No license required for owning a horse in Ireland

No license required for owning a horse in Ireland

What on earth are the lawmakers in Ireland thinking? You need a license to own a TV, a Dog license, a car, motorbike, vehicle licenses but you don't need a license to own a horse in Ireland. This is an absolute disgrace. We have underprivileged areas in Ireland littered with horses. In most cases these horses are malnourished, badly treated and emaciated.

It does not make an ounce of sense for a 15 year old boy going to Smithfield in Dublin and purchasing any horse they have the money for. No real legislation involved at all. Most of these horses end up being left tied up, hungry, emaciated and left living a horrible life. People, including lawmakers should finally put an end to this un-managed area of society. They say that you need a license to have a horse in a controlled area. But are all those areas of the side of the road beside halting sites "controlled areas" and do these people have licenses for the horses. I see horses on the side of roads all the time, surely the police see the same animals and don't seem to be taking the animals away from the people who leave them there.

The argument

The argument the other side is that its part of Irish peoples heritage is to have the right to own a horse. Yes, that's OK in a civilization that doesn't have cars. We have to move with the times. Its not right to keep a horse in conditions like the above. Its time to change the laws to be modern in line with everything else.

What should happen now:

Completely overhaul the situation. Enforce licensing. Every horse must have a minimum area of open grassland to stay in. Access to food and water 24 hours. Access to a stable. Proper horse experts should have a roll in ruling the requirements for "owning" a horse. All horses kept in conditions other than aid out in the licensing should automatically be taken into the care of people who can actually look after them.