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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 19th February 2013
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Improvements to equestrian transportation
Plans for the international movement of sport horses

The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) and the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) have produced an action plan for the safe transportation of sport horses.

The three-year plan is in response to high participation in equestrian competitions, which has resulted in demand for cross-border movement of top-level sport horses.

Proposals under the plan include a full-time secondary senior veterinarian at the OIE headquarters in Paris. This vet will help define a new population of high health, high performance sport horses.

The new sub-population is planned to be integrated into the existing biosecurity systems of countries that have been created to protect animals and human populations against the risk of disease spread.

FEI and OIE also propose to develop communication tools to underline the value of equestrian sport to governments. It is hoped that this will help to improve import and export procedures for sport horses.

Dr Bernard Vallat, director general of OIE, said: “Over the last ten years, the OIE has worked in close partnership with the FEI to identify the key elements needed to bring about a more practical, but safe, introduction of national Veterinary Services requirements for the international movement of sport horses, and for the application of biosecurity measures on all sites where competitions take place."

FEI signed an official agreement with OIE in 2002 and the two organisations have since co-hosted joint summits on the international movement of sport horses.

FEI President HRH Princess Haya explained: "The FEI is looking forward to building on the achievements of its ten-year partnership with the OIE, and to providing dedicated expertise in the joint pursuit of sustaining and promoting the international growth of equestrian sport, and everything it stands for.
 
"Together, we will help to provide much better government awareness about the competition horse, and establish a commonly-recognised biosecurity approach that will allow international equestrian sport to flourish far into the future.”

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.