Equine herpes virus (EHV) self-certification forms have been reintroduced for British Eventing (BE) competitions to “minimise the risk” of future outbreaks.
Today (8 March) BE announced that “based on equine welfare best practice”, forms must be submitted to organisers before events, with immediate effect.
EHV self-certification forms were introduced for FEI competitions following the European EHV-1 outbreak last year, as was the requirement for those competing under FEI rules to use the FEI Horse App, which provides traceability and monitoring of horse health at FEI events.
A BE spokesman said it was important that both national and international horses arriving at the same competition have had the same declaration/checks prior to arrival. The process requires that a form is submitted to the event organiser 24 hours before arrival and can be completed by either the rider or groom.
“While it is only an official requirement for international competitions where national classes may, or may not, be included within the schedule we felt it was best practice in the interests of equine welfare that we made it a standard requirement for the season ahead across all events within our calendar,” said BE chief executive Helen West.
“It only takes one horse to be at an event for there to be an outbreak and we feel it is important to ensure we do all we can to minimise the risk. EventingScores will have a link to the form which is easily completed online when you download your number for printing. I would like to thank all of our members for working with us to ensure the highest level of biosecurity and protecting the health of our competition horses.”
A British Dressage (BD) spokesman told H&H EHV self-certification forms are not currently required for BD events, as there are not many national fixtures that run alongside FEI competitions. But shows where there are international and national classes may look to implement their own self-certification forms.
“We’ll continue to monitor EHV data closely with our veterinary advisors and if the risk is heightened, we may look to bring the requirement in once again,” said the BD spokesman.
You might also be interested in:
‘Mistakes were made’: poor decisions and human error contributed to European EHV-1 outbreak
Equine herpes: all you need to know
What threat does equine herpes infection pose to our horses’ health — and how worried should we be following a
California EHV-1 outbreak: six horses put down as competition is halted
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
