LETTER OF THE WEEK

Sir — Recently I had to tell a client that her new Irish cob’s microchip number does not match the one in the accompanying passport — so he is not “Charlie”. The dealer cannot find another passport, so “that one must be his”. It isn’t. Her Irish source says it’s his too. Still wrong — the markings don’t match.

My client points out that she could be handling stolen property. The dealer says he isn’t stolen — remarkable, given that neither she, nor her source, knows who he is or where he’s come from. And the Irish Horse Register has no record of his chip number.

In a display of generosity, the dealer has offered to pay for a replacement passport, citing that these mix-ups “happen all the time” or to swap the horse for one with (hopefully) the right paperwork.

This casual attitude to correct documentation is lamentable.

Dealers must take responsibility for the correct identity of the animals that pass through their yards. Anyone can buy and use a microchip scanner. Most dealers run an exemplary service, but the knock-on effects of those who flout it include bio-security concerns, animal welfare issues and a thriving trade in stolen animals.

In the meantime, I can’t help but wonder sadly where the real Charlie is.

Dr Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS Endell Equine Hospital, Salisbury, Wilts

The writer of letter of the week wins a bottle of Champagne Taittinger