Coggins Testing
Question?
I have a retired horse and he never leaves my farm. Do I need to have a coggins test done on him every year?
Answer:
Coggins testing is currently only required in Kentucky for those horses who travel. If your horse(s) never leaves your farm he is not required to have an annual coggins test.
Question?
I have a question relating to equine interstate travel. The question relates to the scenario in which the driver/owner of the truck/ trailer is not the owner of a horse on board whose papers are not compliant. So assume that I am trailering my horse as well as a horse owned by another person (guest horse). If travel papers for my horse are compliant but those for the guest horse are not, who receives the fine, me or the owner of the guest horse? Does it matter if the owner of the guest horse is also traveling with me in the truck?
Answer:
The 'transporter' is the entity who is responsible for ensuring the horse being transported meets the regulatory health requirements. In most instances this is considered to be the driver at the time the vehicle is stopped. A person in the vehicle (other than the driver) may advise the regulatory official that they are the transporter and assume responsibility. If there is not agreement between the driver and the passenger about the assumption of responsibility, then the regulator will likely identify the driver of the vehicle to be the individual in apparent violation.
Health Certificates
Question?
Do I need to have an out of state health certificate when I am only crossing the border by a couple of miles?
Answer:
Anytime you travel with your horse a health certificate or equine passport is required. The only exception is if you are transporting your horse from property that you own to property that you own OR if you are transporting the horse from property that you own to the veterinarian. Travel within the state of Kentucky requires a coggins test within one year accompanied by an in-state health certificate (good for one year or until the coggins test expires). Out of state travel requires a current coggins test, inter-state health certificate (good for 30 days), and may require additional testing and or documentation from your veterinarian. Check with the destination state, office of the state veterinarian, regarding specifics for that state. Some states accept the equine passport which can replace the need for updated inter-state health certificates.
Kentucky Equine Passport
Question?
What is the cost for the equine passport?
Answer:
Currently there is no cost for the Kentucky Equine Passport; however it does require you to have a coggins test every 6 months (rather than once a year) for out of state travel.
Question?
I wish the Kentucky Equine Passport were good in Indiana and Ohio. What needs to be changed in order to expand the use of the Kentucky Equine Passport?
Answer:
Currently the following states accept the Kentucky Equine Passport: AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA, WV. This is something the respective state vets agree to (reciprocation between states).Talk to your friends and the facilities where you stay in IN and OH and encourage them to ask their department of agriculture to join the equine passport program. Ask them to talk to their state Horse Council about the need for a passport program. KHC will work with the state horse council, if there is interest, since both the KY State Vet and the other state vet need to agree on the reciprocation.
Click here for more information on Kentucky Equine Passports.
