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Foal registration rule ‘to improve welfare and traceability’
“The information gained will improve transparency and traceability around the care that breeders and owners provide to thoroughbreds."
All births must be registered within 30 days - BHA

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced a new requirement to register all foals bred for racing within 30 days of their birth, in a bid to improve traceability and animal welfare.

Since March 2015 it has been a requirement to register foal births within one year for anti-doping purposes. From 1 January 2018, however, this period will shrink to 30 days.

BHA says the new rule will allow it to trace the welfare and whereabouts of foals before they arrive at a registered training yard, as well as recording locations and monitoring the welfare of unnamed horses. It brings Britain into line with international practice, across many other major racing jurisdictions.

Jamie Stier, BHA’s chief regulatory officer, said: “The information gained will improve transparency and traceability around the care that breeders and owners provide to thoroughbreds in the formative stages of their lives, and is critical to our industry upholding its commitment to leading on animal welfare standards.

“It will lead to increased accountability in both the racing and breeding industries, and support the BHA in delivering a welfare commitment to our horses which will now encompass their pre-racing lives, as well as their racing careers.”

The new requirement will also further support the BHA’s anti-doping policy and could help to establish future trading relationships, enabling horse movements across borders once the UK has left the EU.

Julian Richmond-Watson, chairman of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, welcomed the change, adding: “Effective systems to provide traceability are rightly seen as instrumental in dealing with infectious diseases, and in maintaining the high health status of British Thoroughbreds."

Birth notifications will be managed by breeders and owners through Weatherbys’ General Stud Book online system, which will be up and running from 22 January 2018. Birth registration can be completed at the same time as foal registration, on the same platform, and there is no addition fee for notifying births within the 30-day window. An ascending fee structure will be in place for notifications made after the 30 days have elapsed.

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.