HORSE transporters are warning trainers and breeders that bringing horses to and from Britain is going to take a lot more planning and likely to be more expensive from today, thanks to Brexit.

Although Britain and the European Union signed a trade agreement at the last minute this week, both Horse Racing Ireland and the Department of Agriculture have confirmed there will be considerably more administrative work when moving animals across the Irish Sea.

As of yesterday, every horse moving from Ireland to Britain must be accompanied by an export health certificate, signed by a veterinary surgeon. This certificate must then be sent to the Department of Agriculture to be signed and stamped, and the Department wants a minimum of five working days advance notice.

On top of this, horse owners are being advised to use a British-based import agent to submit advance notification to the British authorities.

Patrick Keane of Ballinroe Transport said: “This is going to slow everything down for everyone. Nobody in the industry was consulted on this. It has just been presented at the last minute and I can only hope that it can be improved and streamlined as soon as possible. It’s all very restrictive, having to go the Department every time.”

Keane says transporters are still waiting on details of how horseboxes will be treated at customs. Already there are indications that horses will only be allowed enter through French checkpoints during normal working hours, which could cause significant delays and ultimately add cost.

Ballinroe Transport expects to be asked to bring horses to and from the upcoming Goffs UK January Sale. “Normally we would have a box leaving Doncaster for Ireland each night but how will that work if we have to give five days’ notice for horses returning from the sales? Will horses have to stay at the sales complex for an extra day or two, or will they be sent to holding yards? All this red tape will be costly.”

Fellow transporter Ronan Grassick agreed. “We’re going backwards with these arrangements. The days of getting a call to bring a horse to England in the morning are gone. You need to be planning a week ahead, even for horses who may not travel after all. Occasionally I have brought foster mares to England overnight in an emergency. What will happen in that situation now?”

Both Keane and Grassick would like to see the authorities move quickly to reduce the paperwork and time required to move high health status horses.

Department advice

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has issued updated advice for those intending to move horses to and through Britain.

In summary, each equine exporter exporting horses from Ireland to Britain should:

  • Register with the Department of Agriculture.
  • Register on TRACES.
  • Contact their Regional Veterinary Office (RVO) regarding an export health certificate.
  • Arrange examination of equines by a veterinary practitioner.
  • Submit the veterinary certificate to the RVO.
  • Arrange for a British-based importer to submit advance notification to the UK import system.
  • Include the unique notification number issued by this system to the TRACES health certificate consignment details.
  • Complete consignment details on TRACES and submit to RVO.
  • Forward scan of completed, signed and stamped certificate via the British-based agent to the British import system.
  • Ensure signed health certificate accompanies the horse to Britain.

    • As well as export certification responsibilities, those moving horses will also need to register with Revenue and fulfil customs requirements around each horse movement.

    Web: hri.ie/Brexit

    In line with the Government’s extension to the ban on travel from Britain until January 6th, HRI has also advised that no Irish-trained horses or jockeys should travel to Britain for competition and no British horses or jockeys should travel in the opposite direction during this travel ban.