All horses, ponies and donkeys are required by law to have a passport. DEFRA can impose fines of up to £5000 if you don’t have a valid passport.
The passport ensures that your horse is, indeed, your horse(!) and includes a section for a vet to identify them and record their microchip details.
Passports make sure that horses treated with certain medicines do not end up in the food chain for human consumption. They also help with the prevention of the sale of stolen animals, as passport proves identity.
Passports should be available for inspection before medicines such as pain relief or antibiotics are prescribed to your horse.
Passports are a legal requirement for all horses. This includes a section for the Vet to identify your horse. For all horses/ponies born after July 2009, identichipping your horse is compulsory. This involves implanting a microchip with a unique number into the neck of your horse.