The horse industry is an international industry, and increasingly more foreign horses are being brought into the United States for racing, showing, sale and breeding. As a result, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has given the green light for the industry to build and operate permanent, privately owned quarantine facilities for horses. Such facilities would have to comply with the criteria set out in the USDA announcement.
The American Horse Council has been working with USDA to authorize such facilities for some time. USDA has taken this action because the demand for quarantine services for horses often exceeds the space available at the existing three import facilities. Allowing imported horses to be quarantined in permanent, privately owned facilities that meet the established criteria will facilitate importation while continuing to protect the country against the introduction of foreign diseases.
Background
USDA first proposed this rule in 2002. Because it was not adopted, AHC called for USDA to republish the rule, which was done in December 2006.
AHC commented on the 2006 proposed rule, stating its support of the rule, as well as highlighting a few important items and pointing out a couple of concerns. AHC emphasized the importance of having Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service personnel present at the privately owned facilities to provide the oversight and assistance necessary to ensure the biological security of the facility. It was also emphasized that the establishment of permanent privately owned quarantine facilities should not have any affect on temporary privately owned quarantine facilities that are used for special events and competitions, as they are an important resource to the horse industry.
Facility Criteria
The final rule provides details on the standards established for the approval of permanent, privately owned quarantine facilities. These standards include the steps needed to gain USDA approval of a facility, the physical requirements of a facility (includes location, construction, etc.), sanitation and security requirements, operating procedures (includes USDA oversight, handling of horses, record keeping, etc.) and more. The approval of an import quarantine facility will require a compliance agreement between USDA and the operator of the facility. Because of the stringent guidelines for these facilities, USDA expects only a couple of facilities to be approved in the next few years.
Benefit to the U.S. Horse Industry
With increasing trade between the United States and other countries, having the ability to increase the amount of quarantine space for imported horses is very beneficial to the horse industry. This rule has the potential to make the import process easier and timelier while continuing to protect the country against the introduction of foreign diseases of horses. It will provide a clear benefit to importers when the demand for space in the current import quarantine facilities surpasses the space available.
