Introduction
You must have a licence if you keep horses and hire them out for riding.
We suggest you read the riding establishment licences conditions and guidance and visit the British Veterinary Association website before applying for a licence. You should also read Guidance Notes for Hiring out Horses.
You must be aged over 18 can apply for a riding establishment licence. You must not be disqualified from keeping a riding establishment or from keeping or having custody of animals.
A veterinary inspector on the current RCVS/BVA Inspectorate will also need to visit your premises and carry out and inspection. They will need to complete the veterinary inspector report form.
Full information about the rating system can be found in DEFRA’s Procedural Guidance for Local Authorities.
Report unlicensed hiring out of horses
If you know or suspect someone is hiring out horses without a licence, you can report it to us by using our contact us page.
We will investigate reports to check if the premises has a licence.
Apply for a licence
To apply for this licence please complete the hiring out horses application form by clicking the button below:
Fees and Charges
To apply for an Animal Licence, you must first pay the Application Fee. Once the licence is approved, you will also be required to pay for the number of years the licence is issued for.
Current fees and charges can be found on our Fees and charges page.
Register of licensed animal businesses
- View documents of licensed animal businesses in the South Somerset area.
- View the List of licensed Animal Businesses (PDF 144KB) within the Somerset West and Taunton area.
- Visit Licensing Register to see a list of registered animal businesses in the Sedgemoor area.