cover

Licensed Premises

Trainers must inform the IHRB when changing training quarters, moving horses to a temporary premises or require additional licensed premises. 

Change of Trainers Quarters


The IHRB has defined the following requirements for a licensed Trainer to change their training quarters.

A Stable Inspection will be arranged following receipt of the following items. A fee of covering the cost of the inspection and yard registration must be paid prior to the inspection taking place.

  • A change of training quarters must be applied for, inspected and approved by the Licensing Committee before any horses returned in training may reside on the premises.
  • Lease completed in full (if applicable) for example typed, fully signed, formal lease agreement between yourself and your landlord signed by both parties including the property information ie folio number, term of lease term. 
  • If sharing a yard with another Licensed Trainer, a confirmation in writing that they have no objection to sharing a yard with you. 
  • Amended insurance confirming that you are covered to train from your new premises
  • Change of Training Quarters requires a letter from your previous landlord confirming that your lease has been cancelled, there are no outstanding rent arrears/unpaid bills and that the yard has been left in a satisfactory condition
  • Equine Premises Number

Each application is subject to a satisfactory inspection and approval by the Licensing Committee.

Shared Licensed Premises


All Licensees must remember that they share premises at their own risk and the IHRB accepts no responsibility for any equine disease outbreaks, contamination of feed, finding of a Prohibited Substance or any other breach of the Rules of Racing in shared premises. The onus is always on the licensee(s) to ensure that all relevant practices and procedures are in place to mitigate against risks.

A maximum of two tenants will be permitted in any shared premises. A licensee must notify the IHRB Licensing Department of any other individual using their licensed premises. Failure to notify may result in the matter being referred to the Licensing Committee.

The following are the criteria for shared licensed premises. Failure to meet these criteria may result in the refusal of permission for the premises to be shared. Failure to maintain compliance with the criteria may result in withdrawal or suspension of the trainer's licence.

All applications are subject to approval by the Licensing Committee.

  • Each trainer must ensure that their yard is a secure, stand-alone premises and is managed and maintained as a separate and self-contained enterprise. The sharing of American barns may be considered where there is demonstrable, identifiable segregation.
  • General suitability of the premises, including security and number of entrances, may feature in the Licensing Committee's decision on receipt of the inspection report. 
  • There should be a clear divide between areas, ideally with solid walls or fencing to divide the yards, but discretion will apply. There should also be suitable signage to indicate the areas allocated to and used by each tenant. 
  • The lease and/or agreement must identify areas shared (for example gallops and schooling facilities). It should also reflect the stabling arrangements, the use of paddocks and all training facilities, as well as any living accommodation and security arrangements. 
  • Each trainer must have separate medicine cabinets that are lockable, with individual separate medicines registers; supplements must also be kept separately by each licensee. 
  • The tack room, feed and forage store may be a shared space.
  • Each trainer should ensure the highest standards of hygiene and biosecurity, with a biosecurity policy in place and displayed. The biosecurity policy may be requested by the IHRB at any time. 
  • Appropriate insurance policies must be furnished. 

The above criteria are subject to stable inspection and applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but the final decision rests with the Licensing Committee

Additional Licensed Premises


The facility to include additional premises on a Trainer’s licence is intended to allow the use of an additional premises as an overflow yard or extra capacity, ancillary to the principal licensed premises and remaining under the full-time care and control of the Trainer. 

The IHRB has defined the following requirements for a licensed trainer to have an additional licensed premises.  

  • The additional premises must be within a reasonable distance of the principal yard, up to 30km radius
  • Insurance policies must cover the additional premises.
  • The additional premises must have an Equine Premises number (EPN) and the formal confirmation of that EPN must be firnished to the IHRB. 
  • Only unrestricted trainers may apply for an additional premises. 
  • All additional premises are subject to an annual licence fee which will be payable when the licence is being renewed 
  • Each application is subject to a satisfactory inspection and approval by the Licensing Committee. The inspection fee must be paid prior to the inspection taking place.
  • An additional premises must be applied for, inspected (at a cost) and approved by the Licensing Committee before any horses returned in training may reside on the premises. 
  • The additional premises shall be used to support the principal premises but not as the main operational premises. Should the proposed additional yard be larger or have more or better facilities, it should become the principal licensed premises. 

Temporary Licensed Premises


In recent years there has been an increase in requests for temporary change of quarters due to the increased farming of rapeseed crops (Oilseed Rape) in Ireland. It is recognised that when these crops flower, the pollen may have an effect on certain horses causing some of them to display signs of irritation within their upper respiratory system.  

The Oilseed Rape crop is usually planted in August/September. The plant starts to flower around mid-April and the flowers will start to wilt and turn to pods around mid-June. The crop is then harvested in August.  


During the months of April to June, when the pollen is active, some horses may show signs of a reaction. In order to accommodate this, the IHRB has established a policy to aid trainers whose horses may be affected during these months.  

When a trainer feels the horses in their care require a temporary change of premises the trainer must follow the below process:

  • Inform the IHRB at the earliest convenience, and provide the required documentation for the proposed new premises, for example lease/agreeent, insurane, areas in use etc
  • Temporary premises shall be subject to an inspection.
  • Temporary premises that will be shared are subject to the same criteria applied in the Shared Premises Policy.
  • Temporary Premises will be permitted for no more than three months during the flowering period of the Oilseed Rape.

Please note that each application is subject to consideration by the Licensing Committee prior to approval, and that all licensed premises, including any temporary premises, are subject to unannounced post-licensing inspections.