Understanding Horse Health Certificates For Beginners

As a horseman, prioritizing our animals' safety and health is essential. Understanding horse health certificates and their importance is vital to that process.

Horse health certificates are important for any potential or current horse owner. They provide vital information on the overall health of your equine partner, outlining any medical treatments they may have received in the past and any conditions that need monitoring in the future.
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In this article, we'll discuss what a horse health certificate is, why it's essential, and how to read one properly so that you can make sure your four-legged friend is receiving the best possible care.

Why are Horse Health Certificates Important?

One of the most critical reasons horse health certificates are necessary is because they provide a comprehensive overview of your animal's medical history. This history includes details such as vaccinations, deworming schedules, hoof care, dental work, or other procedures performed by a veterinarian.

Having this information readily available can help you make informed decisions about how to best manage your horse's healthcare from now on - from preventive measures to treatment plans for existing issues.
Another reason why horse health certificates are important to horse owners is that they can be used as proof when buying or selling horses.
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If you're purchasing an animal from another person or facility, having access to their complete medical records will ensure there aren't any underlying issues that could pose a risk for the animal and its new owner.
On the other hand, if you're selling a horse, it's important to provide potential buyers with as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision on whether or not to buy.

Finally, health certificates are also essential for equestrian competitions. Certain horse shows require that you present documentation regarding the horse's medical history to compete. These certificates provide a detailed account of any treatments performed within the last year.
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This requirement helps ensure that all competitors comply with the rules and regulations for the event and also serves as proof that your animal is healthy and safe for competition.

What does a Health Certificate for a Horse Include?

Every state has its particular format for Certificates of Veterinarian Inspection. So, if you come across a CVI from another state, it may look slightly different from yours. That being said, here is some general information found on CVI's from most jurisdictions:

• Place of Origin: Contact name, location, phone, email

• Destination Information: Contact, location, phone, email

• Veterinarian Information: Veterinarian Name, Clinic Name, Accreditation Number, Clinic Address

• The horse's identifiable factors: Breed, sex, color, age, permanent identification (microchip, tattoo, etc.)

• Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) test information: Test result, date of the test, the lab where testing occurred, lab ID number

• "Other" Testing Results: Test result, date of the test, the lab where testing occurred, lab ID number

• Certificate of Veterinary Inspection information: Number, issue date

• Transport information: Date, the purpose of movement

How to Get a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection

Getting a horse health inspection certificate is pretty simple.

Your veterinarian must perform the evaluation. Therefore, you must first find an accredited veterinarian who can issue you a CVI.

The best place to start would be contacting your current veterinarian(if you have one) or searching online for local veterinarians and reading reviews about their services. You could also contact the state veterinarian or board of veterinary medical examiners, as they can provide information on approved vets in your area.

The vet will either come out to your location, or you can bring your horse into the clinic.

From there, they perform their evaluation and draw any fluids necessary for testing.

Once the evaluation is complete, testing passes, and the health certificate is issued, it is often valid for 30 days. Although certain states recognize it for 30 days from issuance, others may consider it valid for much longer.
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It is always best to contact the Department of Agriculture office in the final destination state where you are traveling to confirm their requirements.

What States Require Certificates of Vet Inspections?

Most states require an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI) from a USDA-accredited veterinarian issued up to 30 days before intrastate travel.

The CVI must be completed by an accredited veterinarian verifying the horse(s) are not from an area quarantined for vesicular stomatitis (VS) and that the horses do not show any apparent signs of VS (or any other disease).

In addition, almost all states will need verification of a negative current Coggins test (also known as a negative EIA test) valid within the last 12 months.
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The best way to ensure you won't experience any delays while traveling is to contact the state(s) you are traveling through to verify you meet all the requirements.

How do CVIs Help to Reduce the Spread of Disease?

Requiring an up-to-date animal health certificate decreases the odds of sick horses traveling across state lines and interacting with healthy horses.

Also, sometimes, diseases can spread between horses from indirect contact. So, if an infected horse is in a facility and a non-infected horse arrives later, there could be a chance of infection.
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While obtaining a CVI does not guarantee your horse (or someone else's horse) will stay healthy, it can limit the movement of sick animals to reduce the likelihood of spreading infectious disease further.