Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir said the mandatory registration of equine establishments in Northern Ireland is an important move towards improving traceability and welfare standards.
Owners and operators of establishments keeping equines – including horses, ponies, donkeys, and zebras – must register their establishment with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to obtain an Equine Establishment Number (EEN) before February 1, 2026.
The legal requirement was introduced under the EU Animal Health Law and is one of a number of measures aimed at helping to improve equine identification and traceability within the sector.
Equine traceability
From February 1, 2026, all passport issuing organisations (PIOs) authorised by DAERA will require a valid EEN to be provided when an application is made for a passport, a passport update (such as change of ownership), or a duplicate or replacement passport in the event of lost, stolen or damaged passports.
The department said that keepers may be unable to buy, sell, move or export an equine without a valid, up-to-date passport.
Minister Muir said that this is “an essential first step towards introducing a robust equine traceability system in Northern Ireland”.
“It is essential that we all work together to protect our equine animals and support the industry at all levels in Northern Ireland.
“Those of us who care about our equine companions want to do the right thing and protect them from exploitation and harm.
“This is the first of a number of equine traceability measures which I plan to implement under Animal Health Law in the time ahead,” he said.
DAERA noted that it is the responsibility of the owner/operator of the establishment to register whether or not they are the owner of the equines kept there.
Anyone keeping an equine at livery or at an establishment which they do not operate themselves will not need to register.
Owners should be certain that the establishment where they keep their equine is registered and will need to provide the EEN of that establishment when applying for a horse passport or applying to update a horse passport.
