Transcript progress report about developing countries * european

International Horse Movement Issues
Brian Stewart
Chairman of the IFHA International Movement of
Horses Committee (IMHC)
What are we trying to Achieve?
 Primarily, the facilitation of the temporary international movement of
equine athletes for group and graded races
 Promotion of international racing is a key strategic objective
 International movement of horses for sporting competition must:
– Be safe, both for the individual horse and the national horse populations
– Cause minimum disruption to training
What are the Constraints we Face?
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International horse movement is under the control of national veterinary
authorities, not racing authorities.
Countries have a responsibility to protect the health status of the national
horse population
Government veterinarians tend to be very risk aversive.
Horses are a small (but highly valuable) component of international animal
trade
Specialist equine infectious disease expertise is very limited, especially in
developing racing regions
Logistic problems, especially the limited number of suitable cargo routes
What can we do?
 All protocols for horse movement and the management of
International Racing are based on Risk Assessment and Risk
Management
 It is critical that we build expertise, regulations and transparency
within the industry that minimize the risk of infectious disease within
racehorse populations and build trust between the industry and
government authorities
 The power of trust and transparency....but trust and verify!
Examples of what the IMHC does
 Develop personal relationships between key
players.....OIE, government veterinary authorities and
the industry
 Provide models of best practice..model health
certificates, guidelines for the operation of isolation
stables, racing biosecurity guidelines
 Education and dissemination of information
Helping Ourselves: the Importance of funding
Research and Education
 As an example, the Racing Victoria sponsored AHT Equine
Influenza Study on the effectiveness of disease testing and
vaccination in minimizing quarantine periods and maintaining safety
of movement
 The racing industry cannot rely on other institutions to provide all the
answers to the equine disease management problems......it must be
proactive in identifying and supporting projects.
 A role for the IMHC in identifying, prioritising projects and then
linking industry and with researchers?
Winning Trust: Isolation / Training Facilities
 Some form of Quarantine / Isolation is essential and inevitable
 Racehorses imported temporarily for competition require convenient
access to quality training facilities.......expensive and often
constrained by available land area
 A very high standard of management expertise is required to ensure
the confidence of government authorities
 International guidelines for facility design and operations are
necessary ....... the design and operation of the Victoria Werribee
International Horse Centre provides an excellent model
 Development of guidelines and SOP........a role for the IMHC?
Developing Veterinary and Isolation
Management Capacity
 Expertise in equine infectious disease is limited
 Experience and expertise in the international movement of elite
equine athletes for competition is limited
 Quarantine / Isolation facility management expertise is limited
 Capacity development (training and continuing education) is critical,
especially in developing racing nations
 Training, continuing education and networking is a role for the IMHC
The Risks to the Individual Horse
 Shipping horses for prolonged periods entails an inevitable risk for
the health of the horse
 Although significant improvements have been made there is still an
ongoing need for research and development to reduce these risks
further
Harmonization of Medication Policies
 Confusion among horsemen caused by inconsistent therapeutic
substance control policies has caused numerous adverse
medication incidents in International Racing
 International harmonization of therapeutic medication control policy
is major objective for the IFHA
The FEI High Performance / High Health Status
Concept
“It is clear that there is a need to define criteria for healthy
high performance horses as a sub-population which
reflects the low level of disease risk involved in
movement of such horses”
Bernard Vallat
Director General of the OIE
A Great Idea but...........
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High performance alone cannot be an adequate criteria for high health
status, especially for EI
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High Performance / High Health status premises may be achievable
For example, complexes such as the HKJC and the STC
Stables that commit to high biosecurity standards are registered by an
authority and which are audited regularly may be able attain special status
If the concept is to work, racing authorities must deliver a biosecurity
framework that ensures superior biosecurity practices at registered
premises
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Developing a Biosecurity Framework for High
Performance / High Health Status Racehorse Premises
 To be discussed at the upcoming IMHC Meeting in December 2013
 A major project and the main task to be tackled over the next twelve
months
IMHC Priorities
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High Performance / High Health Status Concept
Education and Network Building within the Industry
Building Relationships with the OIE and Government Authorities
International Race Isolation Facility Management
Equine Infectious Disease Expertise Development
Facilitating / Lobbying for Targeted Research, Vaccine Updating /
Diagnostic Testing
Thank You