Horse Breeding Act, 1934

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Minister may order castration of certain stallions.

23.—(1) Where the Minister refuses an application for a licence or a permit under this Act or revokes or suspends a licence or permit granted under this Act, or is of opinion that a stallion to which this Act applies is not suitable for breeding purposes the Minister may serve on the owner, reputed owner, or other person keeping or having possession of the stallion the subject of such application, licence, permit, or opinion a notice in the prescribed form requiring such person within the time (not being less than fourteen days) specified in such notice to have such stallion castrated.

(2) In the event of a notice served under the foregoing sub-section of this section not being complied with within the time limited therein, the Minister may cause the stallion the subject of such notice to be castrated at the expense of the owner of such stallion, and for that purpose any person authorised in that behalf by the Minister may enter any land or premises in which such stallion is or is reasonably believed to be, and the cost of such castration shall be paid by the owner of such stallion to the Minister on demand and may be recovered by the Minister from such owner as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(3) Any person who obstructs or impedes the Minister or any person duly authorised by him in the exercise of any of the powers conferred by this section shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding ten pounds.

(4) The exercise by the Minister of the powers conferred on him by this section shall not relieve any person from any penalty which he may have incurred under any other section of this Act.

(5) Where the owner of a stallion is not known, a notice under this section in relation to that stallion may be addressed to “the owner of a stallion” without naming him, and in any case a notice under this section may be served by delivering it to the person to whom it is addressed, or by delivering it to a person over sixteen years of age on the land or premises on which the stallion to which it relates is then kept, or by sending it by post to the person to whom it is addressed at his last known place of abode or the place at which the stallion to which it relates was last known to be kept.