Trading standards coming out to check my passports - eek!

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DuckToller

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Had a call today from the county Trading Standards people, and they asked first if I had any sheep. I gave the little b*****rs away years ago, so I said no and thought that would be it. Then they asked how many horses I had, and did I have passports? So I replied yes, and they then said could they come out next week and check them. I said of course! What else could I say?
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So now I am panicking slightly, as I have never bothered to update two of them as I bought the horses from friends, and so the addresses still state the last owners
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Anyone else had the Trading Standards out? Shall I quickly send off the passport to update them and show TS a photocopy?! Do they go through it with a fine tooth comb or is it just a flick through the pages?

If I don't post next week, would you all kindly have a whip-round to get me out of jail?
 
If it's anything like when they came here to check our cows, they will randomly select several passports (or maybe all of them, given that you won't have 100's of horses, like we do cows) and will then ask to see the horses to match them to their passports.

With Cattle Tracing Service, they actually come here with a list of passport numbers that we are logged as having. They tell us which passports they want to see from their list.

We also have to show them medical records...do you keep them for your horses...worming dates/batch numbers etc? I know they expect me to do it for my horses, even though they generally come here to check the cows.

They also wanted to look at the stabling and water troughs etc.

Busy bodies!
 
Eh? Why on EARTH would trading standards be asking things like that!
Do you sell ponies/horses on a regular basis?
Thats the only reason why i can think they would be asking for passports etc.
If you are not a regular seller, then they have no right to be checking your passports.....any concerns on that front would be down to defra?
Tell em to sod off, cheeky beggers!
 
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Why would trading standards want to see horse passports? Or am I being thick?

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To check, when run as a business, that you have the correct paperwork for the livestock on your premises.

If you have a holding number for livestock, which I assume the OP does as she's kept sheep, it's a very routine check. Happens to us every 18 months or so.
 
They are coming because I have a holding number, which is a requirement for having sheep, damn it!

As I currently have 7 horses (oh why didn't I lie?!) I guess they will have time to go through them all! I don't tend to keep worming info, but as I have recently wormed I could at least fill that in - thanks Patches.

Yes, busy bodies
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In my reply to Ribena I mentioned the holding number. I assumed that's why they were coming to you.

Do you keep hens too? They may ask you about those if you do. I can't recall offhand what the limit of number in the flock for not requiring to register them is. 25 or 50 rings a bell, although that's a bit of a difference!
 
I'm glad I saw these posts! I have just obtained a holding number as I planned to get a couple of sheep and haven't got my ponys passport updated..I bought him 2 years ago and never got around to it..think i'll address that now before I end up in trouble thnx!
 
Sorry, but my OH and I think it sounds dodgey.

I would ring trading standards (get the number out of the yellow pages, not any number they've given you over the phone) and just verify that it is indeed TS coming and not the local travellers down the road just checking to "see" if your horses are microchipped, etc or make up some "excuse" about the passports not being valid and "confiscate them" before they nick your horses!

It just doesn't sound right to me if you are not actively trading horses. Sorry.
 
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Sorry, but my OH and I think it sounds dodgey.

I would ring trading standards (get the number out of the yellow pages, not any number they've given you over the phone) and just verify that it is indeed TS coming and not the local travellers down the road just checking to "see" if your horses are microchipped, etc or make up some "excuse" about the passports not being valid and "confiscate them" before they nick your horses!

It just doesn't sound right to me if you are not actively trading horses. Sorry.

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OP should get a letter confirming the appointment in the next couple of days.

It is perfectly normal for all landowners who have a holding number for livestock.
 
Could you not say that your friends are still the owners of the horses and they just live with yours???


Or is that too dodgy??..... If it is then send them off, then you wont be lying
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I just wanted to say -Please do not panic at your impending TS visit! I am actually one of those aforementioned inspectors and to be honest I'm surprised they've actually scheduled a visit to see you - in our county we leave the horse side well alone (well I tell them to stay away!) especially on road traffic checks, if people are anything like us - your usually in a rush and the last thing you need is some muppet waving you down to check a passport generally they dont have much knowledge about.

Im sure you'll be fine!
 
Ah yes, I've just remembered, we didn't buy him, we are just loaning him
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Think I will stick the other passport in the post tomorrow. Just goes to show you should always keep things up to date. I feel like I am the dodgy dealer now!
 
Do you know, I was just about to say that I hope no Trading Standards Officers are reading this as I 'remember' we are only loaning one of our horses! How your sins will find you out.

I promise faithfully to cough up the £20 and update it first thing
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I just wanted to say -Please do not panic at your impending TS visit! I am actually one of those aforementioned inspectors and to be honest I'm surprised they've actually scheduled a visit to see you - in our county we leave the horse side well alone (well I tell them to stay away!) especially on road traffic checks, if people are anything like us - your usually in a rush and the last thing you need is some muppet waving you down to check a passport generally they dont have much knowledge about.

Does this mean when you travel with your horse, to a show etc do you need to carry the horses passport? and should all horses that are sold now have passports? i am due to be buying horse soon.

Im sure you'll be fine!

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Eh? Why on EARTH would trading standards be asking things like that!
Do you sell ponies/horses on a regular basis?
Thats the only reason why i can think they would be asking for passports etc.
If you are not a regular seller, then they have no right to be checking your passports.....any concerns on that front would be down to defra?
Tell em to sod off, cheeky beggers!

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Trading Standards are in charge of checking Passports, not Defra, and they have every right to check the passport for ANY horse, regardless of what the owner does.
 
Trading standards are the body responsible for enforceing the Horse Passport Legislation and they should check to see that horse have passports on behalf of all those poor sould who have paid for passports.
 
Well you learn something new everyday. I didn't know that and I'm sure as heck that all of my horsie friends dind't know that TS was in charge of the passports! I always though it was Defra.

When I think of TS, I think of going after dodgey cowboy builders and raiding markets for copied DVD's!!
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In my reply to Ribena I mentioned the holding number. I assumed that's why they were coming to you.

Do you keep hens too? They may ask you about those if you do. I can't recall offhand what the limit of number in the flock for not requiring to register them is. 25 or 50 rings a bell, although that's a bit of a difference!

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It's 49 hens for a flock number .
 
Just to clarify, Defra run the passport scheme, but Trading Standards are the enforcement people.
 
Used to have hens but sadly the foxes put paid to them over a number of years but that's interesting to know.

Thanks for all the advice - will let you know how I get on (unless I am carted away
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