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Riding establishment licence

Licences for riding establishments

If you provide riding lessons or hire out horses for payment, you will require a licence under the Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970 which you should obtain from the Local Authority in which your riding establishment is based.

The licence costs £73.70 plus vetinerary fees per year. You will also have to pay additional costs for a vet to come out and inspect your premises.

In order to be granted the licence, you must follow a set of conditions that relate to accommodation facilities, management of the premises and disease prevention and control. However, please be aware that the Local Authority can impose additional conditions for individual premises where appropriate. The vet and an Officer from the Local Authority will inspect your premises to establish if you are following these requirements.

Riding Establishments Act 1964

Horse includes any variation e.g. mare, gelding, pony, foal, colt, filly, stallion ass, mule or jennet.

In determining the licence, the following should be taken into account:-

  • Adequacy of accommodation for horses;
  • adequate pasture and shelter for horses kept on grass; and
  • Adequate food, water and bedding
  • Sufficient exercise, rest and regular visiting by staff to check on condition
  • Adequate precautions being taken to prevent the spread of disease
  • Suitable fire precautions in place.

In addition, no person may ride a horse under three years of age or one which is heavily pregnant or has given birth in the last three months.

No one under the age of 16 years shall be left in day to day charge of a stable.

The licence holder must show proof of personal injury insurance indemnifying him/her against personal lifting claims from customers.

Suitable storage facilities must be provided for all equipment used by customers.

Officers need to be satisfied before issuing the licence (which runs for 12 months from January 1 st) that the applicant is suitable through experience or qualification to hold such a licence.

Before issuing a licence, the Local Authority must receive and consider a vets report on the establishment.

If any of the above points are not in place to the satisfaction of the Officer, they may issue a provisional licence for 3 months, which may be extended for one further period of 3 months to give the applicant time to improve any areas of deficiency.

Perhaps more so than with other animal licences, and because the public interact with the animals so closely, it is important that health and safety issues are addressed by the licence holder relating to the customers competence with the animal, animal/customer suitability and protective clothing and in particular head gear. The Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Act 1990 requires a person under 14 years of age to wear (BSI) approved headgear when riding on a road.

How do I apply for the licence

Download Riding Establishment licence application form (PDF 26KB - new window)

The conditions of the licence can also be found on the form. You should return the form, together with your remittance for the licence, made payable to Walsall MBC to:

Contact us

Public Protection Services
Environmental Health Division
Challenge Building
Hatherton Road
Walsall
WS1 1DJ

Telephone 01922 652210
Fax 01922 630697
Email publichealthteam@walsall.gov.uk


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