The MP said: “I have been contacted by a number of pony club representatives and equine enthusiasts expressing their concerns and disappointment at the closure of the scheme.

“DEFRA’s decision to pull funding and the closure of MAS on 30^th June 2025, has left young people and their parents saddled with absorbing the costs associated with obtaining Export Health Certificates for horses and ponies returning to Northern Ireland, following exhibition or competition at events in GB.

“It’s ludicrous! These ponies and horses originated in Northern Ireland and are simply returning home after a couple of days away on the show circuit.

“This is yet another example of EU red tape enforced by the UK government. The Windsor Framework is an economic noose, felt on a daily basis by local businesses and consumers, and now its impacting kids and young people who want to compete on the national equestrian stage.”

MAS was introduced in January 2021 to provide financial support for traders and individuals who had to comply with post Brexit bureaucracy. The scheme covered certain inspection and certification costs associated with the movement of agri-food goods, plants and animals, including horses from GB to NI.

DUP Westminster Agriculture spokesperson Carla Lockhart has written to DEFRA outlining her frustration at the closure of the scheme.

Ms Lockhart said: “NI has numerous highly skilled young riders who excel at various levels in equestrian sport throughout the UK and Ireland. It’s very unfair that many are now missing out due to the costly administrative burden of vet checks and paperwork, simply to comply with a nonsensical EU box ticking exercise.

“Prior to the end of June 2025, ponies and horses moving from GB to NI received an Export Health Certificate (EHC) and the UK government reimbursed the vet for the costs under the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS). The scheme was initially introduced to ensure unfettered access and minimise the impact of NI Protocol/Windsor Framework SPS requirements.

“Baroness Hayman, DEFRA Minister for Animal Welfare and Biosecurity, formally replied to my letter, but while she confirmed that financial assistance for the movement of horses and ponies is no longer available, she offered nothing resembling a solution.

“It was a response in name only, no commitment to review the decision, no suggestion of an interim measure, not even the faintest indication that the scheme might be restored in the interim as we await the so-called ‘big reset’. In short, acknowledgement without action.”

The MP concluded: “This is unacceptable. As I outlined recently, Northern Ireland’s economic future is in the balance. The UK government cannot continue to appease the EU by delivering its cumbersome and unworkable rules. It’s time to recognise and admit the failures of the Windsor Framework.

“The challenges are far-reaching across numerous sectors of our economy. Common sense must prevail and the Windsor Framework must be scraped to reinstate free trade between GB and NI.”