Riding Establishment Licences
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Stables that hire out horses or ponies for riding or instruction must be licensed under the Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970.
Terms
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 from us.
When an application is received, an officer from the Animal Control Service and an approved veterinary practitioner will inspect the proposed premises and provide us with a report. The Animal Control Service will contact the vet on your behalf and the vet will contact you direct to arrange a mutually convenient time for an inspection to be carried out.
Costs
The fee for a new application is currently £205 and is payable on application (vets fees are additional to this amount and are payable directly to the vet).
Licences are renewable annually and must be renewed in good time before the licence expires if the premises are to continue as a riding establishment.
The fee to renew a licence is £179 (plus vets fees). Your licence will automatically be renewed subject to a satisfactory inspection report and there being no issues with the premises.
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
Conditions will be attached to a licence to. These conditions can be downloaded at the bottom of the page.
Regulation Summary
Application Evaluation Process
Before deciding an application the local authority 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.
The local authority will also take into account whether the applicant is suitable and qualified to hold a licence. They must also be satisfied of the following:
- 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
- that the animals feet will be trimmed properly and that shoes are fitted properly and are in good condition
- that there will be suitable accommodation for the horses
- that for horses maintained on grass there is suitable pasture, shelter and water and that supplementary feed will be provided as and when needed
- that horses will be provided with suitable food, drink and bedding materials and will be exercised, groomed, rested and visited at suitable intervals
- that 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
- that 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
- that 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
How we will Notify You
Your application will not be automatically granted as it is in the public interest that your application is processed before it can be granted to ensure the health and wellbeing of animals and public policy.
If you have not heard from us within 14 days of your inspection, please contact us.
Timescales
It is advisable to submit your application to us as soon as possible as your application could take up to two months to be administered.
Once your application is submitted, a copy is sent to the Animal Control and Enforcement Section who will contact you to arrange to inspect your premises. They will also contact a vet to notify them of your application and the vet will contact you to arrange a mutually convenient time for them to inspect the premises.
During busy times, for example at the end of the year when there are a large number of renewals of licences, it is not guaranteed that an appointment will be made straight away.
Therefore, the earlier your application is submitted, the more likely you are to have your licence issued for when your premises opens or when your previous licence expires.
If no problems are identified following the inspection of your premises, we will endeavor to grant your licence within 14 days.
Making an Application
You can contact us for an application pack, or you may print an application form and other documents from the downloadable documents at the bottom of the page and send them to us through the post or bring them to our reception at the Town Hall.
Payment can be made by cheque (made payable to Sheffield City Council) through the post and cash and cheques are accepted if you bring it to our reception.
For details of our postal address, how to find our reception and reception opening times please contact us.
Appeals
If your application is not successful and you wish to appeal, please contact us in the first instance.
Any applicant who is refused a licence can appeal to the local Magistrates' court.
Any licence holder who wishes to appeal against a condition attached to their licence can appeal to their local Magistrates' court.
Complaints and Feedback
We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, Consumer Direct will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.
If you have any issues about such things as noise, pollution, etc, or should one licence holder wish to complain about another, please contact us in the first instance.
Useful Links
Downloads
Application form for a riding establishment (60 KB)