HUGH McCusker, chairman of the Northern Ireland Horse Board, fears that potential high costs on transferring horses between the north and south of Ireland if Britain crashes out of the European Union without a deal will be “detrimental to the horse industry within Ireland”.

Speaking at the Dublin Horse Show this week, McCusker, who owns and runs the Meadows Equestrian Centre in Lurgan, Co Armagh, said: “Having had meetings with the Department of Agriculture in north, it would appear that if there is no deal, we have been given figures that are between £300 and £400 (€325-430) to do the blood tests and everything for horses to come into the EU, being the south of Ireland.”

McCusker added that it has been suggested that those tests and paperwork could last up to six weeks. “The horse will then have to be inspected when it comes south. There are two places which have been nominated at the moment and that’s Dublin Port and Shannon Airport.”

That process includes competition horses crossing the border for a simple one-day event.

With his show centre owner hat on, he added: “We have been told by the Department if horses come to the north for competition, for instance the RDS qualifiers, the horses from the south have to be segregated in their own stable area, but the horses can both go into the practice arena, warm up together side by side. We have pointed out that this is ludicrous.”

He predicts should British leave without a deal, the situation will be far worse than it was when there was a hard border in the past. “Without a doubt it will more restrictive than before should it happen. All we had to do was the paperwork before. There are no guidelines issued by either department. I am getting enquires daily from concerned breeders.”

Another show centre and auction house owner just five miles south of the border is Stuart Clarke of Cavan Equestrian Centre, who is “hopeful” an agreement will be made.

“About 60% of what we sell, and we sell close to 1,000 ponies and horses a year, goes to the UK. The UK is very important to that part of the business,” Clarke said. “That said, whatever the scenario is, I don’t think the people who buy horses are all of a sudden going to stop.

“There may extra paperwork, tariffs, or customs duty which could weaken their spending power, which would unfortunately weaken the price to the seller here in Ireland. That could be the affect. They might spend 10 or 15% less than before.”

On the issue of a £300-400 cost for taking horses into the south, Clarke added: “That would nearly stop people coming, they wouldn’t come [for a one-day show]. It is scary because there is the potential for a disastrous result but I am really hopeful they will see common sense.”