Equine Influenza Horse Property Registration

Horse import restrictions are being loosened to allow competition and racing to continue across the Tasman. While Australia is currently free of Equine Influenza again, we should all be vigilant against the possibility of another outbreak.

In New Zealand there is a MAF database of horse properties, which provides statistical data on how many horses are in the country and where they are located. This information is vital in the event of any equine disease outbreak, and is also highly useful for research on the equestrian sector.

Currently there are large gaps in the information about recreational and sport horse properties. As these sectors account for the largest number of horses in the country, this means inaccurate MAF models of potential outbreak spread, and underestimation of vaccine requirements.

All properties with one or more horses (including donkeys and mules) on them are strongly encouraged to register. If previously registered, make sure your details are up to date. An additional benefit is that some statistical data (how many horses are in the country, for instance) is provided for researchers. A lack of accurate data on horse numbers is one of the reasons that equestrians are losing access to open spaces and public funding, so there is a double benefit to registering.

The Equine Property Form can be downloaded from the AsureQuality website http://www.agriquality.com/resources/pdf/Corporate/EquineRegForm_Final2008.pdf , or from NZ Horse Recreation Group http://www.nzhorseriders.info