Passports - what is the point of them?

[Dovorian]

I'm currently looking for a new horse and have come across a few without passports but with checkable histories (the owners just seemed oblivoius!) and a couple with passports which identify the horse but dont 'match' the advertised history - best of all is a German import which has been in the UK (allegedly) 6 months - all import docs were 'lost' but has a Sporthorse GB Id document....... why are we bothering?

 

[jinglejoys]

So that DEATHRA (sorry Defra) know where you are when Nile Desease and Swamp Fever arrive!

 

[airedale]

Not strictly true - you can fill in the change of ownership page without telling the breed/society that issued the passport

Even more stupid - particularly since this is the **2nd** year running it has happened.....PC Camp. Passport rules state that passport should be with the horse - i.e. at the stables or in the lorry when you are travelling/competing (so if horse is injured then the Section XI can be examined by the vet).

Last year took pony to PC camp - said "who's looking after the passports whilst horses are here ?" - blank stares and questions like " we didn't ask for the passports......yeah so what ......you are still supposed to have them!!"

Guess what - 12 months on - same thing - ggrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Josh_craney]

to make sure you know what drugs are running trough there blood so they dont end up in the food cahin is a reason.

 

[Doreys_Mum]

To make sure we stay in the EU

Food is bull - we can sign a horse not for consumption, 'food' (wild) ponies are excused from having passports, and the french sell notifiable drugs over the counter.

disease is bull - no one actually cares if a horse has the right passport

All it is is to make it look like we're abiding by EU regulation. Which says we had to make sure we knew which drugs were given to animals in the food chain. As wild ponies are expempt, we DON'T know which drugs are entering the food chain so we're NOT complying with EU regulation and are therefore breaking the law, but don't tell DEFRA that, their brains (?!) will explode.

 

[maddielove]

erm..my po's passport has nothing bout drugs in it..theres the vaccination thing..which isnt filled out though...oopsies

 

[maddielove]

erm..my po's passport has nothing bout drugs in it..theres the vaccination thing..which isnt filled out though...oopsies

 

[airedale]

It HAS - you have to fill in Section XI to define that your horse is not to enter the food chain.

If Section XI isn't filled in then it is assumed that your horse WILL enter the food chain when dead and therefore all medication that is administered to it must be entered into the passport by the vet (and certain medications are not permitted to be given I think).

Also there have been cases (one local to me) where a horse fatally injured on a XC course could not be put down or removed by the knackermen until the passport was produced by the owner as the knackermen didn't know what the provisions of Section XI contained. This resulted in stress for the owner of the horse who had to rush to her house to get the passport.

Yep - we all hope the worst will never happen.......but please take your passport with you when you travel your horse and keep it with the horse at the stables in a safe or equivalent. A tragic situation can only be made worse if the passport section XI is not available when required.

Hence my comment on PC Camp not requiring passports to be with the horses whilst there.

Also - if you haven't done your section XI and don't want your horse to be used for food then please get it signed the next time your horse has it's annual jab. The signature has to be witnessed by a VET.

The passports may well be 'useless' BUT if by not having one and not having it correctly annotated means that an injured horse has to be dealt with less 'efficiently' and that horse is yours..................

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