International movement of sport horses
Discussions at the International Equine Federation (FEI) Sports Forum have surrounded improving the travel process for frequently flying horses.
The issue of international movement of sport horses was addressed by the FEI, World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) and the European Commission at the forum.
To begin, delegates watched a video that focused on the rapid growth of equestrian sport recently and the progress being made to regulate the horses' movement.
The socio-economic effects of the sport's growth was also highlighted, to encourage government authorities to make recommended changes in order to sustain it.
"Our sport is opening up to new athletes and mass audiences like never before, and with this expansion comes jobs and revenue across continents," said FEI's veterinary director, Graeme Cooke. "In order to maintain this, competition horses need to be moved across many borders more easily.
"We are working closely with the OIE and governments to establish a commonly-recognised biosecurity approach to these high-health, high-performance horses."
Susanne Münstermann of the OIE added that because many competition horses are now frequent flyers, the organisation is working with FEI to establish a global protocol for their movement.
This would involve temporarily categorising them separately from other horses and animals to streamline their temporary importation.
“We are also proposing a unique system of identification for these horses that governments can trust - a system that clearly shows they are dealing with a lower risk competition horse,” she explained.
The next FEI Sports Forum will take place on April 8 and 9.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
