Originally from: mona parr
                        
Hi Frances
If having horse passports does cut down on theft, does stop stolen horses being slaughtered, does stop people being 'conned' about the age of a horse then I have no problem with it BUT the crooks will find ways round it and I still dont see how travellers will be persuaded to buy them---a Gypsy Cob registration has been set up.
 As you say DEFRA will know where the horses are when the database is set up, it can only be a matter of time for some dreaded disease to be imported. The EHV outbreak this spring caused chaos at a number of yards but prompted little reaction from DEFRA.
Horse theft is huge this year with 9 donkeys and one pony stolen in the last week, double last years numbers now. Most of those stolen are described as friendly and trusting.
2 of the above donkeys had foals which were not stolen. Is this the thieves getting in before the passports???
I cant see it working when so many organisations are selling them--there is huge confusion in the horse world even those who own horses say they only know about it because they read Horse Forums on the net and often do not know which to choose.
Mona