Control of horses
Under the Control of Horses Act 1996 a horse may be seized and impounded if it is
- A stray horse, or
- Causing a nuisance, or
- Not under adequate control, or
- Posing a danger to persons or property, or
- Posing a threat to the health and welfare of persons or other animals, or
- Being kept in a control area, without a horse licence in respect of it entitling the horse to be kept in that area, or
- Not identifiable or capable of identification as may be required by Section 28, or
- In or being kept or ridden or driven in an area contrary to any bye-laws made under section 47
Once horses are impounded, a notice will be posted onto Laois.ie and a public notice placed at reception at County Hall.
Control of horses bye-laws
Horse reclaim conditions
In order to reclaim a seized horses, you must have
- an animal passport
- an equine registration number of the land the horses will be kept on
- and all fees must be paid
Horse passport
EU legislation dictates that all horse owners must be in possession of a horse passport to identify themselves as the owner of the animal and to have a detailed description of the animal, including the microchip number. Details of approved passport issuing bodies can be obtained from the Department of Agriculture Website
Further information
For more information phone the environment section at 057 866 4000 or email environmentadmin@laoiscoco.ie