USEF Announces New Equine Vaccination Rule

All horses must be accompanied by documentation of equine influenza and herpesvirus vaccinations within six months.
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In January, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Board of Directors approved an addition to the rule book, which outlines equine vaccination requirements at licensed competitions.

Beginning Dec. 1, all horses entering the grounds of a USEF-licensed competition must be accompanied by documentation of equine influenza virus and equine herpesvirus (EHV, also known as rhinopneumonitis) vaccinations within six months prior to entering the stables.

Due to several high-profile EHV outbreaks in recent years that have involved the neuropathogenic strain of the virus (called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, or EHM), some competitions have placed vaccination requirements on their competitors that go beyond most accepted medical opinions and raise concern that unnecessary requirements can potentially put a horse at risk. The intent of this rule is to ensure that all licensed competitions comply with the vaccination guidelines for equine influenza and rhinopneumonitis published by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). These guidelines are reviewed by infectious disease experts regularly, and recommend vaccinating competition horses at six-month intervals for both influenza and rhinopneumonitis. There is not a vaccine labeled to provide protection against EHM.

Intended to promote proper vaccination protocols, this rule does not anticipate an increased workload for competition management. The flu vaccination information can be added to the documentation already required by most competitions: a horse’s health certificate and a negative Coggins test

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