A recent British study has shown that 60 percent of boarding barn owners would support licensing of boarding establishments. Currently there are no regulations on boarding barns.
The study, completed by SEIB Insurance Brokers Ltd and LiveryList, received feedback from 420 respondents, all of whom owned boarding facilities. The majority felt that licensing would encourage more responsible barn ownership.
While the licensing criteria are not finalized, equine welfare and competence are expected to be key components. Nearly 75 percent of the respondents believe that the licensing should be applicable to both long- and short-term boarding situations. They also felt that the basis for licensing should come from understanding the equine industry and its needs, and that licensing should be designed to support boarding barn owners.
Specific items mentioned by those who responded were the creation of minimum welfare standards and minimum insurance requirements, as well as experience qualifications.
Concerns mentioned included the possible additional cost and paperwork involved in licensing; the fear was that either of these might become so onerous as to make turning a profit as a boarding business unattainable.
Boarding barn licensing is in the works in Scotland, with proposals for registration in the UK on the horizon.
Read more at HorseTalk.
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