Blaby District Council

Licence - riding establishment

Summary

Licence - riding
establishment Stables, which hire out horses or ponies for riding or instruction, must be licensed under the Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970.

Further information

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must be over 18 years of age. In England and Wales they must have not been disqualified:

from keeping a riding establishment
from keeping a pet shop under the Pet Animals Act 1951
from having custody of animals under the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954
from keeping boarding establishments for animals under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963
under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 from keeping or owning animals, being able to influence how animals are kept, dealing animals or transporting or being involved in the transporting of animals
from owning, keeping dealing or transporting animals under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006

Complete the application form below. The cost of an annual licence is £100.00;
Before granting any licence the local authority is required to consider an inspection report of the premises produced by a veterinary surgeon. The cost of this inspection will be recharged to the applicant (variable price).

Regulation summary

A summary of the eligibility criteria for this licence (external link)

Application evaluation process

Before deciding an application the local authority must consider a report from a veterinary surgeon or practitioner detailing whether the premises are suitable for a riding establishment and detailing the conditions of the premises and any horses.

The local authority will also take into account whether the applicant is suitable and qualified to hold a licence. They must also be satisfied of the following:

that consideration will be given to the condition of the horses and that they will be maintained in good health, kept physically fit and where the horse is to be ridden or used during riding instruction, be suitable for that purpose
that the animals feet will be trimmed properly and that shoes are fitted properly and are in good condition
that there will be suitable accommodation for the horses
that for horses maintained on grass there is suitable pasture, shelter and water and that supplementary feed will be provided as and when needed
that horses will be provided with suitable food, drink and bedding materials and will be exercised, groomed, rested and visited at suitable intervals
that precautions will be taken to reduce the spread of contagious or infectious diseases and that veterinary first aid equipment and medicines will be provided and maintained
that appropriate procedures are in place to protect and remove the horses in the case of a fire and that as part of this the name, address and telephone number of the licence holder is displayed outside the premises and fire instructions are displayed
that storage facilities for forage, bedding, stable equipment and saddlery are provided

In addition to any other conditions a riding establishment licence must be subject to the following conditions:

that any horse inspected by an authorised officer and found to need veterinary attention will not be returned to work until the licence holder has obtained a veterinary certificate confirming the horse is fit for work
that a horse will not be let out for hire or for use in instruction without the supervision of a responsible person aged 16 years or older, unless the licence holder is satisfied the rider doesn't require supervision
that the business will not be left in the charge of someone under 16 years of age
that the licence holder holds indemnity insurance
that the licence holder keeps a register of all horses in their possession that are three years old or younger and that the register is available for inspection at all reasonable times

Will tacit consent apply?

Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from the local authority by the end of the target completion period

No. It is in the public interest that the authority must process your application before it can be granted.

Apply online (external links)

Failed application redress

In the first instance please contact the Dog Warden Service (contact details below).

You have the right to appeal to the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Appeals must be lodged within 14 days of the refusal.

Licence holder redress

In the first instance please contact the Dog Warden Service (contact details below).

You have the right to appeal to the Secretary of State.

Appeals must be lodged within 14 days of the refusal.

Complaints

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked contact your local authority on the details below. Or, If you are located in the UK, Consumer Direct (external link) will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre (external link).

Related pages on this website

Public register

Trade Associations

External websites

Contact us

Officer / Team	Dog Warden Service
Postal address	Blaby District Council Council Offices Desford Road Narborough Leicester LE19 2EP
E-mail address	environmental.health@blaby.gov.uk
Telephone	0116 272 7555
Fax	0116 272 7594

If you need this information in other languages or formats (large print, Braille or audio), please let us know when you contact us.

This page was last updated on 28th October 2010

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