riding schools

[adamntitch]

just a few questions people may no

do they have to have all horses passported or are they excempet

is there a law that says all horses teeth are done or checked yearly

and what about fitting tack

is that law or there choice so to speak

 

[Cop-Pop]

Yes they need passports
Not sure about teeth
They have to have their own tack that fits correctly - this is checked when the council do an inspection.

 

[adamntitch]

thanks do they get inspected tho x

 

[caramel]

Yes they get inspected, all RS horses are vet checked, facilities checked etc.
Our horses (am on a RS/ livery yard) have teeth done regularly. All have passports and tack is checked / changed when needed.

 

[muffinmunsh]

Council should check but doesn't always do so. Also question as to how qualified the person inspecting is.
If BHS approved, they inspect annually.
No law specifically on teeth as far as I am aware.

 

[Jazzy B]

used to work on a riding school had a council check every year. It was in the day before passports were compulsory, but vacs used to get checked, not sure tack was checked don't think teeth were but the horse was run up for soundness one of our school horses got ban from being used as he had sarcoids and they deemed them as unsightly for clients which was gutting as yo had worked really hard to get them under control and they were going. Lucky for him she worked just as hard to get him a good retirement home because back in those days he probably would have just been PTS.

 

[Emma S]

Anual Council inspection should include a full vetting of all animals, tack and facilities.

Although I do know of a school that was running under the same owner for many many years and the same vet always came out and often didnt check all of the horses

 

[EventingMum]

I have a riding school and the passport law applies to school horses just the same as any others. Our licensing inspection is arranged annually by our local authority and the vet they appoint checks all the passports, vaccination and worming records etc We have also mentioned in conversation that they all have their teeth done regularly although I don't think there is a specific law about it - I imagine it would just be covered under the general health and fitness/soundness to work requirements. Tack is also checked for each horse and I have to sign a declaration to say I have presented every horse used within the business at the time of the inspection. Any new horses coming in before the next inspection have to be checked before they can be used too.


I have spoken to proprietors in other areas and how rigorous the inspections are does seem to vary from area to area. Over the years we have had 3 different vets doing our inspections and each one has been different. One would physically yank at the girth straps, stirrup leathers and bridles to check they were strng enough, another would argue about the age of each horse - even ones we had breeding papers for and would generally stress them out as his handling skills were so poor. Thankfully the current one is much better - he handles the horses well and has a sensible approach to checking tack etc. His bill is also far more reasonable than the previous ones! I do know of a yard outwith my area that does not show all their horses and few actually have their own set of tack, they also frequently use horses that are under 5 which is not allowed under the Riding Establishments Act, however they never seem to get caught out.

Our BHS inspector does ask about teeth, passports etc and looks at tack in the tack room but not necessarily on horses as often the horses are turned out as her visits can be unannounced. She looks at thing like client registration forms, staff qualifications, horse assessment forms etc whereas the council just check our insurance policy and my qualifications.

 

[Kaylum]

Passports every horse has to have one no matter where they work.

Teeth are should be looked at by the vet - depends how much time they have. But its not a legal requirement, just general good practice to look after the animals in your care that bring you money.

Tack thats a bit of a joke as where I worked once they hid the nasty stuff. But having been to a riding school recently to see the saddles covered in masking tape I am guessing most do.

 

[adamntitch]

thanks just looking to get a case together for somewhere i no for sure will not be following the right way of things

 

[Mare Stare]

All establishments that take money in return for the use of horses have to have a license from the council and that *should* mean annual checks but how thorough the checks are will vary depending on what council.

If they haven't got a license it's a pretty heavy fine I think. Best bet would be to contact trading standards if that is the case. Trading standards often have an animal welfare officer working with them too (depends on area though). They have legal powers unlike the RSPCA.

 

[adamntitch]

thank you