Control of Horses
The legislation relating to the above include the Control of Horses Act 1996 as amended and regulations from the Animals Act 1985. In addition Kilkenny County Council has Bye Laws to cover this area that allow the Local Authority to impound horses causing a nuisance in a public place etc. Bye Laws introduced under the Control of Horses Act 1996 prohibit the keeping of a horse without a current license issued by Kilkenny County Council.
Exemptions to the above include:
- A land owner who owns a minimum of 1 acre in respect of each horse owned
- A person who has leased a minimum of 1 acre in respect of each horse owned provided the lease is for a period greater than 11 months
- Owners whose animal is registered with a riding club approved by Kilkenny County Council
- Owners of registered thoroughbred horses
Applications for a Horse License must be made using an Application Form and accompanied by the appropriate fee of €30. In addition proof of appropriate facilities for the proper care and maintenance of the horse must be provided by the owner. The horses must be identifiable by means of an approved microchip implanted in the neck. The latter is in addition to Passport requirements under S.I. 357 /2011 EC (Equine) Regulations required by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food.
Click on the Applications below to Download:
Application Form for Horse Licence (Word Doc 784 KB)
Animal Welfare Guidelines for Horses, Ponies and Donkeys (Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council) (PDF 335KB)
