The Farm Animal Welfare Council has said owners should be proactive in seeking to dispose of a horse before its welfare is compromised.
This would include the option of humane disposal where the horse cannot be sold or transferred to another responsible owner.
The Council, which advises the Minister for Agriculture, said owners should consider these solutions when they can no longer adequately provide for a horse, or where the animal can no longer fulfil the purpose for which it was bred.
The Council warned owners that if a horse is not registered it could lead to a significant cost to the owner in the future.
Disposal options for undocumented horses, it said, are limited and expensive.
The Council also said that where a horse is being sold, the seller must do his or her utmost to ensure that the person buying the horse has the capacity to take care of the animal and meet all its health and welfare needs.
The seller, it said, bears a responsibility to ensure that the welfare of the horse will not be compromised in the future.
The Welfare Council hopes its advice will help prevent the emergence of long-term and severe animal welfare problems.
