Closed petition Introduce licensing of horse owners and make current code of practice statutory

Closed on 23 December 2021

Defra's Code of Practice for the Welfare of horses and other equines is only guidance, and should be given statutory force, with local authorities responsible for issuing licenses to horse owners, and non-compliance with the code resulting in penalties or seizure of horses.

There are a huge amount of horses that are treated unacceptably by irresponsible owners, notably by being tethered, which can lead to neglect such as insufficient access to water. Horses are often tethered with no access to shade and are left unattended with little or nothing to eat and drink for days. Tethering should be an exceptional method of short term management and anything other than that is unacceptable. Making the current code of practice statutory, and introducing licensing, should help protect horses.