The UK has just been awarded 'third country' status by the EU as far as all its DEFRA- (Department for Envonment, Food & Rural Affairs) recognized equine studbooks are concerned. This means that all pedigreed horses and ponies with passports issued by UK studbooks will be treated as 'registered' horses and ponies by all EU member states and can, therefore, continue to be exported for both breeding and competition or training purposes in the normal way.

Breeding products (semen, embryos, oozotes, zygoted, etc) from such registered equines are also included in this recognition and can continue to be traded in the normal way, subject to the usual veterinary requirements.