Transporting horses between Washington, Oregon and Idaho now requires a negative Equine Infectious Anemia test.
Traveling around the Pacific Northwest with domestic horses isn’t as hassle-free as it once was. Washington, Oregon and Idaho used to have a three-way agreement allowing interstate movement of horses without the requirement of a negative Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) test — or Coggins test as often called, but that is no longer the case. Over the last two years the three states have reported several cases of EIA and earlier this year Oregon and Idaho revoked their EIA test exemptions.
Washington horse owners will now need a negative Coggins test within the prior six months for importation into Oregon and within 12 months prior to entering Idaho. Washington has yet to revoke its exemptions, but that will change soon.
Jodi Jones of the Washington Department of Agriculture said hearings were held on May 24 regarding proposed amendments to chapter 16-54 of the Washington Administrative Code — to remove the EIA test exemption for equines traveling into Washington from Idaho and Oregon. Jones said paperwork will be filed this month and the proposal will likely become effective in July.
“Every indication right now says it will definitely go through,” Jones said.
EIA isn’t a contagious disease, but it can be spread by insects, shared needles, brushes and other shared equipment.
“The number of cases that were coming up in the Pacific Northwest was kind of unheard of,” said Sunny King of Equine Veterinary Service in Clark County. “We’ve never had a case at our clinic.”
King said the new need for the tests has boosted business at the clinic. She said getting a blood sample from the horse only takes a couple of minutes and waiting on the results can take about a week.
Additional paperwork needed to take horses around neighboring states is a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and entry permit — each of which was required before the EIA test exemptions were removed.
