# Health Certificate



## gt49 (Sep 8, 2012)

A bit of a survey please: I have traveled out of state with my horses but have not done more than one out of state trip in the same year.

If you do a lot of interstate travel with your horses do you get a vet inspection and health certificate every 30 days? Do you get a vet inspection and certificate for each specific trip? Does your vet charge the regular fee for a farm call and physical?

It seems to me that this would be a big expense.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

yes every 30 days, you can put more than one trip on a health cert though, if you are going both places with in 30 days. i personally dont get charged a farm call, but im friends with my vet and i board with them.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

I am hauling Biscuit and Sarge to Mississippi next month and will need a health certificiate to haul through Louisiana. I will get the certificates around the first week of October when I to go get Biscuit's Coggin's pulled. My Vet just saw both of the horses last month for their shots. The certificate of health I believe were around $12 each last year.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

If I get my coggins from my Vet ($40) he will give me unimited Health certificates when I travel for free. So even though I can find cheaper coggins, His package deal is pretty hard to beat. plus he trust me to know if the horses are showing in signs of sickness, So I ususally just call and he has the papers waiting at the front desk for me, I rarely take the horses in for a travel certificate. So no farm calls fees or certifcate fees.

But then he drives past my place probably twice a day and see my horses standing in their corral


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## bbsmfg3 (Aug 12, 2010)

Requirements for coggins and health certificates vary from state to state.

Here's a decent summary by state:

Transportation Requirements by State

Some states have a lot of additional requirements, ie, if traveling thru Illinois you DO NOT need a health certificate if the horse never touches state soil. BUT, you must have a valid, negative coggins.

Some states require entry inspections. This is true of most states that have brand laws. All equines and mules entering the state are required to stop at the port of entry(usually a weight station).

Some states require a CDL license if you have any markings, signs, etc that refer to your ranch, farm, etc. on the truck or trailer.

IN SUMMARY, before going into a state you are not familiar with, check with the DOT and State Vet. AND keep both phones numbers available to you. Some state inspectors really get carried away.

And DON'T pass a state inspection facility, the results are both time consuming and very expensive. Imagine having your stock quarantined until such time as the state, your in, draws new blood and gets a negative coggins back from the lab. Then spend 30 days after that in quarantine. And your truck and trailer impounded until your court case comes up, and you pay the fines. NOT worth the risk.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Nooo, not worth it at all. I forgot to do my coggins and brand inspection once, was able to talk my way out it but man was it close and I'll never forget the experience.

I forgot because Oregon doesn't require pickups with trailers to pull into weigh stations at the entry ports or anywhere else. So unfortunately, at the time, the thought never crossed my mind I needed anything.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Bob, thanks for that site. Very useful information.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Around here, a negative Coggins is a given, but health certs depend on the state and even sometimes the facility you are going to in that state.

I need a negative Coggins for every ride I attend, regardless of state. Most states out this way technically require a health cert for an out-of-state horse, but few actually check. Recently, the West Virginia state vet has been showing up to check at rides, so we make sure to have them there. The New Jersey rides require proof of rabies vaccination.

PaintedHorse, I would LOVE to find a vet to give me that kind of deal out here!! The Coggins alone cost me $50, plus half the farm call fee (another $25) and if he had come out to do health certs, it would be the farm call ($50) plus $25 each time.


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

I always get a health certificate when I haul somewhere, and I hope everyone else does too. It's supposed to help prevent disease outbreak
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

virginia is ate up like a soup sandwich. We are supposed to be in a multi state 6 month certificate program, of course va didnt actually issue one. Now they are issuing one but some idiot burecrat read into the law, and suddenly VA has tougher requirements for horses to LEAVE va than they do for horses to enter. Basically a royal pain to get the 6 month cert in Va, So I just dont get one and wont go to rides that require them.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Just curious, What do they require that makes it so tough to get?

Utah requires a current Coggins, The vet looks at the horse and make sure it's healthy, ( no fever, not blowing snot etc) You have to put down the start and destination locations and it is good for 30 days. I get a coggins every spring in anticipation of the summer riding season, So at worst case it's just hauling the horses into the vet clinic to have him glance at them and see that they are standing up and happy, record the coggins certificate on the travel papers and I get a copy, he keeps a copy, the state of origin gets a copy, and the destination state gets a copy.

In addition to the health certificate. I carry my Utah Life time brand inspections in my truck. The state takes a photo ( front and sides of horse) and laminates that into a brand inspection card. Which basically is proof of ownership.


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## jufamarie (Jul 17, 2012)

*health certificates*

When you get right down to it health certificates are a joke, certainly as far as insuring a healthy horse. I can get a health certificate today and then ship my horses two weeks from now that are now sick, coughing or whatever. I wouldn't do that but its my using good sense and judgment not the paper that dictates moving a non healthy horse. Luckily my vet knows this and will give me health papers without seeing the horses. His opinion is that I wouldn't be headed out to a ride if the horse was sick.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

bureaucratic red tape and method of taxation. At least some states tried to streamiline it. 

In NC WV and pretty much every other Southeast state, you go to to vet, get your normal spring shots, coggins, and some form of. id SUCH AS microchipping, brand , tatoo, digital photo's,,, send it in with 5 dollars and get a 6 month event permit. 

After years of being in the agreement and accepting other states 6 month permits, VA finally got with it this year, however some idiot beurecrat who most likely wouldnt know a horse from a horse fly, interpreted the above agreement to mean ALL HORSES must be microchipped, and the must be microchippied with only one specific type, Also the owner must prove he can take a horses temperature , which has to be recorded everytime you move. I didt really look at the rest, Not dealing with it. If I do end up needing one I will simply pay the $5 and get a NC one.


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## thenrie (Sep 10, 2012)

Joe4d said:


> After years of being in the agreement and accepting other states 6 month permits, VA finally got with it this year, however some idiot beurecrat who most likely wouldnt know a horse from a horse fly, interpreted the above agreement to mean ALL HORSES must be microchipped, and the must be microchippied with only one specific type, Also the owner must prove he can take a horses temperature , which has to be recorded everytime you move. I didt really look at the rest, Not dealing with it. If I do end up needing one I will simply pay the $5 and get a NC one.


Wow. I'm glad I read this thread. I was about to get myself into a world of hurt here in VA. I'm going to have to call my vet and see about getting some things taken care of before I start hauling them around. Thanks for the info, there Joe.


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## qh trail rider (Sep 16, 2012)

Our vet used to give us the Health Certificate without actually checking the horses, until someone turned him in for not actually inspecting the horses first. He knew us and trusted us to not travel with a sick horse. Common sense. Now, we actually have to load the horses up, and take them to his office, or pay a farm call if we want him to come to our place. Of course, we use him for all of our vet needs, so I think the last time we had to get Health Certificates, he charged us $5 per horse.


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## qh trail rider (Sep 16, 2012)

IMO, the "Brand Inspections" shouldn't be necessary if you have a current Coggins and a recent Health Certificate. I understand the basic concept, but it seems like just another way for someone to take our money.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

qh trail rider said:


> IMO, the "Brand Inspections" shouldn't be necessary if you have a current Coggins and a recent Health Certificate. I understand the basic concept, but it seems like just another way for someone to take our money.


Some parts of the country really have horse rustling problems so in a way brand inspections do make sense in a way. One of my horses is actually chipped and more people are doing that now days so to me it would make more sense that horses need to be scanned instead of checked fro brands. Heck, I've only known half a dozen people who own branded horses.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

a brand can be seen from the road, or into a pen on private property giving LEO, probably cause for further investigation. It can also be recognized by a layperson without equipment. Chipping is worthless for horses, noone scans them, you cant scan unless you are right on top of horses, thieves, slaughter houses, buyers, sellers, vets, nobody scans. I feel they are a scam, sellng pipe dreams.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> a brand can be seen from the road, or into a pen on private property giving LEO, probably cause for further investigation. It can also be recognized by a layperson without equipment. Chipping is worthless for horses, noone scans them, you cant scan unless you are right on top of horses, thieves, slaughter houses, buyers, sellers, vets, nobody scans. I feel they are a scam, sellng pipe dreams.


At one point in our history most livestock was branded but today very few do and most of those are ranchers. Branding is on it's way out as a way of identifying animal and the laws need to be updated to reflect our changing society, keep up with modern times.

Chipping animals has gotten quite popular for normal household pets. So common that vets, animal control, shelters, etc routinely scan for them and many animals have been able to go home because of it. Just a guess on my part but I think horses will end up going down the same path.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

many animals, but not horses. 
Dogs and cats dont tend to get stolen or shipped to mexico for slaughter. They are also small and easy to go unnoticed till they cause a problem and may end up in a shelter. Where certainly chips are great things.
A lost horse ? everyone in the county that in anyway has anything to do with finding the horse will know already whos horse is missing. If my horse got out, fliers would be every where, Sherrifs dept and animal control and any other nearby horse owners would know. They wouldnt need a chip to ID it to bring it home. Granted a chip could prove ownership once you find it, however it really wont do anything to actually help you find it.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

If my horses get out, they come right back. Most horses won't just wander off. A chip won't prevent somebody from stealing a horse. I guess a brand would be better as far as theft prevention.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

the lost horses I have been involved with were either at a brand new pasture, or were trail riding away from home and ran off after an unscheduled speed dismount.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Sarge is branded on both his left shoulder with a 2 and his left hip with a R/R so even though he is a plain bay horse his brands are permanent. 

Biscuit has a nasty scar on his front left leg that I would recognize anywhere.


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## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

My horses are also always able to get health certificates and never see my vet....they don't mean much imo


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## pony gal (Mar 11, 2012)

Last yr, the vet I used told me a Health Cert was $15 and I could wait and get it when I needed it. When I called to get it 2 months later, he asked if it was for in-state or out-of-state. I live in PA and wanted one for a local fair and to go to OH. He told me since I was going out of state, that he had to check the horse. He came out and charged me a farm call for nothing, then he told me I needed 2 health certificates at $15 each. I've talked to other people in the area that use a different vet and they said when they call to get a HCert; the vet mails or they go to the office to pick it up. It costs $15, but they don't have to pay for another farm call. The vet I used last yr did tell me the in-state for the fairs would be good to the end of the yr, but out-of-state; you need one every 30 days.


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