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When a horse dies: a checklist

A short list of what needs doing, in order, with the government's own words for the rules. Add the date and it counts out the passport deadline. Print it if that helps.

Make the checklist

Your checklist

  1. Decide what happens to the body. Burial on your own land, collection, or cremation. GOV.UK: "In England, you're allowed to bury horses whether they are pets or not." (Checked against Defra on GOV.UK on 30 October 2026.)
  2. If you are burying in England. "If you want to bury a larger pet animal such as a pet horse, follow the minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements." "For these larger pet burials, contact your local council's animal health office." "Your local council may ask for a map marking the burial place or they may have other requirements." (Checked against the Environment Agency on 30 October 2026.)
  3. If you want it collected. GOV.UK: "You can also use NFSCo to collect your horse." "Contact NFSCo on: 01335 320014." (Checked against Defra on GOV.UK on 30 October 2026.) Your vet or yard may already use a knacker, hunt kennel or crematorium.
A grey and a chestnut horse grooming each other's withers in a field.
If a field-mate is left behind, keep an eye on them too.
  1. Return the passport within 30 days. GOV.UK: "Within 30 days of the horse's death, return its passport to the PIO that issued it." "They will update their records and invalidate or destroy the passport." "If the passport has been invalidated you may be able to get it sent back to you." (Checked against GOV.UK on 30 October 2026.)
  2. Photograph the passport first. The pages you want to keep, such as the markings and the vaccination record, before you post it.
  3. Tell the people who need to know. Your insurer if the horse was insured, the yard or livery, your farrier, and the owner if the horse was on loan.
  4. Cancel what is booked. Farrier and dentist visits, feed deliveries and anything paid ahead.
  5. Keep the papers together. The vet's notes, the collection or cremation receipt and your passport photos.

Prints on one A4 sheet with tick boxes and room for notes, and a line that should measure 50 mm so you can check the printer kept the size. We don't save what you type. Northern Ireland has its own rules, which this list does not cover.

A headcollar hanging on the gatepost of an empty paddock at dusk.
One thing at a time. The list will keep.
Two older horses in light turnout rugs standing together by a field gate in winter sun.

What the list covers

The first days after losing a horse are hard, and there are a few things the law asks of you in them. This list puts them in one place: what happens to the body, the passport, and the people to tell.

The rules on it are quoted from GOV.UK's horse passport page and Defra's fallen stock guidance, and the burial guidance for England, Wales and Scotland. We check those pages every night. If one changes, the list says that rule is being re-checked, not quoting old words as if they were current.

An elderly bay horse with grey hairs around the eyes and muzzle grazing in a buttercup field in evening light.
The list is there so you don't have to hold it all in your head.

The passport date

GOV.UK says: "Within 30 days of the horse's death, return its passport to the PIO that issued it." The PIO is the organisation named inside the passport. Put in the date your horse died and the list counts 30 days on for you. Counting from the day after is our reading; if the date is tight, send it sooner.

More on this in what happens to the passport, and on burial and collection in what to do when a horse dies.

Written by Craig Fearn, Stable & Hoof. Last updated .

Questions, answered

How long do I have to return a horse passport?
GOV.UK says within 30 days of the horse's death, to the organisation that issued it.
Can I bury my horse at home?
GOV.UK says that in England you're allowed to bury horses whether they are pets or not, and in Scotland and Wales only pet horses can be buried. Each nation has its own conditions, which the checklist quotes.
Does it cover Northern Ireland?
Not yet. Northern Ireland has its own rules, and this list only quotes the guidance for England, Wales and Scotland.