Horse welfare regulation in the UK spans multiple pieces of legislation and is administered by multiple agencies, creating a complex landscape with some significant enforcement gaps.
The complexity of horse welfare regulation means that enforcement is inconsistent and some horses in poor welfare situations do not receive timely intervention. Microchipping and passport requirements improve traceability but implementation and enforcement vary. Abandoned and fly-grazing horses face welfare harm that existing legislation struggles to address quickly. Strengthening enforcement capacity and closing legislative gaps would improve outcomes for the most vulnerable horses.