EXPORT AND CERTIFICATION

EXPORT

Our shipping department specialises in organising appropriate examinations and testing schedules to comply with the differing import requirements for countries all around the world. We cover both temporary export for competition and permanent export requirements and work closely with all the major shipping companies. Three of our vets are also Hong Kong Jockey Club Nominated Veterinary Surgeons.

We will be happy to advise you concerning any queries you may have about the export of your horse. Please contact us on +44(0)1638 782000 or e-mail amanda.tanner@neh.uk.com.

PRE-PURCHASE EXAMINATIONS

We undertake pre-purchase examinations or 'vettings' for horses of all types and ages, from thoroughbred racehorses and breeding stock to performance and leisure horses, either at Newmarket Equine Hospital or we can travel to wherever the horse lives in the UK or abroad. The examination is intended to give the purchaser a veterinary opinion on the horse's suitability for its intended use. The certificate can also be used to obtain insurance cover for the horse, from a simple mortality cover to a full loss of use insurance. All pre-purchase examinations comply with the standards issued by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Equine Veterinary Association. Three of our vets are also Hong Kong Jockey Club Nominated Veterinary Surgeons.

The full FIVE STAGE vetting examination consists of:

Stage One – Preliminary Examination
This is a methodical examination of the animal's body to assess general appearance and condition. It includes examination of the teeth, the resting heart, the eyes by ophthalmoscope, the skin, the limbs and feet, and flexion of the limb joints to reveal pain or limitation of movement.

Stage Two – Trotting Up
The animal is walked and trotted on hard, level ground in order to detect gross abnormalities of gait and action.

Stage Three – Strenuous Exercise
The animal is given sufficient strenuous exercise to
1. make it breathe deeply and rapidly so that any unusual breathing sounds may be heard
2. increase the action of the heart so that abnormalities may be more easily detected
3. tire the animal so that strains or injuries may be revealed by stiffness or lameness after a period of rest.

Stage Four - A Period of Rest
The horse is allowed to stand quietly for a period. During this time the breathing and the heart are checked as they return to their resting levels.

Stage Five – The Second Trot and Foot Examination
The horse is walked and trotted again, turned sharply and backed, in order to reveal abnormalities exacerbated by the strenuous exercise stage.

A TWO-STAGE vetting only incorporates Stages 1 and 2 detailed above.

If you are buying a horse for racing or competition, it may be necessary to have further tests incorporated in the vetting, such as an endoscopic examination, an X-ray examination, an ultrasound scan, blood samples, etc. As part of the routine procedure, a blood sample is usually taken to detect the presence of anti-inflammatories or painkillers at the time of the examination. It is stored for a period of time and can be sent for analysis at the purchaser's request. Please feel free to discuss any requirements or concerns you may have about the potential purchase with the vet before he carries out his examination.

INSURANCE

In order to insure a horse above a minimum level, all insurance companies will require a veterinary certificate of suitability for insurance. They offer different levels of cover, from mortality to veterinary fees and full loss of use. The examination required is very similar to a pre-purchase examination, from a two-stage to a five-stage depending on the level of cover. Most insurance companies have specific requirements and will issue the horse owner with a form to be filled in by the vet. In some cases, they will require additional tests. Please make sure you have made your vet fully aware of all these requirements before you ask for an insurance certificate.

Veterinary surgeons at NEH are often asked to provide a second opinion on cases of insurance claims.

PASSPORTS AND MICROCHIPPING

All horses, ponies and donkeys (and other forms of equidae) need to have a passport identifying the animal. The passport contains information which identifies the horse for which it was issued and can contain up to nine sections of which sections I, II, III, IV and IX are compulsory.

Section I
Owner: the name of the owner or his agent

Sections II and III
Identification: the horse must be identified by the competent authority. This section should include, where present, the electronic microchip number. If no microchip is present, this section should include a written description and/or a diagram showing the markings of the horse.

Section IV
Recording of identity checks: whenever laws or regulations require, checks on the identity of the horse must be recorded by the competent authority.

Section IX
Medicinal treatment and declaration: If your horse is not intended for human consumption, please sign the appropriate section. If this section is not completed, your vet will need to complete the other section with details of any medicines your horse may be prescribed or administered.

Other sections may include information such as Vaccinations Records (V and VI) and Laboratory Health Tests (Section VII). These sections are not compulsory for every horse but may be required by some Stud Book Authorities or other recognised organisations.

If the horse is not accompanied by a valid passport it is an offence for an owner to:

  • export a horse
  • use a horse for the purposes of competitions
  • move a horse to the premises of a new keeper
  • present for slaughter for human consumption
  • sell a horse
  • use a horse for breeding purposes

Owners of foals need to obtain a passport for it on or before 31st December of the year of its birth, or by six months after its birth, whichever is later. Owners of older horses who have yet to apply for a horse passport should do so immediately.

It is also now a requirement for a horse to be microchipped before the Passport Issuing Offices will issue a new passport (i.e. not a replacement for a damaged or lost one).

Microchipping of foals – agreement reached on new rules covering the identification of equidae

EU Member States have reached agreement on a new European Regulation that will revise existing equine identification [Horse Passport] legislation. The main new requirement is the compulsory microchipping of foals born after 1 July 2009.

The requirement will not be retrospective for older horses and the Regulation does allow for Member States to approve alternative methods to the microchip. However Passport Issuing Offices do require older horses to be microchipped before they will issue a new passport (see above).

Microchips provide an essential link between a horse and its passport and strengthen the existing horse identification requirements. Such unique identification of equidae may also prove useful for disease control and surveillance purposes and for the recovery of lost or stolen horses.

OFFICIAL MEASUREMENT

David Dugdale MRCVS is on the list of approved measurers for the Joint Measurement Board. Appointments should be made through the main office on +44(0)1638 782000.