Horses to the US process Flight Rob de Voogd Horse Transport

Processing USA

US Department of Agriculture

All horses to be imported to the US require a proper health certificate issued by a full-time veterinary officer of the National government of the exporting country, which must state that the horse has:

Been in that country for 60 days immediately preceding importation.
Been inspected and found free of contagious diseases.
Not been vaccinated with alive or attenuated or inactivated vaccine during 14 days immediately preceding exportation.
Not been on premises where African horsesickness, dourine, glanders, surra, epizootic lymphangitis, ulcerative lymphangitis, equine piroplasmosis, equine infectious anemia (EIA), contagious equine metritis (CEM), vesicular stomatitis, or Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis has occurred during the 60 days immediately preceding exportation.
Not been in a country where CEM is known to exist or had any contact with other horses from such a country in the last 12 months.
All horses arriving in the US are required to be quarantined while test for dourine, glanders, equine piroplasmosis, and EIA are conducted. The samples get tested at the USDA lab in Ames, Iowa. Any horse testing positive for any of these diseases will be refused entry into the US.

3-Day-Quarantine
The USDA requires a 3-Day-Quarantine for horses coming from one the following countries (not infected with VEE, Venezuelan Equine Encephomylitis or AHS, African Horse Sickness):

Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland (The Netherlands), Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Macao, Malta, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Republic (UAE), United Kingdom.

7-Day-Quarantine
A 7-Day-Quarantine is required for horses coming from one of the following countries (VEE has been reported within the last year):

Argentina, Caribbean Islands, Cuba, Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Virgin Islands Barbados Trinidad, British West Indies, Dutch West Indies, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile.

60-day-Quarantine
A 60-day-quarantine is required for horses, coming from a region where African Horse Sickness has been reported during the last 12 months.

CEM-Quarantine

These conditions apply to the country that you have selected on theUSDA APHIS website!!

All stallions and mares over 731 days of age, and stallions and mare less than 731 days of age if ever used for breeding, must undergo CEM isolation and testing after completing the initial Federal import quarantine. Horses will be sent directly to an approved State CEM quarantine of the importer’s choice for this testing.

Geldings of any age and non-domesticated zoo equine species, if captured in the wild or from a zoo facility that have not had contact with domestic horses, are exempt from CEM requirements.

CEM Testing for Permanent Entry:
Testing of mares consists of an initial complement fixation (CF) blood test for CEM, and 3 sets of culture swabs over a 12 day period, followed by 5 days of scrubbing and coating with an antibacterial ointment of the external genitalia. Culture swabs and CF results must be negative in order for the mare to be released from CEM quarantine. If any tests are positive, the test and treatment procedure must be repeated until negative results are obtained.

Testing of stallions consists of one set of culture swabs from the external genitalia, followed by live cover breeding to 2 test mares. The stallion’s external genitalia will be scrubbed and coated with an antibiotic ointment for 5 days following test breeding. Beginning on day 3 after breeding, culture swabs are collected from the test mare on 3 separate occasions over a 12 day period. Test mares are tested by CF between days 21-28 after breeding. All cultures and CF results from the stallion and test mares must be negative in order for the stallion to be released from quarantine. If any tests are positive, the cultures, test breeding and treatment procedures are repeated until negative results are obtained.

Horses participating in competitions staying in the U.S. under 90 days
A Cem Waiver for competition is available only for horses participating in specific competitions. These horses are limited to a stay under 90 days. USDA APHIS VS will monitor these horses while in the United States throughout their travels and at venues to restrict their access to domestic horses. Temporary CEM-isolation facilities are arranged in advance of an event. APHIS VS monitors movements of these horses. A signed compliance agreement is made between VS and the facility operator prior to APHIS VS issuing permits for import. The entire travel itinerary within the U.S. is listed on the import permit. Deviations from this preplanned travel are only allowed if approved and amended to the import permit or in emergency situations.

An import permit is required for CEM Waiver, CEM Exempt horses and for any horse that will undergo CEM post-arrival testing. Horses being imported under any of these conditions will undergo standard import quarantine upon arrival in the U.S., including testing for dourine, glanders, equine infectious anemia and equine piroplasmosis.

USDA APHIS considers certain countries to be affected with contagious equine metritis (CEM), a venereal disease of equine.

Geldings of any age and non-domesticated zoo equine species, if captured in the wild or from a zoo facility that have not had contact with domestic horses, are exempt from CEM requirements.

Horses participating in competitions staying in the U.S. under 90 days
A CEM Waiver for competition is available only for horses participating in specific competitions. These horses are limited to a stay under 90 days. USDA APHIS VS will monitor these horses while in the United States throughout their travels and at venues to restrict their access to domestic horses. Temporary CEM-isolation facilities are arranged in advance of an event. APHIS VS monitors movements of these horses. A signed compliance agreement is made between VS and the facility operator prior to APHIS VS issuing permits for import. The entire travel itinerary within the U.S. is listed on the import permit. Deviations from this preplanned travel are only allowed if approved and amended to the import permit or in emergency situations.

Some of the above information was taken from the USDA WebPages. For more detailed information please visit: click here

Port of entrance into the USA.