Horse riding establishment licence

To run a riding establishment (where horses or ponies are hired out for riding or used for riding instruction) in England, Scotland or Wales, you need a licence.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must be over 18 years of age. In England and Wales they must have not been disqualified:

from keeping a riding establishment
from keeping a pet shop under the Pet Animals Act 1951
from having custody of animals under the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954
from keeping boarding establishments for animals under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963
under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 from keeping or owning animals, being able to influence how animals are kept, dealing animals or transporting or being involved in the transporting of animals
from owning, keeping dealing or transporting animals under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006

Fees

Click here for a full list of licence fees

How to apply

You can now apply online.

Tell us about a change

Privacy notice - Applications for licences/registrations issued in relation to the keeping of animals (PDF)

Application evaluation process

Before deciding an application the we must consider a report from a veterinary surgeon or practitioner detailing whether the premises are suitable for a riding establishment and detailing the conditions of the premises and any horses.

We will also take into account whether the applicant is suitable and qualified to hold a licence. We must also be satisfied that

consideration will be given to the condition of the horses and that they will be maintained in good health, kept physically fit and where the horse is to be ridden or used during riding instruction, be suitable for that purpose
the animals feet will be trimmed properly and that shoes are fitted properly and are in good condition
there will be suitable accommodation for the horses
for horses maintained on grass there is suitable pasture, shelter and water and that supplementary feed will be provided as and when needed
horses will be provided with suitable food, drink and bedding materials and will be exercised, groomed, rested and visited at suitable intervals
precautions will be taken to reduce the spread of contagious or infectious diseases and that veterinary first aid equipment and medicines will be provided and maintained
appropriate procedures are in place to protect and remove the horses in the case of a fire and that as part of this the name, address and telephone number of the licence holder is displayed outside the premises and fire instructions are displayed
storage facilities for forage, bedding, stable equipment and saddlery are provided

In addition to any other conditions a riding establishment licence must be subject to the following conditions:

that any horse inspected by an authorised officer and found to need veterinary attention will not be returned to work until the licence holder has obtained a veterinary certificate confirming the horse is fit for work
that a horse will not be let out for hire or for use in instruction without the supervision of a responsible person aged 16 years or older, unless the licence holder is satisfied the rider doesn't require supervision
that the business will not be left in the charge of someone under 16 years of age
that the licence holder holds indemnity insurance
that the licence holder keeps a register of all horses in their possession that are three years old or younger and that the register is available for inspection at all reasonable times

Tacit consent

If you have not heard from us within 28 days you can act as though your application has been granted. The start period runs from receipt of all documentation and payment of relevant fee.

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