Title Page
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Licence Type
- Breeding Dogs
- Hiring out Horses
- Home Boarding for Dogs
- Providing Day Care for Dogs
- Kennels for Dogs
- Providing Boarding for Cats
- Selling Animals as Pets
- Boarding for Cats
- Keeping or Training for Exhibition
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Licence Number
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Licence Holder
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Person Seen
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Trading Name
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Premises Address
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Star Rating
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Conducted on
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Officer
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Vet Present
1.0 Licence Display
1.1 A copy of the licence must be clearly and prominently displayed on any premises used for the licensable activity.
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Is the licence on display?
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Is the schedule of animals on display?
1.2 The name of the licence holder followed by the number of the licence holder’s licence must be clearly and prominently displayed on any website used in respect of the licensable activity. Are all platforms up to date?
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e.g website, Facebook, Instagram?
2.0 Records
2.1 The licence holder must ensure that at any time all the records that the licence holder is required to keep as a condition of the licence are available for inspection by an inspector in a visible and legible form or, where any such records are stored in electronic form, in a form from which they can readily be produced in a visible and legible form.
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Were all records made available upon request in a legible form?
2.2 The licence holder must keep all such records for at least 3 years beginning with the date on which the record was created.
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Are all records kept for a minimum of 3 years? (Electronic records must be backed up). Are they paper/electronic or a mix?
4.0 Staffing
4.1 Sufficient numbers of people who are competent for the purpose must be available to provide a level of care that ensures that the welfare needs of all the animals are met. At least one member of staff must have either: - a recognised qualification such as, a relevant Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) regulated Level 3 qualification - suitable experience and training, such as, running an equine facility before
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How many staff are on site?
4.2 The licence holder or a designated manager and any staff employed to care for the animals must have competence to identify the normal behaviour of the species for which they are caring and to recognise signs of, and take appropriate measures to mitigate or prevent, pain, suffering, injury, disease or abnormal behaviour.
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ou should look at training records as evidence of suitable induction training of staff, can these be produced?
5.0 Suitable Environment
5.1 All areas, equipment and appliances that animals can access must present minimal risks of injury, illness and escape.
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Stalls and stables must have adequate bedding and a non-slip floor.
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There must not be any sharp or rough edges, projections, or other hazards that could injure a horse.
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Housing must be regularly inspected for damage and potential injury or escape points. Inspection results must be recorded. Damaged housing must be repaired or replaced immediately.
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Drainage should be a minimum gradient of 1:80 to allow water to run off. There must be no standing water or pooling. Wastewater must not run into neighbouring stables.
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Fields must be safe and securely fenced, ideally using:<br><br>- post and rail that is at least 1.25 metres or 4 foot high<br>- plain taut wire that is visible to the horse<br>- well-maintained hedging or electric fencing with gates
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Fields must be free from dangerous objects and poisonous plants and weeds. If this is not possible, horses must be fenced away. Annual pasture management plans must be in place for fields.
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For facilities that carry out on-site riding instruction, there must be a safe riding area suitable for the activity, such as an arena or field.<br><br>That area must:<br><br>- have well-maintained and clear access and exits<br>- be secure to prevent horses escaping onto public land
5.2 Animals must be kept at all times in an environment suitable to their species and condition
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Horses must be monitored to check they are not too hot or too cold. The licence holder must be able to show the steps they take if a horse is showing signs of heat or cold intolerance. For example, if a horse is too cold they could provide rugs.
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Horses kept outdoors must have suitable protection from adverse weather conditions. Horses must have access to shelter in the form of purpose-built or natural cover when kept in fields.
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Bedding materials should have minimal dust. They must be of sufficient depth to encourage horses to lie down.
5.5 Procedures must be in place to make sure housing and any equipment within it is cleaned as often as necessary and good hygiene standards are maintained. The housing must be capable of being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
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Stables must be kept in a clean condition, there must be a documented procedure for this. It must detail the routine daily cleaning regime and the procedure for cleaning between periods of occupation.
5.6 The animals must be transported and handled in a manner (including for example in relation to housing, temperature, ventilation and frequency) that protects them from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
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The licence holder must demonstrate that when a horse is transported, it is in a suitable vehicle. It does not have to be owned by the licence holder.
5.7 All the animals must be easily accessible to staff and for inspection. There must be sufficient light for the staff to work effectively and observe the animals.
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Natural light is ideal, but artificial light must be available. Artificial lights must be turned off overnight to provide a period of darkness.
5.8 All resources must be provided in a way (for example, as regards frequency, location and access points) that minimises competitive behaviour or the dominance of individual animals.
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Horses in stables or stalls must have access to their own water at all times.
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When horses are kept in a field attention must be paid to any taking over of resources, such as hay and water. All horses must have access to resources. There should be one feeding site per horse plus an extra one.
Required higher standards for providing a suitable environment for horses
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There must be an option for a permanent individual turnout paddock or pen. This will give horses their own area for grazing or turnout if needed because of ill-health or domination by other horses.
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Horses must be inspected at least once out of hours, for example between 6pm and 8am.
Optional higher standards for providing a suitable environment for horses
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There must be a separate secure, clean and well-lit veterinary inspection area for safe access to inspect a horse.
6.0 Suitable Diet
6.1 The animals must be provided with a suitable diet, in terms of quality, quantity and frequency that reflects their needs. Any new feeds must be introduced gradually to allow the animals to adjust to them.
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There must be a plan or record of the quantity, frequency and type of food each horse is given.
6.2 Feed and (where appropriate) water intake must be monitored, and any problems recorded and addressed.
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The body condition of every horse must be monitored on a regular basis.
6.3 Feed and drinking water provided to the animals must be unspoilt and free from contamination.
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The premises must use clean and dry feed bins that are labelled clearly to show the different feed types.
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Any stored feed must be kept off the floor to prevent dampness.
6.4 Feed and drinking receptacles must be capable of being cleaned and disinfected, or disposable.
6.5 Constant access to fresh, clean drinking water must be provided in a suitable receptacle for the species that requires it.
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Receptacles must be:<br><br>- algae-free<br>- non-porous<br>- cleaned at least once a week<br>- disposed of if damaged
6.5 Constant access to fresh, clean drinking water must be provided in a suitable receptacle for the species that requires it.
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Automatic water bowls or troughs must be routinely cleaned and the supply of water checked.<br><br>In fields, water troughs or buckets must be securely fixed at a convenient height to allow horses of different sizes to drink comfortably. It should not be possible for the trough or bucket to be dislodged and knocked over. Supply should be placed in a location which reduces the risk of the entrapment of a horse.
6.6 Where feed is prepared on the premises, there must be hygienic facilities for its preparation, including a working surface, hot and cold running water and storage.
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Staff must have access to:<br><br>- hot and cold hand washing facilities that are connected to a suitable drainage system<br>- soap<br>- hygienic hand drying facilities
Optional higher standards for diet
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There must be separate well lit, lockable, purpose built feed room with water available and additional storage for supplements.
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There must be a legible and up to date feed chart on display. It must show the correct feeding amounts for individual horses.
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Records must show individual health plans and monitoring of the dietary needs of horses. Monthly body condition scoring must be recorded - if is not optimum, advice must be sought from a vet or expert equine nutritionist. This advice must be documented.
7.0 Monitoring of behaviour and training of animals
7.1 Active and effective environmental enrichment must be provided to the animals in inside and any outside environments.
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Exercise or field time is part of enrichment. Keeping horses permanently stabled or without exercise must be avoided. If it is necessary for veterinary purposes, then thought must be given to enrichment in the form of feeding mechanisms and grooming.
7.3 The animals’ behaviour and any changes of behaviour must be monitored. Advice must be sought, as appropriate and without delay, from a vet or, in the case of fish, any person competent to give such advice if adverse or abnormal behaviour is detected.
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The behaviour of individual horses must be monitored daily. Any changes in behaviours that suggest stress, fear, pain or anxiety must be recorded and acted upon.
Required higher standards for monitoring horses’ behaviour and training
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All horses must have a structured management and care programme to include their exercise needs. It should include suitable alternatives for those not able to exercise, such as extra grooming or physiotherapy.
8.0 Animal handling and interactions
8.3 The animals must have at least daily opportunities to interact with people where such interaction benefits their welfare.
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Horses must be interacting with people each day through grooming and exercise.<br><br>If kept at pasture all year, they may not have interaction for daily grooming but will need interaction for health and injury checks.
9.0 & 6.0 Protection from Pain, Suffering, Injury and Disease
9.3 Appropriate isolation, in separate self-contained facilities, must be available for the care of sick, injured or potentially infectious animals.
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There must be adequate isolation facilities for animals with infectious diseases. This may be on-site or at another location, such as a local veterinary practice.
9.5 All excreta and soiled bedding for disposal must be stored and disposed of in a hygienic manner and in accordance with any relevant legislation.
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There should ideally be a muck heap located at least 10 metres away from any stables. It must be removed from the site at regular intervals.<br><br>Siting and storage of any muck heap must:<br><br>follow environmental legislation<br>avoid contamination of waterways
9.8 The licence holder must register with a vet with an appropriate level of experience in the health and welfare requirements of any animals specified in the licence and the contact details of that person must be readily available to all staff on the premises used for the licensable activity.
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The vet’s details must be displayed where they can be easily seen by all staff members. This must the include thier name, address, telephone number and out of hours number
9.9 Prescribed medicines must be stored safely and securely to safeguard against unauthorised access, at the correct temperature, and used in accordance with the instructions of the vet.
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Is medication kept in a lockable container?
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Any medication given must be prescribed or recommended for the individual horse by a vet. It must be recorded in each instance.
9.11 Cleaning products must be suitable, safe and effective against pathogens that pose a risk to the animals. They must be used, stored and disposed of in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and used in a way which prevents distress or suffering of the animals.
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Cleaning and disinfection products must be used in line with the manufacturer’s instructions. What disinfectant is used?
6.3 A daily record of the workload of each horse must be maintained and available for inspection at any reasonable time.
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The record will set out hours of work that each horse has carried out and must be maintained over the course of that year.
6.5 Any horse found on inspection to be in need of veterinary attention must not be returned to work until the licence holder has, at the licence holder’s expense, obtained from and lodged with the local authority a veterinary certificate which confirms that the horse is fit for work.
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This may include the horse being lame, underweight, overweight or with any back or teeth problems affected by riding.
6.6 Each horse’s hooves should be trimmed as often as is necessary to maintain the health, good shape and soundness of its feet and its shoes should be properly fitted and in good condition.
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If shod, their shoes must be properly fitted by a registered farrier. The frequency of trimming and shoeing for each horse must be recorded and available for inspection.
6.7 An area suitable for the inspection of horses by a vet must be provided.
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This must be a semi-dark stable to inspect eye and heart function. It must have a level firm surfaced trotting up area which allows the vet to examine the horse and observe any signs of lameness.
Required higher standards for protecting horses from pain, suffering and disease
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Each horse will have its own specific care plan detailing their age and any health related conditions.
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Records must show individual monitoring and training plans for horses with training needs to improve their use within a riding school. This must be accompanied with evidence of regular and effective checks with the saddler for comfort and fit.
10.0 Emergencies
10.1 A written emergency plan, acceptable to the local authority, must be in place, known and available to all the people on the premises used for the licensable activity, and followed where necessary to ensure appropriate steps are taken to protect all the people and animals on the premises in case of fire or in case of breakdowns for essential heating, ventilation and aeration or filtration systems or other emergencies.
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Entrances and fire exits must be clear of obstructions at all times.
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Suitable firefighting, prevention and detection equipment must be provided and maintained in good working order.
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Emergency drills must be practiced regularly. These practices must be recorded with any failings noted and addressed in the procedures. Drills must be carried out at least annually, or as determined by fire risk assessments.
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There must be a portable human first aid kit available for use off-property, if relevant.
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The licence holder must display a list of people that are qualified in first aid.
Optional higher standard for emergencies
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A competent person must be on site at all times.
Part B - 3.0 Supervision
3.3 The following must be clearly and prominently displayed at the premises:
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(a) the full name, postal address (including postcode) and telephone number of the licence holder or other person with management responsibilities in respect of the activity
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(b) instructions as to the action to be taken in the event of a fire or other emergency.
7.0 Equipment
7.1 All equipment provided to clients must be in good and safe condition and available for inspection at any reasonable time.
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Riding hats must meet current safety standards and be worn at all times when mounted on a horse. Hats must be stored, clean and fit for purpose with clearly documented records of regular safety checks.
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Saddlery and associated equipment must be in a good state of repair and checked for safety.
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Rider registration forms must be completed and kept up to date. They must include emergency contact details and client health conditions
Required higher standards for equipment
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Initial assessments must be carried out for new riders. The details of the assessment must be recorded.
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A documented risk assessment must be available for all equipment.
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Examples include:
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- horse clippers
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- horse walker
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- yard blowers
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- arena levelling equipment
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- any extra therapy based machines or equipment
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A documented risk assessment must be available for activities, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needs. It must include the need for PPE for different tasks and situations.
Additional Comments
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