Hiring Out Horses

Hiring Out Horses – Paperwork that must be completed

Requirements for “Hiring Out Horses” licence are frequently updated from year to year, below is a guide to the inspection process and required paperwork.

1. Please have all horses available and tacked up for the vet’s arrival.
2. Please have all horse passports available for inspection.
3. First aid equipment for both horses and people should be available to view.
4. Public liability Insurance documents should be available, and a certificate should be clearly and prominently displayed on the premises.
5. Fire safety documents (servicing of extinguishers) and a written Fire Risk Assessment should be available to view (A short guide to making your premises safe from fire is available from the UK gov.uk website using the following short link: https://goo.gl/Pq5TnP )
   Emergency drills (at least annually). Practices recorded with failings noted.
   There should be adequate fire alarms and no smoking signs should be on display. See Government fire safety risk assessment for animal premises and stables.
   The legislation requires a detailed fire plan at the entrance to the property and that the name, address, postcode and telephone number of the license holder or manager are displayed prominently at the entrance. A copy of the license should also be displayed in a public facing area (ideally the entrance). You also should have your veterinary surgeons’ details on display including their out of hours number (this does not have to be in a public facing area)
6. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 related risk assessments should be in place Riders’ headgear, Footwear, Clothing, Handling of and safety around horses.
7. Please have copies of any qualifications achieved.
8. Please have a list of all horses in the riding school. It is now a condition of the license that microchips are checked on all horses. If the horse is microchipped the number can be found on the passport. The law now states that all horses need to be microchipped.
9. The legislation states: All areas, equipment and appliances to which the animals have access must present minimal risks of injury, illness and escape and must be constructed in materials that are robust, safe and durable, in a good state of repair and well maintained. Therefore, all fencing should be in a good state of repair and any damage to stables should be repaired.
10. Written procedures must be in place and implemented covering:
    • Feeding regimes,
    • Cleaning regimes,
    • Transportation,
    • The prevention of and control of the spread of disease,
      Monitoring and ensuring the health and welfare of all the animals
    • The death or escape of an animal (including the storage of carcasses)
11. An appropriate isolation area must be available. Ideally in a separate self-contained facility, for the care of sick, injured or potentially infectious animals
12. Prescription medications must be stored in a secure lockable cabinet, which is permanently fixed to the floor or wall. Minimum and maximum temperatures must be measured and recorded to make sure the medications are stored at the correct temperature. A record must also be kept of all medications given to horses. This should include the name of the medication, the dose and the date given (or commenced if an ongoing medication)
13. External gates must be lockable and a designated key holder with access to all animal areas must at all times be within reasonable travel distance of the premises and available to attend in an emergency.
14. All arena surfaces must be suitable for purpose, well drained, free of standing water and maintained regularly to keep them level.
15. A daily record of the workload of each horse must be maintained and available for inspection.
16. A preventative healthcare plan agreed with your vet should be available to view. This should include sections on prevention of disease, control of disease and monitoring the health of horses including vaccination and worming plans. This should be signed off by your own vet. There must be a COSHH assessment in place for the management of infectious disease including zoonoses.
17. A written biosecurity plan is also needed. This should have 5 sections a) New arrivals protocol (This can be in a tick box format if wished) b) Quarantine – locations, procedure carried out daily with the horse and who will have access to quarantine c) Diagnostic tests e.g. strangles screening, worm egg counts etc and vaccination and worming policy d) Hygiene – disinfection protocols etc e) Outbreak Control. There will be some overlap between this and the preventative healthcare plan
18. A register of all horses used in the school is needed with each such horse’s valid passport showing its unique equine life number and a record of its microchip number which are now compulsory from 31.10 20 under new legislation.
    It is desirable for each horse to have a care plan book or folder to hold all relevant documentation and daily welfare delivery of the matters mentioned or listed here.
19. You should have written evidence available to show horses have had regular dental checks with a vet or qualified EDT (i.e. within the last 12 months)
20. You should have written evidence to show that saddles have been regularly and properly checked for correct fit.
21. Feed should be stored in containers that keep it cool and dry and away from vermin. These should be robustly labelled on the bin itself (not the lid).
22. There should be a plan/record of feeding of each individual horse and a legible and up to date feeding chart on display.
23. The muck heap should be at least 10metres from any stables/hay barns etc. There should be evidence that it is removed regularly and there should be no concerns over contamination of waterways by run off. Ideally it should be enclosed with solid walls on 3 sides.
24. Floors must have a non-slip solid and even surface. There should be sufficient clean and non-dusty bedding to encourage the occupant to lie. Any rubber matting must be cleaned regularly, and a small amount of bedding must be available. Drainage must carry away liquid voided by the horses and keep floors and bedding dry.
25. Windows must be of safety glass or mesh protected.

Any riding hats provided must be stored, clean and fit for purpose, with clearly documented records of regular safety checks. A written procedure must be available and implemented for the safe use of riding wear where horses are used on public roads and spaces, including: a) riding hats; b) riding boots; c) gloves; d) body protectors; and e) Hi-Viz clothing.