Legislation
A variety of legislation pertains to those with responsibility for equines (horses, ponies, and donkeys). These are outlined on this page.
Nitrates & Conditionality | Control of Horses Act 1996 |Registration of Equine Premises
Registration of Equines | Change of Ownership of Equines | Animal Health Law | Health and Safety
Other publications which provide information on responsible ownership of equines and complying with legislative duties include:
All you need to know about equines and traceability (DAFM) and Responsible ownership (Teagasc)
Nitrates & conditionality
Ireland’s first Nitrates Action Programme under the Nitrates Directive came into operation in 2006. Regulations were introduced to put this Action Programme into law. A second Action Programme was finalised in 2010. A third Action Programme was finalised in 2014, a fourth Action Programme in 2017 and a fifth Action Programme has been agreed and given legal effect in 2022:
- Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations 2022 (Statutory Instrument No. 113 of 2022
- Amendment update EU (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) (Amendment No. 2)(Statutory Instrument 716 of 2022)
Read more about the Fifth Nitrates Action Programme 2022 to 2025 here
If you apply for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) the Regulations are also part of Conditionality. Read more about Conditionality which relates to the climate and the environment, public health, animal health and plant health, and animal welfare. Non compliance with conditionality puts other CAP scheme payments at risk. It is very important to understand the Regulations and know exactly how they apply to you, and what to do on your farm.
Further information on Nitrates Regulations and Nitrates is available here
Control of Horses Act 1996
If you keep the horse in a control area designated under the Control of Horses Act 1996 you must have a horse license for it as well as the microchip and passport. In this context “horse licence” means a licence granted by a local authority under section 20 of the legislation pertaining to control of horses act 1996.
You are liable for any injury or damage caused by your horse to other people or to property.
Registration of equine premises
It is a legal requirement under the Control on Places where Horses are kept Regulations (Statutory Instrument No 113 of 2014) that all premises where equine are kept must be registered with the Department of Agriculture. Accordingly, you should ensure that your equine is being kept on a registered premise. If your holding is not already registered as an Equine Premises, you should apply immediately to DAFM for an Equine Premises Number.
Application form for Equine Premises Number is available here
Registration of equines
If you own or keep a horse or other equine, it must be microchipped and must have an official identification document, known as a horse passport.
These requirements are under EU Regulation 504/2008 which, along with later amendments, has been transposed into Irish law as Statutory Instrument No 189/2014- Equidae (Transfer of Ownership) Regulations 2014. They apply to all members of the horse family, including ponies, donkeys and crosses, officially known as equine animals..
More information on equine registration and passports is available here.
Change of ownership of equines
On foot of a Statutory Instrument No 601/2014 it is a legal requirement to report changes of horse ownership to the Passport Issuing Authority (PIO) who issued the original passport for a horse, pony, or donkey.
More information on change of ownership is available in the DAFM and Teagasc publications linked at the top of this page.
Animal health law, April 2021
The EU Animal Health Law (AHL), formally Regulation (EU) 2016/429, came into force on April 21, 2021, to replace and consolidate previous legislation on transmissible animal diseases. Its main goal is to prevent and control diseases that can spread to other animals or humans by establishing a comprehensive framework for prevention, awareness, surveillance, and eradication. The law emphasises clearer responsibilities for animal keepers, improved biosecurity, early detection, and streamlined international trade rules for live animals and animal products. EU legislation relating to movement of animals, semen, oocytes, and embryos can be viewed here.
This EU regulation has been transposed into Irish law Statutory Instrument No 784/2021 – Import and export of animals and animal products regulations 2021
- Information on identification of equines before applying for export certification can be found here.
- Information on equine notifiable diseases can be found here.
- Additional information on Equine Viral Arteritis can be found here
- Information on the import of equine germinal products (semen, oocytes, and embryos) can be found here.
Importing semen: All semen legally brought into Ireland either from another EU Member State or from a third country (anywhere outside of the EU) must be accompanied by the appropriate health certificate, either an Intra-Community Health Certificate if it is from an EU Member State or an equivalent health certificate from a third country. These documents are signed by an Official Veterinarian to certify that the semen was collected and stored according to the the legislation in an EU approved equine semen collection centre (list available on the EU commission page) and that the donor horse fulfilled all the animal health certification criteria. These documents must be kept on file for a minimum of three years. Additionally, all importers of equine semen must be registered with TRACES in order to allow the exporter to complete the export certification process. All documentation should be checked by the vet prior to insemination. If the documentation is not available for inspection, or there is any doubt about the validity of the paperwork, do not inseminate the mare, and consult your local DAFM Regional Veterinary Office for further guidance.
- Information on registering with TRACES
- Information on the export and import of horses can be found here
Health and Safety
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 is the legislation covering the safety, health and welfare of people at work.
Every year deaths and injuries occur on farms which could have been prevented and it is vital to take time to evaluate or re-evaluate ‘Health and Safety’ in relation to your own circumstances whether you have a stud farm, training facility, riding school or simply have a couple of horses at home.
It is very important to be aware of the appropriate legislation relating to safety whether you are an employer or an employee, and what is expected of you. Use this knowledge to then create a safe and healthy environment whereby proper standards and procedures are put in place.
Further reading on the topic of health and safety on the farm is available here