Frequently Asked Questions

I have a passport already, do I need another passport for my horse to meet the new legislation?

Horses are only permitted ONE passport. It is illegal to apply for a passport if you already have a passport. You could face a fine of up to £5000 if you apply for another passport and you already have or know of an existing passport. However you can apply to have a passport from another studbook endorsed by the Irish Horse Register (IHR). The fee to do this is £25 for NIHB members and £50 for non members.

I have an Irish Horse Register passport does it meet the new requirement for a passport in GB or Europe?

Irish Horse Register passports are acceptable throughout Europe and the world and must accompany a horse for life.

Does my existing passport meet the new requirement?

To meet with new legislation your horse needs a passport which includes:-

1) Section 9 Medicinal Treatment record to be found in IHR passports following page 30 and before Breeding History. (NOT the Medication Control pages)

2) Your name recorded as owner (on page 8 of IHR passports and endorsed by the IHR) within 30 days of purchase.

3 )An adult passport requires the horse to be officially named (normally at the top of page 15 on IHR passports).

If your horse has an IHR passport which is already in your name and the horse has been named but does not include Section 9 please return it to the NIHB office and we will update it free of charge .

I have a passport from another studbook can I get it put onto the (IHR) Irish Horse Register?

Yes we can endorse a passport from another recognised studbook. The fee to do this is £25 for NIHB members and £50 for non members.

How do I change ownership on my IHR passport?

To change ownership on your passport if your horse has been officially named at the top of the page proceeding the marking chart, please return it to NIHB office along with a letter confirming that you now own the horse and wish to transfer ownership into your name. Please include your address, postcode and daytime phone number & £5 pounds sterling change of owner fee and we will amend ownership. We will also check the passport and insert section IX to meet EC standards if required.

Click here to download and print the Change of ownership form

How do I change ownership on my horses IHR passport but my horse is not named ?

Please return the passport to NIHB, 23 Ballykeigle Road, Comber, Co. Down, BT23 5SD along with your details:- name, address, postcode, contact telephone number,  & include a list of 4 choices of names. The fee is £15 NIHB member or £40 stg (pounds sterling) for non members. This will name the horse and amend ownership. We will bring the passport up to date to meet the new EC standard if required.

Click here to download and print the Naming form.

I only have foal papers ( i.e. a flimsy marking chart in a clear plastic sleeve, usually these papers are only for horses born before 1996) what do I do to get a proper passport?

If your identification documents are a marking chart in a clear plastic sleeve, please let us know your postal address and we will send you a new marking chart, which needs completed by your vet. Both the old foal papers and the new marking chart should be forwarded to NIHB office for a new passport. This takes 2-3 weeks. Please keep a photocopy of our new marking chart for your own records. The fee to do this is £15 stg for NIHB members and £40 for non members.

I have moved house what do I need to do about my horse passport/s?  

To change address :- if the passport is already in your name and you have moved house just send in the passport for change of address and we will do this free of charge.

What is a Prefix?

A Prefix is a name which goes in front of a name, e.g. - "Ballygowan Belle". In this case Ballygowan is the prefix. Once you have registered a prefix then all the animals you want to name could be named using this prefix.

How do I register a Prefix?

To register a prefix please complete a Prefix registration form and return to NIHB office with a one off fee of £40 stg sterling to register with the Central Prefix Register of GB & Ireland.

Click here to download and print the Prefix Registration Form

Can I change my horses name?

Apart from the old saying “It's bad luck to change a horses name.” You cannot change a horse's name if:-

•  your horse is a stallion or mare with registered progeny.

•  your horse is registered using a prefix.

Other than this it is possible to change a horses name by returning the passport to the NIHB office along with 4 choices of names and a fee of £25 NIHB members £50 for non members.

Click here to download and print the Naming form.

How do I register a foal with pedigree?

The foal kit to register a foal with pedigree should arrive with you automatically if the sire and dam are both registered on the Irish Horse Register. Following the covering, the stallion owner will send in a covering certificate to the horse board in November of the year the mare is covered. Then the following June a foal kit will be sent to the registered owner of the mare to register the foal with pedigree.

When breeding please ensure the following:-

•  The mare's passport shows you as the current owner, usually on page 8

•  The mare has an adult passport i.e. she has been named on her passport.

•  The stallion owner has sent in a covering certificate to the horse board.

How do I register a foal with only one parent on the Irish Horse Register?

Please contact the NIHB office with details of the registered mum or dad and ask for a foal kit to register a foal by or out of a “Not Recorded” sire or dam. This will enable you to have the foal registered, micro chipped and DNA test it to one parent only.

How do I register a foal with no pedigree?

To register a foal without pedigree contact the office for an application form. The foal will need micro chipped and the fee is £35 NIHB members £60 non members.

When do stallion owners send in Covering Certificates?

Stallion owners should send in Covering Certificates to the Horse Board in November of the year the mare is covered.

How do I register an adult animal without pedigree?

To register an adult without pedigree please contact the NIHB office and we will post out an Adult Application form. The fee for a passport without pedigree is £25 stg (pounds sterling) for NIHB members, £50stg non-members.

I want to register my horse, with pedigree. I know who the sire and dam, or sire, or dam only are?

As a recognised studbook we can only include pedigree on a passport if the pedigree has been confirmed by a DNA test. We offer an all in package to DNA test and issue a passport. Please contact the NIHB office for details. This service is only open to NIHB members. Price for DNA kits are £30 each and the passport with pedigree range from £55 for a yearlings to £85 for 4yr or over. A letter is required from the owner of the sire agreeing to the DNA test being undertaken and all animals born since 2000 will require to be micro chipped.

Do I have to have my animal micro chipped at present?

No, it is not compulsory YET to have your animal micro chipped but there is EU laws currently being discussed to bring compulsory micro chipping in by 2007/8. However the following do need micro chipped at present:-

•  if you want to do registered show jumping either ponies or horses

•  if you are registering an animal with pedigree born since 2000

•  all donkeys require to be micro chipped.

How do I register a Donkey?

To register a donkey please contact the NIHB office for an application form. All donkeys need to be micro chipped. The registration fee is £25 NIHB members £50 non members.

Please Note

The above answers apply mainly to Irish Horse Register passports only. For queries regarding other Studbook passports you should contact their issuing authority.

First time passports normally take 2-3 weeks, however naming or change of owner on an existing passports are processed in the NIHB office and normally only takes a couple of days.

When posting documents, passport and marking charts we would recommend you always keep a photocopy of everything and especially the centre page of your passport which shows the markings, until your passport is returned.

POSTAGE WARNING

N.B. One passport normally costs at least 50p to post second class within the UK.

Please ensure you put the correct postage on all items sent to NIHB office as there is a £5 charge for items retrieved with insufficient postage. The Royal Mail impose a surcharge to handle mail with insufficient postage even it is only 1p short. £5 sounds a lot but it is much less than the cost to replace a lost passport.

Office Details

NIHB Part-time office 9.00 -1.00 Tuesday and Thursday

23 Ballykeigle Road, Comber, Co. Down, BT23 5SD

Telephone 028 97 528 324

Fax 028 97 528 500

Email charlotte@nihorseboard.org