For those of you with horses or donkeys, the clock is ticking to the 30th June 2004- the date by which each individual equine must, by law, have a passport.
Passports can be issued by a number of passport issuing authorities including the British Horse Society, Wetherbys and most breed societies. Passports incorporate a detailed silhouette diagram showing each horse's markings, as well as space for filling in details of vaccinations and medicines administered, and changes of ownership (which must be notified to the passport issuing authority). Each horse will have a unique identification number which should allow them and their current owner to be individually traceable. This should be helpful both to ensure good welfare of horses and to prevent horses that have received certain medicines from ever entering the food chain.
So, if you haven't yet taken steps to obtain passports for your horses, now is the time! If you have a vaccination certificate which has had the silhouette diagram completed by a vet this can be sent away to be incorporated into a new passport. Otherwise, you will need a the silhouette diagram on a passport application form to be completed as soon as possible. Please contact us soon for an appointment if this is necessary, or for more details of relevant passport issuing authorities.
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