Licensing of activities involving animals

I have worked in the equine industry for several years and have a degree in equine management, and I have seen many livery yards during this time that do not meet all the horses' needs, and some that are keeping horses in downright dangerous conditions. I hope that regulations will also protect staff who are often exploited and taken advantage of in this industry, especially so-called "working students" who often work long and hard hours for below minimum wage.

Usually the smallest yards have the most problems, however this is not always the case as many well-known and well respected businesses often try to cut corners behind closed doors.

Inspectors need to have incredibly good understanding of equine welfare and behaviour in order to properly assess the conditions of the yard, and there are unfortunately few people with this level of understanding that are not otherwise occupied in other career. I.e. there may be issues attracting qualified people to this job role.

There has been a great deal more research into animal behaviour over the last few years and as an industry professional I do believe it is time to update the protections we give to our animals.

Many people working in the animal care industry can be slow to respond to change, and may even be unaware of such changes, so a big, comprehensive push would be needed in order to ensure that all involved understand the changes.

As a professional within the equestrian industry, I have long felt that current legislation is outdated, as the vast majority of equine research has occurred within the past 20 years. Many riding establishments operate under outdated principles based on tradition rather than research.

As someone who has worked with equines with trauma, I do believe more needs to be done to protect animals that are interacting with members of the public that may not have any understanding of animal behaviour. Many people exploit their animals for profit, and with the rising costs of living, this will only get worse.

I think that having yearly assessments is beneficial to ensure that high standards are maintained, and such inspections should be random as I have seen many yard owners and managers put in massive efforts to clean up and rearrange yards in order to pass inspections. Having random inspection would ensure that the inspector would be seeing a true representation of the business.

When the welfare of animals is involved, there is no limit to the protection we should ensure them.

The industry can be very slow to change, and often resistant to changes, so great care would need to be taken to ensure a smooth and receptive transition to any changes.

More restrictions on the selling of horses, even between non-professionals. I recently purchased 2 ponies who arrived in very poor condition, one of whom nearly did not survive the first week, and have been completely unable to get any of my money back. Restrictions and protections when selling horses would protect the sellers and new owners.