorseyTee said:
What about horses that are kept at grass livery with no facilities or storage? As in my case currently.
Also what if the passport was ever stolen during a theft at a yard?
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If it is grass livery rather than a field that you rent, technically the passport should be with the person who a DEFRA inspector will want to talk to, should they decide to inspect a premises - so , the yard owner.
Re the second - you could say the same about a theft from someones home! As a yard owner, and holder of multiple passports, I feel it's my responsibility to ensure that they are safely locked away.
 
When I first had my Appaloosa the YO lost her passport. He had a selection of old ones from horses PTS by the hunt and offered me one of those...... not sure I could have passed her off as a bay thoroughbred.

I've been a bit cautious handing over passport a since.
 
Not sure a YO would appreciate being woken at 4am by a livery asking for their horses passport as they were off to a show! Also when I've had to get vet out other than for vaccs I've never been asked for the passport and when one was taken to vet hospital for emergency treatment they certainly did not demand to see the passport before treating the horse.
 
I always kept liveries passports. If the need should arise you’re supposed to be able to produce it within four hours or something along those lines.

Each horse had a file in a locked filing cabinet with passport, insurance records, list of the kit they came with, worming, shoeing and vaccs, the owners contract and all contact details.
 
I love having my YO keep my passports at the yard. It means that I never leave it at home when I go to collect the horse for going out places, I've had a couple of times where a vaccinations etc were coming up and a vet came for something else so YO was able to get it done and signed without any fuss.

It's not something that I've ever done before but I think that it's a good idea and it works really well as long as the stupid livery remembers to put them back at the yard (this has just reminded me that they are in my lorry still!)
 
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