The development of a digital equine identification and traceability scheme — which it is hoped would help to combat illegal horse smuggling — has been put on hold by the government due to financial constraints. 

Defra minister Baroness Hayman of Ullock told the National Equine Forum in London last week that the government recognises the importance of equine identification and traceability, but the pressure on public finances means the project has been paused.

However, she added that conversations are continuing about how to improve equine ID and traceability within the current budget.

“I do recognise that a key concern in the industry is the improvement of equine identification and traceability,” said the Baroness, who is Parliamentary Under Secretary of Stage (Minister for Biosecurity, Borders Animal Welfare).

She also acknowledged that such a scheme would have an important role to play in equine health and welfare, as well as biosecurity and trade.

“The government wants to see a robust and streamlined system put in place in order to digitise equine identification and we are at one with the industry on that particular front,” added the Baroness.

“But we have had to pause work in this area, even though we recognise that it is critical, while we tackle the very real challenges that we’re facing currently around public finances.

“My officials are continuing to engage with the British Horse Council to explore ways that equine ID and traceability can be improved within the resourcing constraints that we are facing at present,” she continued. 

“We had a very positive meeting with them, at which the creation of an industry/Defra co-design project was agreed to look at how we can explore moving forward in this area.

“I’m really pleased that we have a good working relationship; this is a good example where industry and government can work together on a very important issue.”

‘Exotic diseases are an ongoing risk’

During the same session about ‘The Equine Industry in a Changing World’, which was chaired by World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers, the forum also heard from Dr Richard Newton about how vital a digital equine ID and traceability scheme is for preventing and managing outbreaks of exotic diseases in the future.

“The UK urgently needs updated digital equine ID and traceability regulations,” he said. “Exotic and emerging notifiable diseases are an ongoing risk in the equine industry.

“We have legislation to deal with the majority of these and Defra and the APHA [Animal and Plant Health Agency] oversee the the management of these outbreaks.

“Have they got everything that they need in order to do the best job possible? No — and that is because we [haven’t got] equine ID and traceability.

“Horses can be highly mobile, second only to humans, in transport around the globe. Unfortunately, that means they can spread diseases very quickly and very far,” continued David.

“Equine influenza, which was an exotic alien disease to Australia back in 2007, got in, broke out of their quarantine station, and wreaked havoc for a number of months.

“Effective disease control does require prompt and accurate identification of affected and at-risk animals. That means the tracing of animals promptly that may be at risk from disease.

“If emerging diseases, vector borne diseases — blue tongue, African horse sickness, West Nile virus — if they’re going to come in [to the UK] we need to deal with those.”

Cross species transmission — such as the discovery of bird flu antibodies in horses last year — is also a risk, added Richard.

“We believe it’s low for the horse at the moment, but we have to be aware of it,” he confirmed.

Horse meat scandal

David Mountford, Chair of the British Horse Council, called an digitised equine identification and traceability “the foundation stone for the industry”.

“I am really pleased to hear the minister say she understands that this is the way forward and that government buys into it fully,” he said.

“I hope that we can get it over the line. It is going to enable the equine industry to grow and to flourish.”

David added that after the horse meat scandal in 2013 — when foods advertised in the EU were found to have undeclared or improperly declared horse meat in them — the British Horse Council was invited to a meeting by the Secretary of State to find a way to avoid it happening again.

“We told the Secretary of State that digital equine ID and traceability will work. He said it’s a great idea — and then he left [office],” said David.

“Over the last 12 years, we’ve met with every single minister and they’ve all said it’s a no brainer — digital equine traceability is the answer. Last year, draft legislation was put together. Then we had a change in government and a spending review, which has put things on pause.”

Equine the ‘ideal pilot’

David also suggested that the equine industry would be the ideal pilot for such a scheme, which could then be rolled out across other sectors, such as agriculture.

He said the Livestock Information Service has ear-marked £500 million for the roll-out of a digital scheme for the meat-producing sector.

“We are probably looking for less than 1%, maybe even less than half a percent, of that to take this forward,” he explained.

“We’re so much further ahead than the Livestock Information Service and [equine] could be the perfect pilot. Agricultural species could benefit from seeing how we get on with running an equine system.

“Livestock is a big industry [with a] quarter of a million employees. A quarter of a million people are employed by the equine industry in the UK. That is the same number [you get if] you add up the totals of everyone involved in the sheep, pig, dairy, and beef industries.

“So we are a big player. We should be playing for higher stakes.”

Illegal trade

Multiple high profile cases have highlighted the need for a centralised and fully digitalised ID and traceability system across the UK and EU.

In February last year, the ‘Dover 26’ — a transporter crammed full of horses being exported to Europe — were discovered. Many of the 26 equines on board did not have the necessary paperwork to travel.

More recently, Your Horse reported on the three-year-old ex-racehorse who suffered a fractured skull and severe wounds after being trampled by other horses in an overloaded lorry destined for slaughter.

World Horse Welfare researched the backgrounds of a group of eight horses who came into their care after a transporter carrying 20 horses was stopped at Dover in December 2024 and compiled a timeline of events to identify the gaps that illegal traders are exploiting.

Last week, the charity called on the government to implement stronger legislation to disrupt horse smuggling as they believe a lack of accountability is being exploited by smugglers when the UK is used as a land bridge for moving horses between Ireland and the EU.

Main image © Shutterstock

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