6 Apr 2022
Decision to launch a consultation on improving identification and traceability in England has been welcomed by World Horse Welfare.
Paul Imrie
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Image: © Alexia Khruscheva / Adobe Stock
Launch of a public consultation on improving equine identification and traceability in England has been welcomed by World Horse Welfare.
Defra launched a consultation on 5 April, to run until 28 June, seeking views on proposals to improve the regime.
It itself has acknowledged issues with the current Central Equine Database, which should contain up-to-date details of all equids, is inaccurate and incomplete – not helped by many identification documents, such as horse passports, being paper based.
Among the proposals, Defra is consulting on allowing equine owners and keepers to update their horses’ passport details online or via a smartphone app for free.
Roly Owers, chief executive of World Horse Welfare, said: “Ever since the 2013 horsemeat scandal we have highlighted the pivotal importance of a shake-up in equine ID.
“The current system is simply not working and having a simple, effective digital system is vital to underpin many aspects of the enforcement of animal health and welfare regulations – not least being able to trace a horse suffering from poor welfare back to the person responsible for it.
“Defra now has a fantastic window of opportunity to get it right and we encourage anyone connected to horses to take part in the consultation. By so doing, you will have your voice heard and be contributing to a change for the better for horse welfare.”
World Horse Welfare said it is working with the equine sectors in Scotland and Wales to follow England’s lead, and consider developing more efficient systems, and is also wanting better links between British and the EU’s systems.
The consultation for England is available online on the Defra website.
