NEW EUROPEAN LEGISLATION AFFECTING REGISTRATIONS AND PASSPORTS FOR OLDER PONIES

All applications for foal registration and for passports for older ponies must be microchipped and the microchip bar code label MUST be affixed to the registration form above the breeder / inspector’s signature. If the microchip bar code label is not affixed to the application, it will be returned to the breeder. Completion of the outline diagram and markings is still required.

Unfortunately, funding for the subsidised provision of microchips is no longer granted to the Society by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. In order to assist breeders, Council has agreed with immediate effect to standardise fees for all registrations including colts and fillies, pure bred, part bred and Appendix ponies at £20. 

RULES FOR THE LICENSING AND REGISTRATION OF BREEDING STALLIONS WITH THE HIGHLAND PONY SOCIETY 

1  SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

Those submitting stallion licence applications agree to respect the decisions of Council.

2  GRANTING OF LICENCES

The issue or refusal of licences for Highland Pony breeding purposes rests with the  Council of the Highland Pony Society. 

3  STALLION LICENSING COMMITTEE

In relation to the licensing of stallions, the Breeding Committee of The Highland Pony Society will act as the Stallion Licensing Committee. A quorum of this Committee will consist of a minimum of three. The Council of The Highland Pony Society is responsible for the conduct of all matters pertaining to licensing procedures and will seek independent veterinary advice if the need arises. 

4  VETERINARY INSPECTION

Before the issue of a licence a veterinary surgeon will examine the stallion to ensure that it is free from disease and hereditary defects and also shows no serious conformational faults. At the same time the veterinary surgeon will complete a full description of the stallion. Note: The Highland Pony Society will not accept for registration as stallions, animals with white markings; other than a small white star (no larger than 65mm in diameter) or white soles (hoof walls must have no white). Horn coloured hoof walls, associated with appropriate coat colour, are acceptable. White markings caused by injury or freeze branding will not debar from registration. The maximum height for Highland ponies is 148cms (14.2hh). 

5  APPLICATION AND FEES (see table after item 13)

Owners of prospective breeding stallions aged two years and over will apply to the Secretary of the Highland Pony Society for application forms, and the Society’s guidelines to owners. The completed application form must be returned to the Secretary with the appropriate fee, the passport and registration certificate and two coloured photographs, – one side view of the whole pony and one of the face with forelock pulled back. The applicant will be liable for the veterinary inspection fee. 

6  APPOINTMENT OF THE EXAMINING VETERINARY SURGEONOn the application form, the owner will notify the Highland Pony Society of the name and address of the veterinary surgeon who they wish to nominate to carry out the required examination. The veterinary surgeon must be actively engaged in an acceptable amount of equine practice and must not be employed by the veterinary practice usually engaged by the owner of the stallion. Where this is not possible, the matter will be referred to the Stallion Licensing Committee. 

7  ARRANGEMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT VETERINARY EXAMINATION

The Secretary of the Highland Pony Society will send the appropriate forms together with the guidance notes to the owner’s nominated veterinary surgeon. If he/she accepts, the veterinary surgeon will arrange to carry out the required examination. Owner and veterinary surgeon will arrange a mutually suitable time and venue for the examination. Completed forms must be returned to the Society within one calendar month of their receipt by the veterinary surgeon. If it is necessary to postpone the examination for any reason, the Secretary should be informed in order that alternative arrangements can be made.  

8  FAILURE TO COMPLETE A VETERINARY EXAMINATION

Circumstances may arise whereby the veterinary surgeon may be unable to complete the examination at the place or time appointed. Further advice is contained in the guidance notes for both owners and veterinary surgeon. 

9  LICENCE AND REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS

Licences will be issued as soon as possible after inspection, but it is the responsibility of owners applying for a licence to allow sufficient time for the inspection and paper work to be completed. No colt/stallion may be used prior to a licence being issued. Progeny whose date of birth is within 10 months of the date of the sire’s licence being issued by the Society will be “X” registered. If a licence is granted, £250 of the initial application fee (£400) will be returned.  

10  REFUSAL OF LICENCES

The owner of any animal which is refused a licence on veterinary or any other grounds will be entitled to a written report from the Highland Pony Society. NOTE: On refusal, provided a veterinary certificate of castration together with registration papers for amendment are received by the Society within three months of the notice of refusal from the Highland Pony Society, the Highland Pony Society will pay a special gelding grant of £325. If the castration certificate and transfer to gelding papers are not received by the due date and no appeal has been lodged, the pony will be placed permanently on the X register. 

11  DEFERRAL

The granting of a licence may be deferred for up to 12 months, rather than refused, for colts with one or more minor abnormalities which may resolve. After 12 months, or earlier if the owner considers the colt ready, a second inspection will be carried out, with no additional fee to the Society. The same veterinary surgeon or a veterinary surgeon from the same practice as was used for the initial examination should be used. The owner will be responsible for any additional veterinary fee. 

12  WITHDRAWAL

If an owner elects to withdraw a colt/stallion from the licensing procedure before the veterinary inspection has been completed, the Society will retain £50 to cover administrative expenses. The owner may reapply. 

13  APPEALS

If a licence is refused, the owner of the colt/stallion concerned will be entitled to a further inspection of the animal by the Society’s appointed examiners. The Society may also require the animal to be examined by an independent veterinary expert. The venue for any further inspection will be agreed between the Society and the owner. Expense incurred will be the responsibility of the owner of the animal. The appeal must be lodged within one month of the owner being advised that the animal has been refused a licence, and must be accompanied by the appeal fee which will be the same as the licence fee. If the appeal is successful, the appeal fee will be returned together with £250 of the original fee. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the owner will be entitled to receive a written report from the Society and must provide a veterinary certificate of castration to be received by the Society within three months of the notice of the unsuccessful appeal from the Society. Once confirmation of gelding has been received, £325 of the original fee will be refunded but there will be no refund of the appeal fee. If the animal is not gelded after an unsuccessful appeal, no refund of the original application fee or the appeal fee will be made and the animal will be placed on the X register. 

STALLION LICENSING TABLE OF FEES

Fee	Result	Appeal Fee	Refund	Total Cost
£400	Pass		£250	£150
£400	Fail – gelded		£325	£75
£400	Fail – not gelded		£0	£400
£400	Appeal - Pass	£400	£250	£550
£400	Appeal - Fail – gelded	£400	£325	£475
£400	Appeal - Fail – not gelded	£400	£0	£800

LICENSING AND REGISTRATION OF HIGHLAND PONY STALLIONS FOR BREEDING PURPOSES with effect from 1 January 2010

 Notes for Guidance for OWNERS

1.   Arrangements for ApplicationRules concerning the Administration of the licensing and registration of Highland Pony Stallions for breeding purposes are available from the Secretary or can be obtained from the Society’s website www.highlandponysociety.com. Note: Owners may be required by the Highland Pony Society to have their stallion measured under the Joint Measurement Scheme, at their own expense. 

2.   Appointment and Payment

2.1 Colts/stallions must be microchipped before applying for licensing.

2.2 Prior to submission of their application form to the Secretary, owners are advised to make preliminary contact with their nominated veterinary surgeon (not employed by the veterinary practice usually engaged for their equine work) in an effort to ensure that he/she is willing to undertake the inspection and to obtain a quote for conducting the examination. 

3.   Preparation for Inspection

3.1 Colts/stallions must be presented CLEAN, WELL-HANDLED and UNSHOD. No oiling of hooves or any other improvement or concealment will be accepted. The hooves must be prepared and if necessary trimmed (but not excessively).

3.2 The colt/stallion must be suitably bitted, schooled to walk and trot in hand and must be accustomed to be ‘set-back’ in reverse strides when required. The animal must be able to be exercised in such a way that deep and rapid respirations are stimulated.

3.3 A suitable handler must be available.

3.4 The colt/stallion must be housed for a period of at least two hours before the time of the examination.3.5 Suitable facilities must be available, including a darkened box or other similar accommodation and a level surface for both examination and measurement purposes. 

4.   Failure to Complete the Examination

4.1 Applicants are advised that a veterinary surgeon will not attempt to examine an animal that is unmanageable or is not presented in a satisfactory manner, nor will he do so if the facilities are unsuitable or suitable assistance is not provided.

4.2 The situation may arise where the veterinary surgeon is unable to complete the examination for reasons of illness or unsoundness likely to be of a temporary nature.

4.3 When either 4.1 or 4.2 arise, costs of the visit will be the direct responsibility of the owner. The circumstances will be notified to the Highland Pony Society and the veterinary surgeon.

4.4 In cases where any dispute arises, the owner and veterinary surgeon shall present their case in writing to the Secretary within 10 working days of the examination date. The matter will be referred to the Stallion Licensing Committee whose decision will be given within one calendar month of receipt of the correspondence.

4.5 When appropriate, eg unsoundness likely to be of a temporary nature, arrangements can be made to carry out an examination at a future date. The same veterinary surgeon may undertake the examination.

4.6 A further examination, eg radiographs may be required. These will be carried out at the owner’s expense if he or she wishes to continue.

4.7 Withdrawal must be made in writing to the Secretary. 

5.   DNA TestingAt the time of the examination, a hair sample will be taken by the veterinary surgeon for DNA testing and forwarded to the Animal Health Trust. A parentage test against the sire will be undertaken where possible. Any charge involved for the collection of the sample must be met by the owner. The Animal Health Trust’s fee for identifying the DNA profile of the pony will be borne by the Highland Pony Society.  

LICENSING AND REGISTRATION OF HIGHLAND PONY STALLIONS FOR BREEDING PURPOSES with effect from 1 January 2010 

VETERINARY SURGEONSNotes for Guidance to Examining

1.   Appointment of the Examining Veterinary SurgeonOwners of potential breeding stallions will apply for licensing and registration of eligible animals. At the same time, they will notify the Secretary of the Highland Pony Society of the name and address of the veterinary surgeon whom they wish to carry out the required veterinary examination. The necessary forms and information will be forwarded by the Highland Pony Society to the veterinary surgeon. The veterinary surgeon must be engaged actively in an acceptable amount of equine practice and must not be an employee of the veterinary practice usually used by the owner of the stallion. When this is not possible, the matter will be referred to the Stallion Licensing Committee. If he/she wishes to undertake the examination, the veterinary surgeon will contact the owner and arrange a mutually convenient date and time of examination. 

2.   Payment of the Examining Veterinary Surgeon.The veterinary surgeon will be paid by the owner of the stallion. 

3.   Failure to Complete the Examination.

3.1 On arrival at the premises, the veterinary surgeon may decline to carry out the examination if the stallion is unmanageable or has not been properly prepared for presentation or because a suitable handler is not available or because the facilities provided are inadequate.

3.2 If the veterinary surgeon is unable to complete the examination as a consequence of illness or unsoundness of the stallion which is likely to be of a temporary nature, arrangements may be made to carry out an examination at a future date. The same veterinary surgeon may undertake this examination. Should this situation arise, the cost of the additional visit will be the direct responsibility of the stallion owner. The circumstances will be notified to the Highland Pony Society by the veterinary surgeon.

3.3 In cases where any dispute arises, the owner and veterinary surgeon shall each put their case, separately in writing, to the Secretary within 10 working days of the incomplete examination. The matter will be referred to the Society’s Stallion Licensing Committee whose decision will be given within one calendar month of receipt of correspondence. 

4.   Reporting of Results

4.1 The final decision concerning the issue of a licence is the responsibility of the Highland Pony Society.

4.2 A report of the veterinary examination will be sent by the Veterinary Surgeon directly to the Highland Pony Society.

4.3 If further examinations, eg radiographs are required, these will be carried out at the owner’s expense if he wishes to continue.

4.4 Withdrawal must be made in writing to the Society.

4.5 Please note the rules provide for an appeals procedure. 

5    Veterinary Standards for the Examination of Highland Pony Stallions for Licensing and Registration.

Description:

Identity - the owner must be asked to verify the identity of the pony.

Markings - must be noted in accordance with the publication entitled “Colours and Markings of Horses” available from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Whorls - all whorls must be recorded.

Colour - additional guidance on colours of Highland Ponies is enclosed.

Age - must be determined by inspection of the teeth and noted.

Microchip - the colt/stallion must be scanned and the microchip number recorded at the time of examination.

Other identification - eg freeze brand markings must be noted.

Height -The approximate height of the animal, when standing on a level surface, must be obtained by means of a measuring stick.

Note: The height for Highland ponies should not exceed 14.2hh (148cms). Owners may be required by the Highland Pony Society, or may request to have their stallion measured under the Joint Measurement Scheme at their own expense. 

6    Conformation on Veterinary Grounds

All deviations from usual conformation must be noted and described in detail. If necessary, use a scale of 1 – 5 where 1 is the least obvious. 

Head:Mouth - malformation of the teeth and jaws, eg parrot mouth must be noted. Parrot mouth is defined as the condition in which there is no occlusal contact between upper and lower central incisors. Any degree of malocclusion must be noted and described.

Eyes - Cataract must be noted. Maldevelopment of lense, iris and retina must be noted. 

Limbs: The presence of such conformation features as narrow feet, flat soles, pigeon toes and vice versa, cow and sickle hocks, disparity in the size of feet, angular limb deformities, including ‘back at the knee’ etc must be noted. Any disparity in size of feet, ringbone, sidebone, spavin, bog spavin, thoroughpin or navicular disease must be noted. Allowance will be made when the cause is an obvious injury. Stringhalt, shivering, wobbler, patellar luxation or upward fixation, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) must be noted. 

Body: Any hernia (umbilical, inguinal or scrotal) must be noted. Contagious or infectious skin conditions must be noted.

Genitalia: The testicles must be fully descended into the scrotum and of normal consistency and should be of normal and equal size. 

Action: Action at walk and trot must be examined and any abnormality noted. 

Laryngeal Paralysis: The animal must be exercised in such a way that deep and rapid respirations are stimulated. Any signs of roaring or whistling must be noted. 

Additional Notes: The checklist on the veterinary examination form should act as a useful aide memoir, but is not intended to be exhaustive.

Please make additional notes of any abnormality, giving a detailed description. It may be very useful for future reference to have access to all recorded inspection notes and comments. Please forward all notes and comments, no matter how trivial they may seem. 

DNA Testing: At the time of the examination, a hair sample must be taken for DNA testing and forwarded, in the envelope provided, to the Animal Health Trust. Any charge involved for the collection of the sample must be made to the owner. The Animal Health Trust’s fee for identifying the DNA profile of the pony will be borne by the Highland Pony Society.  

These notes should be read in conjunction with the associated Notes for Guidance to Owners of Stallions.REV  11/2009 

Artificial Insemination