Travel Documents—Don't Leave Home Without Them!

Chelsie Hollan, DVM

It’s that time of year when many of us are gearing up our horses for the upcoming show season. We’re scheduling away dates, and giving our trucks, trailers, and equipment spring checkups. It’s also time to get up-to-date on horse travel documents if you are planning to travel to another state or Canada.

A veterinary health certificate or equine passport, Coggins test, and brand inspection are required official documents you will need to take your horse out of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, or most any state.

Often we neglect to plan far enough ahead to secure this necessary paperwork. It’s very stressful for you and your veterinarian if you wait until the last minute. Getting blood drawn for your horse for an “emergency” Coggins causes unwanted pressure, extra fees, and sometimes delays travel by days. Without required records, horse owners, as well as transporters, can be given expensive fines and penalties. In extreme cases, some states quarantine the horse at the owner’s expense, and this action may jeopardize your veterinarian’s accreditation.

Now, let’s get an update on what all this paperwork is about and when it’s needed!

The CVI Health Certificate

A health certificate, officially known as a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), is an official document that states an animal or group of animals is apparently healthy and has shown no signs of contagious, infectious, and/or communicable diseases on the date the inspection took place. The CVI must be performed by a licensed, accredited veterinarian, and is only good for 30 days from the date of inspection. The CVI requires certain information such as a description of the horse(s), where the horse is currently stabled, destination of the horse, shipper information, current negative Coggins, the signature of veterinarian who performed the exam, and owner/agent information. A CVI can be written on the spot; however, a current Coggins report is needed to complete the paperwork.

CVIs are used to protect the animal being shipped (to decrease the risk of sick or unhealthy animals traveling), as well as prevent other animals and humans from being exposed to potentially harmful diseases. In an event of a disease outbreak, state veterinarians and investigators use CVIs to track the source of disease and identify potentially exposed animals and humans. In recent years, CVIs have become increasingly important since horses are more readily moving about the country. Currently all states require a CVI to cross their border.

Many states have special agreements between them. For instance, Washington, Oregon and Idaho allow horses to travel across each other’s borders without documents if owners are personally transporting their horse(s) on round-trip visits of not more than four days for purposes other than breeding.

In addition, there may be special restrictions to entering certain states depending on why the horse is being shipped, the geographical area, and current disease outbreaks. Always check with your vet well in advance of your travel plans for state-by-state restrictions or special testing requirements.

A state may also require a permit number upon entry. There are only a few states that require this, including Oregon, Montana, and Alaska. It is usually up to the veterinarian to perform this piece of the process. When a CVI is written, the veterinarian needs to call the state to be visited and obtain a permit number before the health certificate is issued. The permit number allows a state to track the entering animals.

To travel to Canada, an international health certificate is required. It is similar to a CVI, however, it takes several days to get the document back as it has to be endorsed by a federal medical officer. If you are stopped and do not have the proper paperwork, your horse will not be able to travel into Canada. Most often the whole trailer is turned around even if only one horse does not have the proper documentation.

Canada has many different restrictions that change frequently. It is important to consult with your veterinarian and start the paperwork process at least 2-3 weeks prior to travel.

The Equine Passport

In certain regions of the country, states share an agreement to allow equine interstate travel with a horse health passport (Six-Month Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and Interstate Movement Permit). This form requires an inspection by a licensed, accredited veterinarian and a current negative Coggins, similar to the CVI. What makes it different is that it is good for 6 months by the states that recognize it. States that share this reciprocal agreement include Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, California, and Nevada. If your horse travels extensively through these states, the passport would be a reasonable option to decrease costs of CVIs and vet trips.

The Coggins Report

Most horse owners are familiar with having their horse’s blood drawn for a Coggins. However, do you know what it is and why the test is performed? The Coggins test (named after the veterinarian who developed it) is a blood test that detects Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) antibodies in infected horses. EIA is a viral blood-borne disease most often transmitted by biting flies and insects. The disease is infectious to horses if bitten by an infected insect, and it is incurable. It can cause death, but horses that survive become a reservoir for the disease and have the potential to transmit it to other horses.

The procedure for obtaining a Coggins report starts with a blood draw from the horse. At that time, the veterinarian also fills out an official Coggins report that has a description of the horse, the owner’s information, and the veterinarian’s information and signature. The blood and form are sent to a certified laboratory where the test is performed. It takes 48 hours to get the results back. There is a test available where results are ready in 12 hours, but not all states accept this test, and it costs more.

If there is a negative result (most cases), the lab assigns an accession number and sends the paperwork back to the veterinarian, who then gives a copy to the owner or shipper. If there is a positive result, the state and federal veterinarians are informed. Subsequently, there are two options available to the horse owner: Either immediate euthanasia or lifetime quarantine. Quarantine involves identifying the horse as a ‘reactor’ with a brand (chemical, hot, or freeze) and isolating the horse several hundred yards away from other horses (depending on state laws). It is often too difficult to maintain the state quarantine and owners elect for euthanasia.

Due to extensive testing and eradication, it is rare to get a positive test. There are regions on the East Coast, however, where there is a higher incidence of positive test results.

There are no state laws that require a Coggins test. But, to get a CVI, your horse will need a current negative Coggins report. It depends on the state, but the definition of a current test is within 6-12 months. Washington, Montana, and Idaho require a test within 12 months, and Oregon and California only accept tests within 6 months.

The Brand Inspection

Another piece of paperwork your horse may need before traveling between states is a brand inspection to identify ownership of stock. Only a certified brand inspector is qualified to perform this inspection. Some veterinarians are brand inspectors, or you can call one of the state’s certified brand inspectors. Again you’ll want to have this in hand well in advance of travel.

A brand inspection is the equivalent of a title for a car. There are three types of brand inspections: One-way, annual, and lifetime.

• A one-way inspection may be used if a horse is leaving the state and not returning. Also, it should be used for change of ownership.
• An annual inspection is good for one year and is used when horses are making round-trip visits out of state.
• A lifetime (horse identification certificate) is a good option for an owner who plans to own the horse for an extensive period of time.

Washington and Idaho require a brand inspection for out-of-state movement and with change of ownership. California and Oregon do not require a brand inspection for horses, but the laws do still apply to cattle. Brand inspections were developed to provide asset protection for the livestock industry. Branding is a very old technique used to identify ownership of livestock that may roam large unfenced areas. Also, it identifies animals that may have gotten mixed up with other animals of different ownership. Although in today’s world horses are not commonly branded for ownership purposes, it is still a requirement to have a brand inspection.

So Let’s Review

All states require a certificate of veterinary inspection upon entry, but short stay (less than 4 days) travel between Idaho, Oregon and Washington by private owners (except for breeding) are exempt. To obtain a CVI, you must get a current negative Coggins report. So get the Coggins done first.

Washington requires a brand inspection to leave the state, and Oregon does not. Both states require a CVI or passport to enter their state. However, resident horses in either of these states are exempt.

If your horse will be traveling out of state for more than 30 days you may need to get an additional health certificate (from the state you are visiting) before returning.

And lastly, other states require a permit number to enter their state. Your veterinarian is your best bet in helping you sort out all the requirements needed for your horse to travel legally to specific states and across international borders. Now that you have the required paper in hand, you and your horse are free to move about the country!

About the Author: A graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University, Dr. Chelsie Hollan was honored on the Dean’s list for her outstanding academic achievements and leadership skills. Dr. Hollan also received commendation for her work in the fields of reproduction and lameness. Prior to joining Evergreen Equine Veterinary Practice in 2009, she served at Rocky Bay Equine and interned with Pilchuck Hospital.

Dr. Hollan is an associate at Evergreen Equine Veterinary Practice in Snohomish, WA. On the web at EvergreenEquineVet.com and on Facebook.