In the wake of the horse meat scandal and ongoing welfare concerns for horses, the RSPCA is again expressing its deep concern about the usefulness of the horse passport system, which aims to keep track of horses for disease control.
RSPCA equine co-ordinator, chief inspector Cathy Hyde, said: “The passport system is failing and we estimate that a shocking 75% of horses coming into RSPCA care are not microchipped. Passports are not updated and, without microchipping or a central database, there is no enforcement. Horses can change hands for a small amount of money and end up in the hands of irresponsible owners and traders. They can’t be traced back to their owners, making it very difficult to prosecute and try to stop these people keeping horses.”
