The European Union (EU) has decided that all equids within the EU require an equine passport. Germany has incorporated this decision into national legislation („Viehverkehrsverordnung“ - Cattle Movement Ordinance). Therefore, your horse, pony, or donkey must also have a passport.
Equidae identified/registered from 1 July 2009 must receive active identification in the form of a microchip/transponder. Equidae already possessing a valid passport only need to be microchipped retrospectively if they are to be registered as a competition horse (LPO).
Application for an Equine Passport / Registration as a Competition Horse
For all ridden and driven equines that do not yet have an equine passport, the documentation, including microchip details, can be ordered from the German Equestrian Federation (FN). In addition, the FN is the issuing body for all equines in North Rhine-Westphalia that do not yet have a passport. If you have a foal bred in Germany, the breeding association where the mare is registered is responsible for issuing the passport. If you own a horse/pony with German lineage papers/birth certificate and it is not registered as a competition horse with the FN, please contact the breeding association that issued the papers.
In addition, the horse owner must apply for a keeper/establishment number. In NRW, for example, you can get this from www.tierseuchenkasse.nrw.de
You will find the vaccination regulations for tournament horses Hi!.
Transponder / Microchip
An authorised veterinarian inserts the microchip, completes the application documents for the horse passport and the marking diagram, and confirms it with their signature. The fully completed application documents, including the marking diagram, must be returned to the FN. After the data has been processed, a passport will be created and sent to you.
Required entries in the horse passport
Within the horse passport, the freeze brand diagram must be completed and signed by the veterinarian. Likewise, each passport must contain a so-called medication annex, which clearly declares the horse as either a horse intended for slaughter or not intended for slaughter. The official signature of the veterinarian, as well as that of the owner, is necessary.
Furthermore, the owner's signature is required on page 9 of the horse's passport.
Special provisions for ponies
For ponies intended to participate in performance tests, the same rules apply as for horses. However, § 16.5 of the LPO must also be taken into account: A measurement certificate from the responsible regional commission (LK) is required for the registration of competition ponies and their participation in pony performance tests. For G-ponies with a height of 1.42 metres and above at the initial measurement, an up-to-date measurement certificate from the LK must be submitted to the FN every year until the age of seven, when applying for the renewal. In cases of doubt, a re-measurement may be carried out – regardless of the pony's age, but no more than once a year upon request from the responsible LK or the FN – by an FEI veterinarian commissioned by the FN. The regulations for pony competitions are the responsibility of the regional commissions.
Source: “fn-press”
