Riding establishments licence
Licences to keep a riding establishment are issued under the
Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970.
A Riding Establishment is "the carrying on of a business of
keeping horses to let them out for hire for riding or riding
instruction". Licences are renewable annually. The council will
arrange for the inspection of horses and premises by a veterinary
surgeon to ensure the welfare of the animals and that the
accommodation is suitable. The licence will be issued subject to
compliance with licence conditions and payment of the licence
fee.
In addition the following conditions are required by the Act,
whether specified in the licence or not:
- a horse found on inspection of the premises by an authorised
officer to be in need of veterinary attention shall not be returned
to work until the holder of the licence has obtained at his own
expense and has lodged with the local authority a veterinary
certificate that the horse is fit for work;
- no horse will be let out on hire for riding or used for
providing instruction in riding without supervision by a
responsible person of the age of 16 years or over unless (in the
case of a horse let out for hire for riding) the holder of the
licence is satisfied that the hirer of the horse is competent to
ride without supervision;
- the carrying on of the business of a riding establishment shall
at no time be left in the charge of any person under 16 years of
age;
- the licence holder shall hold a current insurance policy which
insures him against liability for any injury sustained by those who
hire a horse from him for riding and those who use a horse in the
course of receiving from him, in return for payment, instruction in
riding and arising out of the hire or use of a horse as aforesaid
and which also insures such persons in respect of any liability
which may be incurred by them in respect of injury to any person
caused by, or arising out of, the hire or use of a horse as
aforesaid;
- a register shall be kept by the licence holder of all
horses in his possession aged three years and under and usually
kept on the premises, which shall be available for inspection by an
authorised officer at all reasonable times. (Sec. 1(4a)).
Applying for a licence
To make an application for a licence for a riding establishment,
download an application form:
Application fee
There is an application fee which must be paid at the time an
application is made.
Fee as of 1st April 2011 (including VAT)
| No of horses |
Fee |
| Up to 5 horses |
£153.00 |
| 6-10 horses |
£226.00 |
| 11-15 horses |
£270.00 |
| 16-20 horses |
£329.00 |
| 21 or more horses |
£360.00 |
Further information
For further information on licences for riding establishments,
contact the Environmental Health Team on 01738 476476 or email EnvironmentalHealth@pkc.gov.uk
