Passport and Microchipping

It is a legal requirement that all horses are microchipped and have a passport. Horses must be microchipped before a passport is issued.

It is an offence for a keeper with ‘primary care responsibilities’ (eg. those caring for a horse on loan, owners, breeders, trainers) to keep a horse that does not have a passport and you could be fined up to £5000 if you don’t have one.

Equine passports contain certain information relating to the horse they are attached to including microchip details, age, breed/type, markings, owner's details and all the medications it has been given. All foals need to get a passport and this must be done before the foal is 6 months old or before 31st December, whichever is later. Microchipping is part of the passport application process and must be done by a veterinarian. If you want to sell or move your foal without its dam earlier than this you will need to have it microchipped and get a passport.

Microchipping

Microchipping is a simple, safe and quick procedure. The microchip is inserted into the crest on the left side of the neck via a needle. The microchip contains a unique number for your horse which matches their passport and the petlog database.

You can book an appointment to arrange your horse's passport and microchip by calling your local clinic.