I see the Department of Agriculture is asking horse owners for their opinion on how to improve traceability of our four-legged friends.

It’s seeking opinions on penalties for late registration of horses.

The options presented range from a ban on competition entries, to being made ineligible for Department grants and even an immediate €250 fine.

The options seem to be all stick and no carrot, despite the penchant of said animals for carrots.

The Dealer suggests that one way to improve traceability of horses would be to cut the cost of such paperwork.

It costs from €25 to €74 to change ownership of a horse, depending on the passport organisation.

The equivalent cost for change of ownership of a bullock is just €22.