Regardless of whether you are transporting a horse for breeding, traveling on a show circuit or simply taking a vacation, inevitably you will cross state lines. However, before you do, it is important to keep in mind that almost every state in the Union requires certain health precautions be taken to protect your horse and the horses within the state in which you will be traveling.

Because of the tragedies that can result and have resulted with the spread of highly contagious equine related diseases such as Equine Infectious Anemia, the United States Department of Agriculture and states, through their Departments of Agriculture, have instituted various requirements that one must follow before transporting a horse across state lines. The two primary requirements are possession of 1) A veterinary health certificate or certificate of veterinary inspection ("health certificate"); and, 2) proof of a negative Coggins test.

In most states the health certificate required is an official interstate health certificate issued by an accredited or licensed veterinarian. As a rule, the certificate should contain the following information:

If the state in which you plan to travel requires a health certificate, and most do, it is important that you keep the certificate in your possession at all times while transporting the horse in the event of inspection by state authorities. If you fail to have proper documentation, your horse may suddenly be subject to seizure and quarantine and you may be required to pay a fine or even face jail time.

To obtain a health certificate, all one must do is contact a licensed veterinarian. The veterinarian will perform a physical examination and administer any required or recommended tests and inoculations. Generally, this examination should be performed within thirty (30) days of travel as the health certificate is void after thirty (30) days in many states. The second requirement for the interstate transport of a horse is possession of proof of a recent negative Coggins test. While the results of a Coggins test are generally required to be listed on the health certificate, many states have emphasized the importance of having a negative Coggins test by passing special rules and regulations regarding administration of this test and the penalties associated with failing to possess proof of a negative test.

Why is this so important? The Coggins or agar-gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test is designed to detect the Equine Infectious Anemia virus ("EIA"). EIA is a highly contagious viral disease that is closely related to the human immunodeficiency virus ("HIV"), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ("AIDS"). While there are varying degrees of infectiousness, in an acute case of EIA, a horse's temperature may rise as high as 108 degrees and the horse may experience petechial hemorrhages, depression, weight loss, dependent edema, anemia and ultimately death. Additionally, the horse with an acute case of EIA is highly contagious, as one-fifth of a teaspoon (one milliliter) of the horse's blood contains enough virus to infect one (1) million horses.

EIA is most frequently transmitted between horses in close proximity to one another by large insects which inflict painful bites such as horse and deer flies. The bites from these insects cause the horse to make a defensive movement intended to make the insect stop feeding and leave. The insect then travels to another horse where it bites again and transmits the blood from previous horse.

The following chart is designed to provide a quick reference of state requirements with respect to health certificates and negative Coggins tests. This is not an exhaustive list of requirements and it is always advisable to research a specific state's regulations before transporting a horse into that state. The quickest way to learn more about a state's requirements is to contact the state's Department of Agriculture, State Veterinarian, or Agricultural Extension Agent.