This month the topic will be travel requirements for equine traveling within the United States (interstate travel), and the information will be very general. However, many different scenarios can arise due to disease outbreaks and quarantines, so always check with your USDA-accredited veterinarian or with the animal health department in the states where you will be traveling.
Many states require a current Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a health certificate, for travel within and into their state. They are generally good for 30 days and require a negative Coggins test (for Equine Infectious Anemia) within the last 12 months.
An EECVI Extended Equine Veterinary Certificate of Inspection functions the same as a regular heath certificate but allows horse owners to move for up to six months. There are three forms of official ID accepted for an EECVI, and each state has its own rules for what forms are accepted: current EIA test (photo Coggins or EIA test accession number), Lifetime brand inspection, Microchip. Not all states participate in the program at this time.
More information can be found at aphis.usda.gov and the global vet link website.
Do you have a vet question? Please email it to trailjournal@htcaa.org