Three month licence granted for Highlands Unbridled

Members of The Highland Council’s Licensing Committee have refused a licence application by Highlands Unbridled, Fendom, Tain to carry out long distance trail riding. 

Members agreed to grant a 3 month provisional license to Highlands Unbridled to carry out local trekking, hacking and lessons operating from their Northwilds Riding Centre only, subject to specific veterinary conditions.

The vet’s recommended conditions are:

• Ongoing training programme for staff and adequate staff numbers to provide cover when staff are absent for any reason.
• Adequate ratio of suitably qualified ride leaders on hacks or treks.
• Risk assessments of business operations.
• All treks to start and finish from North Wilds.
• Limitation on the number of horses to 32 - to be adhered to at all times.
• Engagement of a professional saddler with at least once yearly saddle inspections for all animals, and a written audit of the tack.
• Repair of horses Louie and Saffy’s saddles, to be checked by the saddler, before they can be used.
• Repair of the fence in stable yard to ensure posts are properly secured in the ground.
• Proprietor’s postcode on the sign at the main road entrance.
• Fencing off the telegraph pole in the field newly rented at the entrance and ensuring the responsible utility are aware of the damaged wire.
• Any new arrivals must be isolated for 3 weeks and checked for their suitability by the yard’s own vet - this put in writing to the Council. This includes any animal not inspected on 11/11/16 owing to it’s being away at a winter grazing/with its owner.

Members also granted the Council’s Environmental Health Team delegated powers to issue the licence subject to final conditions (to be worded by Environmental Health) for the 3 month period from 1 Jan to end March 2017.

Due to the pre-election period in the run up to Local Government Elections in May 2017, Members granted additional delegated powers to the Council’s Environmental Health Team to review the licence and if appropriate to extend it for a another 3 months. 

The Council’s specialist vet will carry out additional inspections during the provisional licence periods.