In addition to identifying the horse, the passport contains information that seeks to prevent horses that are treated with certain veterinary medicines from entering the human food chain. The information recorded on the horse passport will also be recorded on a United Kingdom (UK) Central Equine Database (CED). This includes the requirement for horses to have a passport and for horses born after 2009, to have a transponder (microchip) implanted. The purpose of the Equine Identification Regulations (NI) 2019 is to improve the system of identifying horses and other equines. All horses and other equidae in Northern Ireland (NI) need to have a horse passport to identify them.
