Compulsory Microchips

diplomaticandtactful

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2003
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Is everyone aware that from 1st October all horses, even if passported, must now have a chip? So 33 year old aimee donkey will have to have one, as while she has a passport, she wasn't chipped.

I have 7 equines, 6 different passporting agencies, 2 overseas ones which technically i have to transfer to a UK provider so they show up on the register. I checked mine on the register yesterday, Fleur is down as being able to go into the human food chain which is not what i passported her to be. Suze and Tintin unknown status as the french passports don't offer that option plus they are not UK registered.

Plus Scottish Govt is now trying to put horses into the same framework as agricultural i.e. mapping etc possible movement papers? they are writing to 70,000 Scottish horse owners - the ones that already are on a register as otherwise how did they get our details? Won't do anything for the ones who aren't registered.

Perfect timing when vets are still very stretched, and we are still social distancing.
 
I’m very lucky that Belle is already chipped, so it doesn’t affect me, but yes, I did have a vague memory that this was coming into force.
 
There should have been a claus put in maybe that any horse over a certain age of say 25 on the 1st of october shouldnt need one. Or its optional.
Would be fair to assume that those horses might not be around for much longer. Also most horses at 25 are the ones that are most likely retired so wouldnt be hacking out or going off farm/livery yards.

I wouldnt mind if it was easy to update microchip details. We cant get Abbey dogs details updated. We inherited her from my nan and uncle when they passed away. She was a rescue dog that was found on the streets of London. She came from a rescue outside of lonďon. She lived some 50 miles from london with them and her details were changed on the paperwork but it says that the microchip remained listed as the rescue centre. When she came to us we got intouch with the microchip company as we have all her papers but they wouldnt change as they said it needed to be confirmed with the rescue as my nan and uncle had passed, but the rescue was no longer in existence, so no confirmation could take place. So she couldnt be changed. So if she goes missing now her details are registered for somewhere 200 miles away. What lunacy.
 
I was aware, I know Hank and Jess are done, pretty sure Dan is but I ought double check and I know I need to transfer him to my name Still too
 
Harvey is microchipped but his passport is Irish. How do I check the register?
here is the link try his chip and see if it comes up or not and also check if he is for human consumption or not and if he is not on the register you are technically required to have him transferred to a UK based provider who will of course charge a fee
 
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It came in for all animals born after 2009 (I think) had to be chipped with passport issue, but they allowed several years for the older ones to be done retrospectively and that's now kicking in.
I remember when chips became compulsory on new passports but not aware that they then made it retrospective as it is a bit sneaky as you are having double the vet costs which is unfair when you complied with the legislation at the time and the vet could have and should have said pop in a chip just in case.
 
After a bit more investigation there is a bit more to this. Your horse must be:
1. Passported
2. Microchipped
3. Registered on the CED (central Equine Database)

Harvey only passes the first 2 requirements as he is registered with Leisure Horse Ireland and he can't be added to the CED as he doesn't have a UK passport. What I have to do is get the passport "overstamped" by a UK passport issuer who then add him to the CED. The BHS will do this and its costs £20 - they emailed me a form to fill in

Edit this is pretty much what @diplomaticandtactful said, but the overstamping info is useful)
 
After a bit more investigation there is a bit more to this. Your horse must be:
1. Passported
2. Microchipped
3. Registered on the CED (central Equine Database)

Harvey only passes the first 2 requirements as he is registered with Leisure Horse Ireland and he can't be added to the CED as he doesn't have a UK passport. What I have to do is get the passport "overstamped" by a UK passport issuer who then add him to the CED. The BHS will do this and its costs £20.
yes that's what i have been told i have to do with my two, so that's £40 for that and cost of getting Aimee chipped, one 33 year old donkey, one 17 year old donkey who never leave the bloody premises. Ridiculous. I don't mind doing Suze now that she is being ridden and may eventually sally forth hacking out but that's over £100 for nothing. The only folks making money on this are vets and all the passport suppliers.
 
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I'd better check Hogan's - he came over from Ireland 6 years ago, and I can't remember if his passports a UK one, and I must check his microchip as well. I'm a bit worried, as I think his history in Ireland is a bit murky.
 
To be fair it's been known for a fair while now so there's been plenty of chance to get the vet to microchip when they've been out for something else. For the last year my vets have been checking passport declarations and if a horse is chipped before dispensing bute, and when visits are booked they are reminding people that have unchipped horses that they will need to be done and would they like to add it into the visit.
 
To be fair it's been known for a fair while now so there's been plenty of chance to get the vet to microchip when they've been out for something else. For the last year my vets have been checking passport declarations and if a horse is chipped before dispensing bute, and when visits are booked they are reminding people that have unchipped horses that they will need to be done and would they like to add it into the visit.
I wasn't aware of it at all, and my vet was out a month ago and did vaccinations and never mentioned it, particularly as the one which is not chipped we decided not to re-vacinate as she is 33 and not likely to die of tetanus, so her passport was inspected then. And the frenchies were done, and nothing mentioned about them either.
 
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I remember when chips became compulsory on new passports but not aware that they then made it retrospective as it is a bit sneaky as you are having double the vet costs which is unfair when you complied with the legislation at the time and the vet could have and should have said pop in a chip just in case.
It became regulation on 1 October 2018, giving 2 years for people to get it done, but I am sure it was always in the pipeline from when they changed the rules to say a passport could not be issued without a chip in 2009, it just didn't come in until more recently.
 
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