The Irish government has boosted the number of horse passport inspectors and given them new powers to spot-check dealers and auction rings in an effort to increase compliance. Michael Walsh, spokesman for the Department for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAF), denied that the move was a reaction to recent disease issues in the country or [...]
By Louise Parkes More than eight years after it was first proposed by the Equestrian Federation of Ireland's (EFI) Strategic Planning Group, the new umbrella body for equestrian sport, Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), will become a reality from January 1 onwards. Its creation has been a tedious process, with the original report produced by the [...]
Calls regarding the neglect or possible mistreatment of horses are received at least two to three times a week, according to Paul McCormack of the Athlone and West Midlands Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Although extreme cases are few and far between, when they do rear their ugly head the cruelty [...]
THE strain of equine flu that has hit the Australian racing industry has never been found in Ireland, an expert says. The Australian agriculture minister has confirmed that the outbreak is caused by the Wisconsin 2003 strain which has never been found in Ireland or the UK. Professor Ann Cullinane of the Irish Equine Centre [...]
THE Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan, has stepped up measures to protect the Irish horse industry with stricter enforcement and inspection of passports and identification for horses to ensure compliance with the regulations. Under new stricter guidelines department officers will now have enhanced powers in the enforcement of the EU regulations on identification [...]
