Equine database: for owners

WHAT owners can expect from the Central Equine Database was a key topic at the forum.

Stewart Everett, CEO of Equine Register which is providing the database for Defra, said it has been designed to be “flexible and dynamic to meet the needs of the 21st century and modern technology”.

Defra minister Lord Gardiner had announced the database was up and running, praising the “tremendous amount of hard work” carried out to get to launch, including from the passport-issuing organisations (PIOs) for providing the 1.2m records already on the system.

“But I have to be candid, not all these were of top order,” he added. “It’s taken considerable time and effort to remedy, and a small number of PIOs haven’t been forthcoming in supplying data, which is holding up completion.”

Lord Gardiner encouraged all those involved to work with the database, as “I do believe it’s a force for good”.

“We need to engage with everyone if we’re to have a fully up-to-date Central Equine Database. I’m very pleased it’s up and running; that means the database can finally play its part in safeguarding welfare and the food chain.”

Mr Everett said having the database enables the government to meet its statutory requirements but is also “an important tool to underpin exciting new opportunities”.

“There’s an ability to start to say: ‘Can we do these things?’” he said, adding that there is potential to plug apps, platforms and devices into the database as they emerge.

“Initially the point was food chain safety, disease management and reuniting people with lost and stolen animals. But disease management can only happen if animals are ID-ed properly, and this is where it all comes back to owners, to PIOs, to people updating data.”

Mr Everett said there have been positive impacts already, as Food Standards Agency vets have “found things out that are really important to the defence of the food chain”.

He added that of the 1.2m horses on the database so far, only 32% had been signed out of the food chain, and that owners must tell the appropriate PIOs if they want their horses to be signed out. Only 47% of the equines on the database have recorded microchips.

“You may have gone out and microchipped the horse legally and for the right reasons but not told the PIO,” he said. “That’s really important as you won’t be reunited with your lost or stolen animal.”

Mr Everett said the public chip checker, introduced at last year’s forum, should be live on the database website next month, allowing “public access to credible data”. Food chain status will be revealed, and the tool allows potential buyers to check other facts such as whether a horse is registered as deceased or missing.