We have been given a rare opportunity to make our voices heard to improve horse welfare on a national scale.
DEFRA are currently assessing proposals to improve equine health and welfare legislation by reviewing the government’s current equine ID and traceability system and they want to hear from horse owners like you.
Why?
The current equine ID system isn’t working – there’s only around 50% of all UK equines on the system, with many inaccurate or incomplete records – there’s a lot of work to be done.
It’s supposed to enable equine traceability, meaning that an equine’s ownership history can be accessed when required, which is especially significant in our line of rescue and welfare work when needing to trace lost, mistreated or abandoned horses, or when someone wants to purchase a horse.
There’s a serious and urgent need for evidence to support our request to the government for an integrated system for equine ID across all parts of the UK, not just England. And that’s where you can help. The more people that respond, the more likely change will happen.
What will it mean?
There are many potential benefits of an effective, up-to-date equine ID database. It would:
- Allow lost or stolen horses to be reunited with their owners through microchipping
- Allow effective disease control, ultimately reducing numbers of infected horses
- Make it easier for animal welfare organisations like us to identify those responsible for animal cruelty and neglect.
How can you help?
A short survey has been kindly put together by the British Horse Council to gather evidence for Defra’s consultation on how to manage horses’ information going forward, closing on Friday 20th May 2022.
Please click here to take part and share with anyone with an interest in improving horse welfare.
