Should there be a permit for owning horses?

Should there be a permit for owning horses? This might sound like a strange question: in many countries, we have the right to own whichever animal we want, so why should it change? 

Because though horses are readily available, sometimes for a ridiculous price, this is not always the case of equestrian knowledge. Many well-meaning people buy a horse and do not actually know how to care for them properly. Not because they do not want to, but because they have not had access to the necessary information and are not always aware of the specificities of caring for horses. And those horses sometimes end up being neglected: the animals who end up in rescues are not always those who were deliberately abused, but sometimes those who became too much for owners who did not have enough knowledge to properly care for them. 

Would a permit allow to change this? My first idea was yes, if that permit involved a course in basic horsecare. It would maybe discourage the people who do not want to take the time to learn more about the animal they planned to buy. And it would help those who really want to have a horse to know how they can offer them the best quality of life they can. Moreover, in some countries, there are already permits for owning some types of animals, from dogs, to exotic pets. So it’s not something new. 

I decided to make a survey of two different Facebook groups to see what people thought of it. The question was: Do you think people should have a permit to own horses (to prevent neglect and abuse)? They had to choose “yes” or “no,” but people who answered were also free to add their own answer. Of course, none of the results I present here are very representative, given that this survey was not done methodically, but I think they are still interesting. 

Here are the results for the first group (a general horse riding and training group, with a majority of American members): 

• Yes: 12 (4%) 
• No: 119 (37%) 
• “It's a good idea in theory. However it is impossible to do, in that there is no way to continually regulate and monitor everyone.” (added by a member of the group): 187 (59%) 

Here are the results for the second group (a group focussing on non-ridden horses, with an important proportion of British members). 

• Yes: 252 (60%)
• No: 142 (34%) 
• “More education” (added by a member of the group): 18 (4%) 
• “Licence with course” (added by a member of the group): 9 (2%) 
• “Mandatory annual vet checks and authority to take custody of neglected and abused horses, donkeys mules” (added by a member of the group): 2 (0.5%) 

As you can see, the results vary a lot. And it raised more debate than I had expected. I believe that the use made of the horse (horse kept as livestock versus horse kept as a pet) as well as the geographical location play an important role in the answers (and would probably make an interesting sociological study). This is a very general assumption, but it seems that people who keep working horses are more likely to resent a permit, while those who keep horses as pets are more incline to think it could be a good idea. 

It also appeared that American owners were more likely to be opposed to the idea because it would mean too much governmental control. The question of freedom was also raised. Some UK participants pointed out that the passport system in place in many countries could be changed to include a sort of license. 

In the end, the question was far from straightforward and the answers that were given were varied and all equally interesting. Here is a selection of comments that were made in answer to this question (they are posted here with the permission of their authors). 

“My first reaction is to say yes. My second thought is to say it's a good idea but not enforceable. My third idea is that a permit isn't a guarantee that the animal will not be abused. I guess I don't know how to answer. I know it's not an option on your survey, but I think education is the best protection against abuse and perhaps a better system for removing animals from abusive situations. The problem is that there's no real standard for what is abuse and what isn't, at least not in the industry as a whole.” (Dale Rudin) 

“When we go down this path, the yes and no’s will be subjective to someone’s opinion. Not to mention, people should be free to own whatever pet they like. Abuse happens, and no, I don’t like it and would love to see it stop, but it is EXCEPTION, not the rule. I was once accused of abuse by a passer-by who reported me. My OTTB has chronic colic and was under vet care. Because they saw ribs, they believed that I was abusing my horse. They reported me, I had Animal Control show up and I had to prove I wasn’t abusing my animal by paying for a vet visit, or they would show up to remove my animals. Keep in mind he was the only thin one with 5 other fit ones. Oh, and my vet just happened to be the one that AC uses for abuse cases. They looked pretty dumb when my vet signed off and said, “Oh yeah, he’s been under my care for quite a while now. She’s great with all her animals!” But the point is, judgement is often cast without anyone knowing the whole story. There are not as many cases of abuse as we are led to believe. And sometimes what is just fine care is labeled abuse or “sub-standard” because someone else does things differently. I think that when we start regulating things like this we will lose freedoms that we will never get back. Prevention is better attempted through education and an open, honest, and helpful horse community that is not judgmental than by adding in regulation and oversight.” (Christina Hass) 

“No. I have thought about this many times, and it comes down to the fact that it would not be enforceable. Furthermore, you would need to regulate property owners, not horse owners. Many people who own horses do not keep them at home and board them at off-site facilities. Those horses can be moved around from barn to barn at any time, and the owner does not have ultimate control over care for the horse other than to move it to another facility. If you consider regulating properties or property owners, even if you approve certain ones and check up on them regularly, it isn't those people who won't comply. And I still don't think that is the way to go. Some areas have (or used to have) a "horses per acre" law in attempt to make sure horses get proper care. But that is an outdated model. What if someone owns two horses and 50 acres but the 50 acres isn't all fenced and the horses spend 99% of their time in stalls? What if someone owns two horses and two acres and keeps their horses in stalls with 30'x30' attached dry lots and rides their horses six days per week? The difference in these situations proves that acreage alone does not guarantee good horse husbandry. What about people who move or are in transition and need to keep their horses more confined than ideal until they can finish preparing fencing and facilities? There are too many exceptions to any rule you could come up with, so I would rather not have someone trying to police horse ownership. Neglect and abuse are well defined. I would be happy if animal control could just keep up with enforcing the laws we already have.” (Erin Shields)

“Unfortunately, here in America there really isn't any form of being officially approved to own or ride horses. So, anyone can buy one regardless of their knowledge or experience. Although there are many people that do wonderful with horses, there are those that ( for whatever reason ) end up abusing and neglecting them. Granted, there are new laws that make Horse abuse a felony.. However, it is increasingly difficult to find any authorities that are willing to take the action to enforce those laws because they say that it is a waste of time and money, and that it is impossible to regulate and keep track of everyone that has horses.” (Kenny Stone) 

“I believe it should either be deemed an exotic/dangerous pet and require a licence. Used to be the case with stallions and now anyone can go and buy one. It’s why they have a reputation for being difficult. Though I always think mares are just as hormonal as stallions and often more aggressive so it’s never made sense. I think a better way around it is to make lessons with an a accredited professional compulsory for new owners so they can learn the key things. I hate the amount of riders who use devices to crank heads down because they’ve never had the basics explained to them.” (Isobel Ippolito) 

“If it is a permit than includes having to show proper knowledge then... it would make more sense to me. And I mean knowledge of what A horse as a species needs!!! I kept horses for 20 years before somebody opened my eyes... I have gone from 24/7 stabled to combined (in at night etc.) to never in a stable! And I know that isn’t always possible... but I think it is important that we know what the essential needs of a horse from a species point of view are. Not enough people know that. Yes, there is neglect and abuse... but there are also a lot of very, very kind people that adore their horses that are misinformed. That is what needs changing.” (Monica Andréewitch) 

“Yes, we should have a licence to be able to own a horse though it needs to be linked initially to course on horse care where prospective owners can learn and show an ability to look after horses appropriately. And also a yearly inspection of horses and facilities to be able to renew which should also be countersigned by a vet.” (Sheila Kite) 

“You simply cannot live attempting to control everything. Who's version of 'right' are we going to have. There are various schools of thought, live in/out, shod/barefoot, bit/bitless, ridden/non ridden. Each side often thinks the other is wrong, many consider racing yards, intense dressage & other types of competition training cruel yet these appear to be some of the most 'officially' respected establishments. Understanding is constantly moves forward. We'd probably end up with some bureaucrat in Whitehall who's never been beyond the M25 collating a load of blanket nonsense. We have animal cruelty laws, if anything re enforce those. Plus it would probably end up like many other bits of regulation such as energy certificates when house selling, relatively meaningless additional expense creating another layer of jobs and industry in offering the 'qualification' to administer it. Make steeper punishment for existing animal cruelty laws as weak at moment even in horrific cases but just stop adding layer after layer of control, you just can't operate that way, there'll always be more you can’t control and people either have it in their heart or they don't, can't legislate that.” (Amanda Ross) 

“Having a license does not in any way ensure that a person will not abuse or neglect animals. Enforcement of existing neglect and abuse laws is only as good as local enforcement, which varies wildly and can depend on "who knows who" and public sentiment. I live in the country in central New York State. My neighbor is an old man who has for years bred Border Collies. A few years ago, he was up to over 80 animals, and it took a huge effort by local animal lovers to get authorities to do anything about it. Finally, they took over 50 dogs away (all malnourished and sick)- and nothing was done to him. He is back to having over thirty dogs, and nothing will be done. He has always had a "kennel license" - and that has done nothing to protect those dogs. The belief of many people around here is "he is an old man, so they should leave him alone." Just one example of how a license does nothing to protect dogs. Why would it protect horses?” (anonymous) 

“I would like to see some kind of educational flyer that would be given at the point of sale,....before the sale, outlining the approximate costs of horse ownership, the maintenance involved, (worming, trimming or shoeing, grooming), the effort that may be required if the horse cannot be kept for any reason, and the cost of veterinary care and euthanasia, burial, or cremation. Especially in the states where many people that buy horses do not have their own land and have to board their horse, buy one for a child or teen and the interest is lost, or vet bills occur and people are stunned by the cost of owning a horse, and it winds up in the slaughter pipeline. Just to let people realize what they are getting into, and think twice to see if they really are going to commit to this animal and have enough resolve and money to be responsible.” (Dale McLeod) 

There is not one answer. There is not one good way of doing things. Abuse and neglect remain an important problem in the equestrian world, but the ways to deal with it are not always clear or efficient. It all comes back to a person’s interpretation and the manner in which they perceive their horse, or other people’s horses. 

What would YOUR answer be to the question: should there be a permit for owning horses?