Apply for a hiring of horses licence

Overview

If you have a business that hires out horses for riding or riding instruction you must apply for a licence.

You need to complete this form if you would like to operate a business that hires out horses, including:

riding schools
pony and donkey rides
hunter hirelings
polo instruction
pony parties (where ponies are ridden)

You do not need a licence if:

ponies are never ridden (these may require an exhibition licence instead)
the activity is for military or police purposes
horses are used solely for university veterinary instruction
you lend horses occasionally without intent to profit

Multiple locations

Any activities relating to the same business that operate at different locations will require individual licences. If you already have a licence and you want to start an activity at an additional location from that stated on your existing licence, a new premises application and full fee must be submitted.

Restrictions

You will not get a licence if you’ve committed animal welfare offences or if you have been banned from:

hiring out horses
selling pets
boarding cats or dogs
breeding dogs
keeping or training animals for exhibition

You may not get a licence if you’ve committed other offences.

Fees

Type of licence	Administration and inspection fee	Licence fee	Total fee
Hiring of horses	£450	£55.50	£505.50 plus vet fees
Minor variation e.g. amend animals on licence	£25 per animal up to a maximum of 5 animals	N/A	£25 per animal up to a maximum of 5 animals
Substantial variation e.g. significant licence change	£170	N/A	£170
Re-assessment of star rating	£81.50 per hour	N/A	£81.50 per hour

Vet fees are payable by the applicant and recharged post inspection to the applicant by the council. A licence will not be granted until fees are paid in full. If no licence is granted only the licence fee will be refunded.

Where two activities are undertaken, fees payable will be the highest total fee plus 50% of any subsequent activity. This does not apply where the activity is a zoo or dangerous wild animal application.

How we assess your application

Conditions

We will inspect your premises before giving you a licence. We may carry out additional inspections any time after it’s granted.

You must prove that you can meet the licence conditions. These include:

providing suitable stabling, food, and exercise
monitoring horses for signs of distress or illness
keeping detailed records of horse identity, microchip numbers, and vet checks
ensuring staff are competent and trained
maintaining emergency plans and insurance

You’ll also need to:

display the licence number in any advertising
display the licence clearly on the premises and on any website used for your business

Star Rating System

The star rating shows how well a business meets animal welfare standards and how reliably it’s run. A higher rating (up to 5 stars) means better welfare and lower risk, and it allows for a longer licence period.

After inspection, your business will be awarded a star rating from 1 to 5, based on:

welfare standards (minimum or higher)
risk assessment (low or high risk)

Higher ratings (4 or 5 stars) mean:

you meet all required and at least 50% of optional higher standards
you qualify for a longer licence (up to 3 years)
you may benefit from fewer inspections

Lower ratings (1 or 2 stars) may result from minor failings or being a new applicant with no compliance history.

Appealing your rating

If you're unhappy with your rating, you can appeal. Start by contacting the inspecting officer to see if the matter can be resolved informally. If you're still unhappy with the outcome, you can send a formal appeal by email to Environmental Health. You must do this within 21 days of getting your licence. Your appeal will be looked at by someone who wasn’t involved in your original inspection or rating.

Requesting a re-assessment

If you've made improvements and want a new rating, you can ask for a re-inspection. Just email Environmental Health and include:

what changes you’ve made
any evidence to support your request

There’s a fee for this service, and the re-inspection should happen within 3 months. Keep in mind that your new rating could be higher or lower.

Apply now

Before you start your application

You should read the:

Begin your application

You will need the following to complete this application:

a plan of the premises
a copy of your insurance policy
operating procedures
risk assessments
infection control procedures
relevant qualifications
training records
all documents relating to 9.1 of the conditions
emergencies as per 10.1 of the conditions

You will need to register for an account on our licencing website before you can apply.

Register now

If you already have an account, you can login and apply.

Login and apply now

After you've applied

Once you have submitted your application:

we will review your documents
we will contact you to discuss your application and arrange an inspection including a vets inspection
if your application is approved, your licence and star rating will be issued and a paper copy will be sent to you
your licence must be displayed publicly and on any website used for your business