The BMHS is a Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO) and can issue a passport for your horse. To find out more about equine passports and the law, either visit our Equine Passport section or visit the DEFRA website.
Before You Apply
Please ensure you have read our Passport & Registrations: Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Statement before you apply (available from the ‘Downloads’ on our website). By sending us an application or request a passport and/or registration details, you are agreeing to these Terms & Conditions.
The BMHS is a PIO approved by DEFRA and regulated by the Horse Passport (England) Regulations 2009, Commission Regulation EC 504/2008. We advise that you familiarise yourself with these documents before applying. Please note,
Only the owner of a horse can apply for a passport.
A horse can only have one passport at any time.
All foals must be microchipped and have a passport before they are 6 months old, or by 30th November in the year it’s born (whichever is later). It is an offence to miss this deadline.
How to Apply for a Passport
To apply for a passport with the BMHS, you must fill out both parts of the A Passport and Registration Application Form (new for 2016 onwards) (available in the Downloads button) and return it to the BMHS head office with the appropriate fee. (current list of fees in the Downloads button) We accept either postal order or cheques.
We strongly advise that you read our 'Application for Registration/Passport Instructions' whilst completing your application. Any incomplete or inaccurate information will invalidate the application, as will not completing the form to the guidelines laid out in these instructions.
Please note: – Once the BMHS has received your passport application, you do not have the right to cancel your request due to the uniqueness of the document. Therefore, the payment will be retained by the BMHS to cover the cost of processing and issuing your application, even if you no longer require the document.
Microchipping
Before any passport or registration can be issued, all horses must be microchipped by a veterinarian who is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. This is your responsibility and any application sent to us without a microchip number will not be processed further.
Registration
You can also register your horse with the BMHS with the same forms above, but you do not have to register to apply for a passport.
Before registering, please check the 'Eligibility' section in the 'Registration' button on this website. All breeding must be verified before registration can take place. This can be done either by DNA or through the internal verification procedure of stallion breeding reports and covering certificates. These forms must be filled in and returned to the office by the due dates before the birth of the foal. (Forms can be found in 'Downloads'). If DNA verification is required please contact the office to get appropriate advice.
Please note as of 1st January 2018 the BMHS will no longer be issuing separate registration cards as the new style passport already has all the necessary information printed in it. We therefore no longer require photos to be sent in with registration applications.
If you have any queries about applying for a passport or registering your horse, or you cannot access parts of the website, then please contact us.
Once you have completed your application, please send it, with the appropriate fee to:
BMHS Head Office, Stretcholt Farm, Stretcholt, Somerset, TA6 4SR
Important Information: Owner’s Responsibilities
Your equine passport should be available for inspection by the appropriate authorities responsible for enforcing statutory regulations at any time. If you own or look after a horse and are unable to produce its passport when requested to do so, you could face a fine of up to £5,000 from DEFRA.
You MUST NOT make any alterations to the passport. It is an offence to do so and it will invalidate the passport.
Below are the responsibilities that you as an owner/keeper of a horse have, regarding its passport. As a Passport Issuing Organisation, the BMHS has the right to and is expected to report any breaches of the these regulations to DEFRA.
Sale/Transfer of Horse
If the equine changes ownership, the BMHS must be notified within 30 days of the transfer. It is an offence to miss this deadline and you could be fined by DEFRA. This will require you to fill out a Transfer of Registered Owner/Keeper Form and send it to us with the passport and appropriate fee. See our ‘Change of Ownership’ page on this website for more details.
Alterations/Extra Pages Required
You MUST NOT make any alterations to the passport. It is an offence to alter the details yourself, and will invalidate the passport. If any alterations to details are required, e.g. change of address, addition of permanent ID marking, update of adult colour (if different to foal colour), transfer to gelding etc. To change any details on your passport, please send us your current passport with a letter explaining the changes that you would like to make, with the appropriate fee.
If extra pages are required for vaccination record etc, please send us your current passport with a letter explaining the changes that you would like to make, with the appropriate fee. (list of current fees is in the Downloads button on this website)
Lost/Stolen/Damaged Passport
If your passport is lost/stolen/damaged, the BMHS must be notified within 30 days of the loss/theft or damage. It is an offence to miss this deadline and you could be fined by DEFRA. Lost/stolen/damaged passports will require you to fill out a Duplicate Passport Form available from our 'Downloads' button on this website. Damaged documents must be returned to the British Miniature Horse Society for replacement. Applications for a duplicate passport should be accompanied by the correct fee.
Death of Horse
When the equine dies, the BMHS must be notified within 30 days of the death. It is an offence to miss this deadline and you could be fined by DEFRA. You must return the passport with a letter giving the date of death. The passport can be returned to the owner after cancellation if required. There is no charge for this service
Section II of the Passport
Human Consumption – When you receive your completed equine passport, in Section II (‘Administration of veterinary medicinal products’), you can declare whether the animal is not intended for slaughter for human consumption at the end of its life. You can sign this section at any time, however once it is signed, it cannot be changed. If you do not declare, then it is assumed that the animal is intended for human consumption at the end of its life. This section must be signed before a vet can administer certain medicines or before the animal is consigned for slaughter or human consumption.
You do not need to sign Section II declaration until the animal has been given prohibited medication unless your animal is in Scotland, in which case Section IX must be signed. DEFRA are suggesting that you think carefully before you voluntarily sign your horse out of the human food chain as a “not intended” declaration can never be reversed. They make the point about the cost of euthanasia, the fact that current options for euthanasia may not be available in the future and that new owners may wish to have the options open for dealing with the animal at the end of its life. They explain that “leaving the declaration unsigned doesn’t mean you have to elect for abattoir euthanasia but you have kept your options open in case circumstances change.”
All passport applications made for adult equines who have not been previously identified will automatically be signed out of the food chain by the PIO, as it is unlikely that accurate medicinal records exist.
All foals must have a passport before they are 6 months old, or by the 3oth November in the year they were born (whichever is later). If a foal is not identified within this time, Part II of Section II will be signed by the PIO in order to exclude the equine from the human food chain.
The BMHS Head Office, Stretcholt Farm, Bridgwater, TA6 4SR| +44 (0)1278 685 943