Flying Changes: magazine for northwest sporthorse enthusiasts

It is 3 o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. The clinic phone rings. I answer—and on the other end of the line a voice says “I’d like to make an appointment for a Coggins and Health Certificate for my horse.” I respond by asking when the horse is leaving and where he is going. No surprise, the voice informs me that the horse is leaving at 4 a.m. on Thursday morning and is going to California. My mind begins to race as I make the calculation—I have 48 hours to get the appointment on the books, the blood to the lab, results in my hand and paperwork to the client. Better work fast.

This is a common scenario. Many of you travel with your horses—whether it’s to horse shows, camping trips, or simply a trip across state lines to take a riding lesson. And many times you forget about the necessary paperwork until it’s almost too late. Usually we can help, but it’s certainly easier and less stressful for everyone if you plan ahead.

In this article, I’m going to tell you what you need to know to avoid those last minute panics. I’ll outline the basic requirements for horse travel within the Northwest. I’ll even tell you some little known facts and recent changes that have hit the books, and I’ll give you a checklist you can use when preparing to take your horse out of state. Finally I’ll provide you with a handy list of resources you can turn to when you need help. (For the purposes of this article, we’ll consider Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Nevada and Montana as Northwest states, as these are the states most commonly visited by horses from our area.)

General Requirements

When you travel with your horse, there are certain rules you need to follow, and pieces of paperwork you should have in your hands when you try to cross the border. It may sound simple, but it can get complicated—especially if you travel frequently to different places. Each state has its own set of rules. The following outlines the basic requirements for traveling in the Pacific Northwest.

Coggins Testing

What it is: Coggins is the name of the test for Equine Infectious Anemia, also called EIA or “Swamp Fever.” EIA is a viral disease known to occur in all members of the equine species, including horses, donkeys, mules and zebras. There is no vaccination for EIA, no known cure, and it is usually fatal. EIA can present in several different ways—all of a sudden (acute), over an extended period of time (chronic), or without showing symptoms (asymptomatic). If your horse were to be acutely affected, he’d have a fever, lose his appetite and become lethargic. This situation can be difficult to diagnose, as diagnostic tests may not show up positive for over a month.

If your horse were to be what they call chronically infected, he would have recurring signs of the same symptoms as the acutely infected horse, along with weight loss and swelling of the belly and legs. A positive test result will show up when a chronically infected horse is tested.

Lastly, if your horse were to be considered asympatomatic, he would not show any signs of the disease—yet the Coggins test would be positive. These are the horses that routine testing tries to identify—in an effort to control inadvertent spread of this deadly disease.

Who needs it: Any horse traveling across state lines.

Why you need it: To avoid inadvertent spread of this disease by unapparent carriers.

How to get it: Set up an appointment with your veterinarian. She will collect a small blood sample from your horse and send it off to a laboratory where the test will be performed. It takes anywhere from 24 hours to 5 days to receive results after blood has been submitted. The amount of time it takes to get results depends upon the day of the week, the laboratory schedule, and the amount of money you want to spend. There are options for laboratory testing, and some can provide results more quickly. However, it does cost more for faster results—another reason to plan ahead. When the results are complete, your vet will provide you with written results that should travel with your horse.

Although it’s extremely unlikely (our practice has never seen a positive result), if your horse were to test positive for EIA he would be quarantined by the state, and most likely humanely euthanized.

State requirements: All states require a negative Coggins test in order to cross the border. Each state varies in its timing requirement. The majority of Northwest states require horses to test negative within six months prior to travel; Idaho and Montana require a negative test within 12 months.

30-Day Health Certificate

What it is: A health certificate is a document given to you by your veterinarian after she has completed an examination of your horse. This completed certificate is proof that your veterinarian has given your horse a clean bill of health.

Who needs it: Any horse traveling outside of the state in which it resides.

Why you need it: Number one: it is required by law. Number two: it protects your horse and all horses traveling state-to-state against the spread of infectious disease.

How to get it: Set up an appointment with your veterinarian. If you already have a negative Coggins test result valid for the state you intend to visit, your veterinarian can hand you a completed health certificate at the time of your appointment. If you are having the Coggins test run at the same time, you will have to wait for those results before your vet can complete your health certificate.

State requirements: Health certificates are valid for 30 days from the date of inspection for all states.

Six-month Horse Passport

What it is: The passport serves the same purpose as the 30-day health certificate when traveling within the Pacific Northwest. The difference between the passport and the 30-day health certificate is that the passport allows the horse to travel repeatedly within these states for a period of six months without re-inspection. The only thing these states ask in return for the longer period between inspections is that you keep track of your trips on the form provided on the back of the passport and mail it back to the USDA at the end of the six months.

Who needs it: Any horse that is traveling within the participating states multiple times within a six-month period.

Why you need it: Just like for the 30-day health certificate; it is required by law. It also protects your horse and all horses traveling state-to-state against the spread of infectious disease.

How to get it: Set up an appointment with your veterinarian. Just like for the health certificate, if you already have a negative Coggins test valid for the state or states in which you intend to visit, your veterinarian can hand you a completed passport at the time of your appointment. If you are having the Coggins test run at the same time, you will have to wait for the test results before your veterinarian can complete the passport.

State Requirements: Passports are valid for six months from the date of inspection for all of the participating Northwest states.

Brand Inspection

What it is: A brand inspection is an ownership inspection of your horse that helps to prevent loss, theft and illegal butchering. Think of it as your horse’s own personal identification card or driver’s license!

Who needs it: A brand inspection used to be required for every horse to leave its state of origin. However, rules have changed and requirements vary from state to state. See state requirement below to help decide whether your traveling horse needs a brand inspection.

Why you need it: To protect your horse from loss, theft or slaughter. Brand inspectors are present at all auction yards and slaughterhouses—therefore protecting your horse should he become lost on a trail ride or stolen from his stall at a horse show. If something like this happened to your horse and he had a brand inspection, he’d most likely find his way back to you and avoid illegal sale or slaughter.

How to get it: Each state has a number of individuals acting as brand inspectors, usually according to county. Contact your veterinarian or the Department of Agriculture for your state to get the phone number of a brand inspector in your area. (see sidebar for contact info)

State requirements: All Northwest states, with the exception of Oregon, require a brand inspection in order to leave the state. All, including Oregon, will require a brand inspection to enter the state, if a brand inspection was required to leave your state of origin. Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? Don’t worry—we even get confused sometimes. If you have a question about your specific situation, you can refer to the websites listed in the sidebar on this page for details about how these rules affect you.

What happens if you don’t comply?

Your friends have probably told you that they’ve been traveling across state lines without any paperwork for years—and never had a problem. This may be true, and they’ve been lucky. The question is; are you willing to take that risk?

You won’t always get stopped as you cross state lines. Checkpoints, most often set up at weigh stations or ports of entry, are all done on a random basis. If you do get stopped, however, it is your responsibility to have the appropriate documents with your horse. In the Pacific Northwest states report consequences for non-compliance ranging from a warning, fines up to $1000 per horse, or even impounding your horse. Nevada for example gives you only one chance—where they may or may not give you a fine of up to $500 per horse and help you with your paperwork. After that, you will be fined. And if you’re a repeat offender, you’re likely to even have your horse impounded. These are just a couple of examples of why it just may not be worth it to travel without paperwork. You never know when it will be your turn to get stopped, and we have many clients who can relate horror stories!

Road Ready