We would like to wish everyone a

PASSPORTS

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the new passport regulations which came into effect in 2009, more details can be found on the BEVA (www.beva.org.uk) and DEFRA (www.defra.org.uk) websites. We have not devised these rules, but are obliged to work with them, so would be most grateful for your assistance.

• All horses applying for new passports must be microchipped; this includes foals and older horses that do not already have a passport. Microchips can only be inserted by a vet.
• Foals must have a passport and microchip by the age of 6 months, or by 31st December in the year of their birth, whichever is later.
• When your horse is attended to by a vet the passport must be present for inspection. If bringing your horse to BELL EQUINE please bring your passport with you for us to check. Our reception staff will note your horse’s passport details on your horse’s record.
• If your horse is treated with certain medications, including bute and ACP (Sedalin gel), it is necessary for you to sign a declaration in the horse’s passport to ensure that they cannot be used for human consumption. We strongly recommend that clients sign this declaration as it will enable us to treat their animals with a wider range of drugs. Again, once we know this has been done, we will add it to horses’ records.
• Horses may not be sold without a passport and after a sale the purchaser has 30 days to notify the authority issuing the passport of the change of owner.
• When being transported horses should have their passports with them at all times (with a few exceptions such as emergency situations) and at other times the passport should be available on request within 3 hours.