Compulsory horse registration is on the cards in Victoria.

By Equestrian Life

The Victorian Government and RSPCA are considering introducing compulsory horse registration.

A report released recently into the RSPCA inspectorate contained this proposal as a recommendation; it would see horses across the state subject to a similar registration system as cats and dogs.

The aim is to improve traceability of horse ownership - a factor that could help improve animal welfare and cruelty cases.

Speaking to The Weekly Times, RSPCA Victoria chief executive Liz Walker said:

“We have registration systems in place for all the domestic animals we have — cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats — but not horses.”

“It would help authorities to reunite animals with their owners during emergency response situations, put us in a much better position to deal with exotic diseases and biosecurity threats and help in cases of identification of ownership.”

While some are concerned about the added costs of registration and believe that it won’t really make a difference, others feel it’s important to keep track of horses bred and sold.

In terms of biosecurity, the Property Identification Code (PIC) - which was introduced for horse owners in 2010 - is already in place. The code helps to identify properties where horses reside for disease control purposes. Some organisations - such as the Victorian Endurance Riders Association - already require members to include their PIC with entry forms.

Information sourced from The Weekly Times.

 

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