UK government urged to push for plan for easier movement of horses

The UK government has been urged to agree a ‘high health status’ provision with the European Union to allow for easier movement of horses between Britain, Ireland and France to race and breed “as quickly as possible”.

The recommendation has been made by a committee of MPs tasked with investigating post-Brexit travel for animals.

The agreement would replace the tripartite system of movement that existed between the three major racing nations prior to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and help smooth a cumbersome process that came into force at the start of the year requiring significant additional paperwork, border checks and VAT payments.

An estimated annual horse movement of 26,000 between the three countries had dropped by as much as 60 per cent, an Environment, Food and Rural Affairs cross-party select committee was told, with British racing put at a “competitive disadvantage” according to BHA evidence.

The solution would be the introduction of a high health status provision for horses “of a permanent high health and welfare status”, with Ross Hamilton, the BHA’s head of public affairs, stating that “France and Ireland are absolutely pushing their own governments and the European Commission. I think the representations continue to be very strong, certainly from the French and Irish racing industries.”

The report concluded that Britain was a “leading player in the global equestrian market” and that it was fundamental for government to allow speedy movement of high health status horses to protect the country’s status and the economic benefits it provided.

It added: “The government should work with the EU to formulate an agreement on high health status horses as quickly as possible. This agreement should be based on a system which is digital by design and easy to use. The government should adopt a pragmatic and practical stance in pursuit of this goal.”

The use of a high health status clause for horses racing and breeding, backed up by a digital passport, has been advocated by the Thoroughbred Industries Brexit Steering Group, which has been preparing and assisting the industry with Brexit.

Chairman Julian Richmond-Watson said: “We started out with this position in 2016 and it was promoted widely in Brussels, although I’m not sure that many people were listening. It’s now been picked up by our colleagues in Europe and it becomes about where to draw the line, as it is unlikely that thoroughbreds alone will be part of any system.

“The obvious way to do it is through the issuing of e-passports and making them mandatory with everything the UK and the EU wants can be on there; the digital passport is key. How long that process will take, I don’t know, and progress is often very slow.

“There needs to be more of a push on the EU side to get it agreed as I would have no doubt Defra would approve of such a system, and they have been very helpful throughout. There is sometimes a feeling that things shouldn’t be pushed if they are helping the UK but it’s as helpful, if not more so, for the EU to want to get this agreement made.”

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