# Stolen Horses and Passports



## Rollin (17 February 2010)

Passports/Equine ID documents apply to all horses in the EU.  Often we hear that stolen horses are being issued with new passports.

We have a National Equine Data base - why is it not possible to have a 'hot list' of newly issued passports for horses over a year old?  Especially if the passport is issued to a new owner.

Many stolen horses seem to be coloured ponies and cobs.  It should be possible for Police to cross check on a weekly basis if horses matching the description of stolen horses have been issued with new or duplicate passports.


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## alliebaxter (17 February 2010)

that would be a great idea!


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## pixi (17 February 2010)

because some one would have to be paid to check it out. with microchips now being mandatory for all new foals and also if a passport is made for a older horse it has to be chiped before doing so, if it is already chipped then no passport can be issued.thats the new way of checking them out if a chipped horse is scanned when asked to fit a new chip the vet must report the owner to defra and refuse to make a passport aplication ,,but  you can still get a passport off the gypsy cob society on a photo of a horse this is why this agency should be stopped by the passport agence


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## MHOL (17 February 2010)

It would be easier for us to check a specific horse for new passports issued in a certain time scale!


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## eoe (17 February 2010)

I think that no duplicate passports should be issued unless a vet has inspected the horse first and ascertained why it has no passport, they can check for microchips.  I also believe that every horses should be mirochipped and if they are entering the country and have no microchip then they should be chipped at point of entry into the UK.  The trouble with this country is they bring in all these rules and regulations but never follow through with them.

Why are horses still being brought with no passports, surely the law is the law and should be obeyed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Tinseltoes (17 February 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
I think that no duplicate passports should be issued unless a vet has inspected the horse first and ascertained why it has no passport, they can check for microchips.  I also believe that every horses should be mirochipped and if they are entering the country and have no microchip then they should be chipped at point of entry into the UK.  The trouble with this country is they bring in all these rules and regulations but never follow through with them.

Why are horses still being brought with no passports, surely the law is the law and should be obeyed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[/ QUOTE ]

Well said.


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## pixi (17 February 2010)

i know for a fact someone can go to your field tomorrow photo your horse and can apply for a gypsy cob society passport and take your horse when when they are  ready to ,so the passport would be issued before the theft but only with the gypsy cob society no paper work needed just a note saying colour and hight and photograph even if it was chipped they dont check  so this company must be stopped by defra ,scarey isnt it.


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## sywell (18 February 2010)

I have said to DEFRA on a number of occasions that as all horses should have applied for a passport by Feb 2005 then only one ID /PIO should be allowed to issue passports for older horses otherwise it should be the studbook of origin. If you wish to get people who have horses for keeping the grass down in the orchard and it makes the house look nice and have no knowledge of equine legislation then you may wish to encourage them to apply without fear of prosecution even thought the final date has passed. When the Scottish Office says when an owner complains that the horse she bought at auction with an ID only passport when in the catalogue it gave the UELN and breeding, she wanted the original passport that it was a civil matter what hope is there if the administrators do not understand the law.


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## Aoibhin (18 February 2010)

i had to jump through several hoops to get a duplicate passport from the shetland pony society, i needed a signed document that i had taken over ownership of said pony (with an independant witness signiture) &amp; that document had to discribe said ponys markings,height, age, gender &amp; breeding.
i also had to provide 1 form of id for who i was (passport, driving licence, ect...), despite the fact i could send them (and did) the origional passport issued in 2005. i was given the passport but they had given it such little care (like said pony) that 90% of it was illegable. Name &amp; passport number on front was all that could be made out clearly (the rest was dogchewed &amp; had had coffee/tea/water/red wine spilt on it.

but i dont mind in the slightest, annoying &amp; time consuming for me but as at least they are checking before issuing a passport out (he is a very pretty marked piebald) hopefully they wont have many dual passported ponys.


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## pixi (18 February 2010)

yes but that was the shetland pony society who are a stud book society usally pure breed registerd with a red passport its the gypsy cob society that will give a passpoprt no questions asked


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## Aoibhin (18 February 2010)

granted Pixi but at least some of them are checking! thats all i was pointing out. 
all systems have thier flaws &amp; loopholes that take time to sort out &amp; the horse passports havent been compulsary for that long when you look at the greater scheme of things


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## HazellB (18 February 2010)

I'm not so sure any system will work very well.

After all, those stealing horses won't mind taking a slice out of their neck to remove a microchip, nor will they have a worry simply printing off a new passport on a computer. 

Freeze branding should be forced on all owners by law in my opinion. At least it takes a while to heal so is harder to alter fast, unless you're an expert in hair dye.


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