Horse News & Views - February 2010

• Due to an outbreak of Equine Piroplasmosis in New Mexico, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has imposed further import restrictions on horses, including Canadian horses returning to Canada. Horse owners should contact the CFIA for the current import/export policies before leaving and returning to Canada with horses.

• The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, September 25 to October 10, 2010, and special measures are in place to contain, manage and resolve outbreaks of communicable equine diseases. These include heightened biosecurity practices, prescribed immunization and pesticide treatment for ticks and mites, along with daily physical examinations. As these procedures and measures are tested through the course of the FEI competition, it will be useful to review their effectiveness and usefulness for other horse events and their application at the barn level. (Ref. Infectious Disease Management and Surveillance Plan, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, E. S. Ford, Staff Assistant, Office of the State Veterinarian.)

• On a personal note-I (Bob Wright, author) retired from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on October 30, 2009. I plan to spend time with my family, continue some of my research projects, and catch up on my horseback riding. Publication of Horse News and Views will be suspended until further notice.