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 Ima Non Controversial Girl
Posts: 4168
  
Location: where the wind blows | Hi everyone. I'm on an info finding mission. I'm in Sask Canada and over the last few years EIA has been on the rise here. At present our Government does not require mandatory testing for horses travelling in Canada. If we travel into the U.S. we need to have a negative coggins test but not in Canada.
A few years back (maybe 10-15) when there was an outbreak many of the equine association required a Neg. Coggins but then things died down and most associations (although I believe most of the English events still require it) got away from asking for a Neg Coggins and now with the recent outbreaks it seems no associations are willing to take the plunge and ask for them again. I've presonally approached a number of the associations I'm involved in and have hit a brick wall.
I've been doing some research (along with another concerned horseman in my area) and one thing that really stands out is that the U.S. has very few positives, anywhere, despite testing 100's of thousands more horses per year than Saskatchewan or even Canada for that matter. I don't know what the actually ratio is but our positives versus the small numbers actually tested is huge compared to the U.S..
Can someone please educate me on the testing protocol for events in the U.S.. Do all states require Negative Coggins tests for horses travelling or congregating at events? What is the protocol in the U.S.? I'm on a fact finding mission.
I'd really like to see Canada as a whole start to require mandatory testing for horses travelling to get this horrid disease under control. It is a reportable disease in Canada so if my horses does test positive I have 2 options. Quarantine for life or Euthanize. If the government Euthanizes the compensation plan as of right now is maximum $2000 per horse. (A pitance) .
If any of you have links to good U.S.D.A. articles or info you could share I'd appreciate that as well.
Thanks
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 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
 
Location: Where I am happiest | You are required to have negative coggins and recient health to travel. Most states require trailers with livestock to pull into the port of state entry and show your paper work. We have also been asked to show paper work when checking into larger races. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I spoke with a vet about this, and honestly I believe testing for Eia is more of a money grab.
The wild horses in Alberta are never tested and are suspect of carrier, the vet I spoke to said the majority of horses test positive have originated in the wild, or on Indian reserves.
My issue with the coggins is there are false positives, therefore horses have been euthanized and it been later discovered they were Eia negative.
Another issue is the cost, it is around 80 in my area.
All the coggins proves is on the day the blood was pulled the horse was negative. That doesn't mean the horse won't/couldn't contract the disease the day after.
Resulting in a false sense of security.
In order to be truly diligent, a horse would have to be tested everytime they leave the farm. So take a rodeo horse who hits 3-5 rodeos a week, it is very cost prohibitive as well as time prohibitive.
My understanding is we can never eradicate Eia as we always have swamps/mosquitoes/horseflies.
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 Veteran
Posts: 224
Location: So Cal | We have to have a negative Coggins test (within 6 months or 1 year, depending on the state) to cross most state lines, along with a health certificate within 30 days. Also, most large events will check paperwork before letting you check into a stall. I think I've only ever even heard of one horse testing positive around here, and it was a so-and-so heard from so-and-so deal, so I don't even know. Just another cost of travelling. |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| ThreeCorners - 2016-01-19 2:16 PM
You are required to have negative coggins and recient health to travel. Most states require trailers with livestock to pull into the port of state entry and show your paper work. We have also been asked to show paper work when checking into larger races.
LOL, you can tell that y'all are from out west. No ports of entry here and when we took a horse out to Utah we never pulled in to one and nobody chased us down. Frankly I never thought to since I always considered them for semi traffic not private travelers. But if I saw signage to do so, I certainly would.
You are "supposed to" have health papers and current coggins (6 months or yearto cross state lines, depending on state requirements, but rarely have I ever been asked for them in the last maybe 20 years. Kentucky will stop you and I got stopped with an empty trailer in Arkansas once. I understand Florida is pretty strict by not meaning to, I went in and out without ever coming across a port of entry.
When I rodeo I always have a current coggins with me and most will let you slide on the health papers if you have it, unless attending an event which requires it signing in. There are a couple of rodeos where I KNOW they will ask for health papers so I will get them for sure for those.
As far as the effectiveness of the coggins, whoever said that they are not very effective in controlling the disease, they are right, especially since 100% testing is not required. Your horse can get infected the day after blood is drawn and nobody will know until the next yearly test. And then there is the issue of false positives.
A long time ago they demanded 100% testing in our state and we 4Hers went house to house to check our local areas for compliance. Any positives were either put down or quarantined. Since there is no wild horses in or near this state, this was a more effective deterrent against the disease.
I do make sure that I get a new coggins on any horse we buy. It would not do at all to bring the disease home to the rest of our herd. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| rodeoveteran - 2016-01-19 3:21 PM
ThreeCorners - 2016-01-19 2:16 PM
You are required to have negative coggins and recient health to travel. Most states require trailers with livestock to pull into the port of state entry and show your paper work. We have also been asked to show paper work when checking into larger races.
LOL, you can tell that y'all are from out west. No ports of entry here and when we took a horse out to Utah we never pulled in to one and nobody chased us down. Frankly I never thought to since I always considered them for semi traffic not private travelers. But if I saw signage to do so, I certainly would.
You are "supposed to" have health papers and current coggins (6 months or yearto cross state lines, depending on state requirements, but rarely have I ever been asked for them in the last maybe 20 years. Kentucky will stop you and I got stopped with an empty trailer in Arkansas once. I understand Florida is pretty strict by not meaning to, I went in and out without ever coming across a port of entry.
When I rodeo I always have a current coggins with me and most will let you slide on the health papers if you have it, unless attending an event which requires it signing in. There are a couple of rodeos where I KNOW they will ask for health papers so I will get them for sure for those.
As far as the effectiveness of the coggins, whoever said that they are not very effective in controlling the disease, they are right, especially since 100% testing is not required. Your horse can get infected the day after blood is drawn and nobody will know until the next yearly test. And then there is the issue of false positives.
A long time ago they demanded 100% testing in our state and we 4Hers went house to house to check our local areas for compliance. Any positives were either put down or quarantined. Since there is no wild horses in or near this state, this was a more effective deterrent against the disease.
I do make sure that I get a new coggins on any horse we buy. It would not do at all to bring the disease home to the rest of our herd.
Crossing into Arizona we've been chased down, 30 miles out, had to turn around drive all the way back. I think they purposely drug their feet because we were held there for almost 2 hours!! Been stopped in Kansas with a load of cattle too, didn't make us go back. I always stop now if their open, takes about 15 minutes and we're back on the road. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | In my state (Arkansas) annual EIA test is required on all horses wether they leave the farm or not. Further a neighbor living within 440 yards can request proof that the neighboring herd has been tested within the past 12 months. I looked all of this up prior to moving here as I was curious and wanted to be within the regs myself. There have been positive cases/herds in Arkansas in the recent past.
Although I agree it only tells you the horses are negative at the time drawn...testing every year does at least show trends and could well discover outbreaks.
I wonder if/how it is enforced...I guarantee I know horses that are more than 440 yards from us that haven't seen a vet or decent feed in years.
Statute:
2-40-804 Testing requirements for domiciled equidae.
(a)(1) All equidae domiciled within the State of Arkansas shall be subjected to an official equine infectious anemia test every twelve (12) months.
(2) An equidae is domiciled within the state when the equidae has been pastured, stabled, housed, or kept in any fashion in the state more than thirty (30) consecutive or unconsecutive days.
(3) Written proof of a negative current official equine infectious anemia test shall be made available in the form of negative results from an approved laboratory upon request made by an authorized representative of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission or the owner, lessee, or caretaker of a neighboring herd.
(b)(1) Owners of horses domiciled within the state shall be responsible for maintaining a negative current official equine infectious anemia test on all horses that they own.
(2) After January 1, 1998, failure to furnish proof of negative current official equine infectious anemia test to an authorized agent of the commission may result in quarantine and penalties prescribed by §§ 2-40-826 and 2- 40-827.
(3) Owners of neighboring herds, whether of single or multiple ownership shall have the right to know if any equine within four hundred forty (440) yards are untested, exposed, or reactor animals.
(c)(1) When any equidae is examined or treated by an accredited veterinarian, the owner or caretaker must present to the veterinarian written proof of a negative current official equine infectious anemia test.
(2) If no official equine infectious anemia test results are available, the accredited veterinarian may draw an official sample for equine infectious anemia as part of the examination or treatment, at the owner's expense. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| I live in Texas. Here we have random checks at various functions so you better be prepared. If you cross state lines to states bordering TX you need to have a health certificate aong with a Coggins. Any function in Arkansas checks Coggins and matches them to the horse. They will make you leave if you are not in compliance.
I think many of you are confused about the reason for testing. It is to identify those horses that are positive. Testing has been required in TX for years. We used to hear of a few horses that had EIA but I have not heard of one in years. There were actually people that we heard that had horses with EIA that competed at most of the barrel races around here. They showed up and parked and we all loaded up and moved to the other side of the arena. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| Here in Indiana, you have to have it crossing state lines. Most large events require negative coggins and health papers. However, there are plenty of contagious diseases that horses don't have to be tested for that won't show up on health papers, which is quite ridiculous in my opinion. |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | There were a couple positives in Wash. and Or. this past year. It was race horses. |
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 Mature beyond Years
Posts: 10780
Location: North of the 49th Parallel | ThreeCorners - 2016-01-20 6:22 PM There were a couple positives in Wash. and Or. this past year. It was race horses.
I thought it was 2 years ago? Might have been last year. I just remember because there was a race date at my local "track" (It's an official track but I wouldn't call it that) back home that was cancelled because most of the horses running were from Wa and Or and couldn't cross the border. |
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | It was in the mid to late 70s that EIA became a major issue in Arkansas -- well - in the south in general. Mosquitoes are terrible down here -- and any biting insect can carry it horse to horse as well as transfer via shared needles, etc.. There were lots more horses in my area back then -- and lots of horses in our area actually died of it. And the entire horse show / rodeo thing was really going at that time - lots of folks going and competing everywhere - small open shows would have hundreds of entries... I have seen horses with EIA and it's a terrible way to die. We personally lost three extremely valuable rodeo/show horses in 1973. One came down with it -- and we had no idea what it was - our wonderful vet suggested the test for her - she was positive and then two more of our 12. We re-tested twice -- with blood actually being tested by Dr. Coggins at Cornell who had recently developed the test. No doubt - they were positive. We elected to put them down -- but at that time you did not have to have a test - so we could have kept hauling and exposing others...but we did not. I helped author the law in Arkansas. When Arkansas first began testing there were lots and lots of positives - testing has really contained the disease. I believe in the test and support testing. Perhaps someday there will be a vaccine and / or a cure. And - yes I have been to neighbors' homes and demanded to see their Coggins' tests in order to assure my horses stay safe.... I will never forget seeing the misery and death it caused for so many horses and the great sadness of so many who lost their horses.... |
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Ima Non Controversial Girl
Posts: 4168
Location: where the wind blows | cheryl makofka - 2016-01-19 1:24 PM
I spoke with a vet about this, and honestly I believe testing for Eia is more of a money grab.
The wild horses in Alberta are never tested and are suspect of carrier, the vet I spoke to said the majority of horses test positive have originated in the wild, or on Indian reserves.
My issue with the coggins is there are false positives, therefore horses have been euthanized and it been later discovered they were Eia negative.
Another issue is the cost, it is around 80 in my area.
All the coggins proves is on the day the blood was pulled the horse was negative. That doesn't mean the horse won't/couldn't contract the disease the day after.
Resulting in a false sense of security.
In order to be truly diligent, a horse would have to be tested everytime they leave the farm. So take a rodeo horse who hits 3-5 rodeos a week, it is very cost prohibitive as well as time prohibitive.
My understanding is we can never eradicate Eia as we always have swamps/mosquitoes/horseflies.
I respectfully disagree Cheryl. Testing may not totally eradicate it but it would certainly diminish the disease greatly. If this were not the case how is it that the U.S. (especially the southern states) test 100,000's of thousands of horses more per year than Canada and have fewer positives. The only reason I can come up with is that testing has taken out the known positives after years of testing. They really should have more positives because they do test a lot more than we do (as evidence by the comments on the post), they have more horses in general and more vectors with a longer vector season.
Yes I agree I can test my horse today, be negative, and then go somewhere the next day and my horse catches it. But testing will rule out known carriers, and over time, like in the U.S. we should begin to see less and less positives show up. Saskatchewan, to my knowledge does not have wild horses so it isn't the wild horses carrying it here. The reserves are a known outbreak, yes, but it is spreading further south year after year. Having worked for CFIA up until a year ago I know it isn't just on the Indian Reserves.
I guess because of where I worked I was made a lot more aware of the impact of this disease and to be honest it scares the daylights out of me. It is a reportable disease in Canada, so if your horse tests positive CFIA is involved and either quarantines it for life or euthanizes it. Right now the maximum compensation you will receive from CFIA is $2500.00. Try replacing your well trained barrel horse for $2500.00. You mentioned false positives, if memory serves me right I believe that is possible on an Eliza test but if a horse tests positive on Eliza a second test is done, I can't remember the name of the second test at the moment but it is more accurate.
At the SBRA finals in Sk a couple years ago we were told (after the finals) that 2 horses tested positive (after the finals) to EIA. Perhaps if they had been tested prior to attending the finals they may have been positive prior to and weeded out before going and not exposing other horses.
I believe the average cost for a coggins around my area is $80 as well. As of right now I think most coggins are valid for 6 months. Personally I would like to see it valid for only 3 months. At least until such time as we have greatly minimized the spread of this disease. My opinion is if I can't afford the $80 coggins I shouldn't be going. As well if an $80 coggins could, over time lesson the risk of my horses contracting this disease it is a cost I will gladly pay. And based on the info from our U.S. comrads above, combined with the research I have been doing, regular testing does in fact reduce the incidence of the disease.
I've been discussing this issue quite a bit of late with fellow horse enthusiast in my area and one observation we have is this whole coggins testing seems to be an issue with the western discipline in Canada. Many of the English Riding discipline events do require Negative Coggins and that industry seems to accept that as normal. Not sure why we in the Western disciplines are so resisitant to change and accepting testing as a normal part of spring along with vacinations and deworming.
Thanks to everyone who responded to my question. You've given me points to ponder. I appreciate it.
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EIA Testing info please