Navigating your way to where you’re headed with your horses this summer is easier these days with GPS and Google Maps, but navigating what the legal or show requirements are for travel can be confusing! In general, for a veterinarian to write a health certificate, a negative Coggins test within 6-12 months is required. The state (or country) to which you are traveling is what determines how long your Coggins is valid for. In general, it takes 2-3 business days for us to get a Coggins test result back from our laboratory so please plan accordingly when arranging your appointments.
By the way, what does a “Coggins” test mean? Coggins is the name of a veterinarian who many moons ago developed the test for the terrible and deadly disease called equine infectious anemia (EIA). Fortunately, in the United States, EIA is uncommon as we have been able to largely eradicate it through testing requirements. However, every year some cases pop up and affected horses must be either euthanized or quarantined for life. Therefore, states require Coggins testing to ensure any outbreaks are identified and controlled as soon as possible.
Once you’ve got your negative Coggins test, you’ll need a health certificate next. A typical 30-day health certificate (more properly called a “Certificate of Veterinary Inspection” requires that a veterinarian examine your horse for any signs of infectious disease within 10 days of travel. The negative Coggins testing accession number must also be submitted to the state by your veterinarian for the health certificate to be valid. The documents can then be emailed to you, or you can use the MyVetLink app to easily access all your documents online. We are also now able to offer six month passports for travel to participating states. For these, you must keep track online of your travels during the six-month period. Remember, your Coggins must be valid for as long as the health certificate/passport duration; otherwise, the health certificate expires when your Coggins test results do.
If you are working on a short timeline to get your travel papers in order, we may request you haul into the clinic to get you in asap. Remember, some shows require negative Coggins tests or health certificates (sometimes with added statements required by the veterinarian) to enter show grounds even if you are not crossing state lines.
If you’re travelling to Canada, an international health certificate is required. This is a more complex process as it needs to be signed by the state veterinarian; Coggins tests are only good for six months for international health certificates.
When you schedule your appointment for a Coggins or health certificate, we will email you an information request form that we will need to have accurately completed to allow us to correctly complete your health certificate.
If all this confuses you, don’t worry—our staff is well-versed in the ins and outs of requirements.