RULES FOR THE LICENSING AND REGISTRATION OF BREEDING STALLIONS WITH THE HIGHLAND PONY SOCIETY
Application Fee: £200
Appeal Fee: £200 in addition to the original licensing application fee. This will be refunded if the appeal is upheld and the stallion licensed.
1. Submission of Applications
Those submitting stallion licence applications agree to respect the decisions of Council.
2. Granting of Licences
The issue or refusal of licences for Highland Pony breeding purposes rests with the Council of the Highland Pony Society.
3. Stallion Licensing Committee
In relation to the licensing of stallions, the Council of The Highland Pony Society will act as the Stallion Licensing Committee. The Council of The Highland Pony Society is responsible for the conduct of all matters pertaining to licensing procedures and will seek independent veterinary advice if the need arises.
4. Veterinary Inspection
Before the issue of a licence a veterinary surgeon will examine the stallion to ensure that it is free from disease and hereditary defects and also shows no serious conformational faults. At the same time the veterinary surgeon will complete a full description of the stallion.
Note: The Highland Pony Society will not accept for registration as stallions, animals with white markings: a small white star (no larger than 25mm in diameter) is allowed. Hoof walls must have no white but white soles are acceptable. Horn coloured hoof walls, associated with appropriate coat colour, are acceptable. White markings caused by injury or freeze branding will not debar from registration. The maximum height for Highland ponies is 148cms (14.2hh).
5. Application and Fees
Owners of prospective breeding stallions aged two years and over will apply to the Secretary of the Highland Pony Society for application forms, and the Society’s guidelines to owners. If a colt is on loan, the owner should apply for the licence and the papers will be in their name. The completed application form must be returned to the Secretary with the appropriate fee, the passport and registration certificate and four coloured photographs all taken with the pony standing square on a flat, level surface; one side view of the whole pony, one front view of the whole pony, one of the face with forelock pulled back and one close up from the side showing occlusal contact of the teeth. Before applying, owners should check the occlusal contact of teeth to ensure they are not over or under shot. The applicant will be liable for the veterinary inspection fee.
6. Appointment of the Examining Veterinary Surgeon
On the application form, the owner will notify the Highland Pony Society of the name and address of the veterinary surgeon they wish to nominate to carry out the required examination. The veterinary surgeon must be engaged in a majority of equine work, have been qualified for at least two years and not work in the veterinary practice usually engaged by the owner or keeper of the stallion. Where this is not possible, the matter will be referred to the Council of the Highland Pony Society.
7. Arrangements for Carrying Out Veterinary Examination
The Secretary of the Highland Pony Society will send the appropriate forms together with the guidance notes to the owner’s nominated veterinary surgeon. If he/she accepts, the veterinary surgeon will arrange to carry out the required examination. The owner and veterinary surgeon will arrange a mutually suitable time and venue for the examination. Completed forms must be returned to the Society within one calendar month of their receipt by the veterinary surgeon. If it is necessary to postpone the examination for any reason, the Secretary should be informed in order that alternative arrangements can be made.
8. Failure to Complete a Veterinary Examination
Circumstances may arise whereby the veterinary surgeon may be unable to complete the examination at the place or time appointed. Further advice is contained in the guidance notes for both owners and veterinary surgeon.
9. Licence and Registration Documents
Licences will be issued as soon as possible after inspection, but it is the responsibility of owners applying for a licence to allow sufficient time for the inspection and paperwork to be completed. No colt/stallion may be used prior to a licence being issued. Progeny whose date of birth is within 10 months of the date of the sire’s licence being issued by the Society will be eligible for registration on the A Appendix.
10. Refusal of Licences
The owner of any animal which is refused a licence on veterinary or any other grounds will be entitled to a written report from the Highland Pony Society. Any progeny sired by an unlicensed colt, cannot be accepted into the full register but will be considered for Appendix A registration.
11. Deferral
The granting of a licence may be deferred for up to 12 months, rather than refused, for colts with one or more minor abnormalities which may resolve. After 12 months, or earlier if the owner considers the colt ready, a second inspection will be carried out, with no additional fee to the Society. The same veterinary surgeon, or a veterinary surgeon from the same practice as was used for the initial examination, should be used. The owner will be responsible for any additional veterinary fee.
12. Withdrawal
If an owner elects to withdraw a colt/stallion from the licensing procedure before veterinary examination papers have been sent to the vet, the application fee will be refunded. The owner may submit a new application at a later date. If the stallion is withdrawn during the examination process, there will be no refund.
13. Appeals
If a licence is refused, on payment of the Appeal Fee, the owner of the colt/stallion concerned will be entitled to a further inspection of the animal by the Society’s appointed examiners. The Society may also require the animal to be examined by an independent veterinary expert. Expense incurred will be the responsibility of the owner of the animal.
The appeal must be lodged within one month of the owner being advised that the animal has been refused a licence. If the appeal is successful, the appeal fee will be returned. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the owner will be entitled to receive a written report from the Society.