It is vital that the appropriate pre-breed screening and animal health checks are made in preparation for breeding. Protecting the Irish equine industry against equine diseases is vital to preserve our high health status and to maintain our ability to safely breed, transport and participate in national and international competition. If you intend to import germinal products please see the detail below regarding your obligations as a breeder under domestic and European legislation.
NOTICE REGARDING USE OF ARTIFICAL INSEMINATION OF EQUINES IN IRELAND
Focus Areas
- Pre-breeding health screening
- The importation of equine germinal products
- Breeding contract
Pre-breeding health screening
It is vital that the equine industry are proactive to maintaining high health status rather than re-active. Pre breeding screenings should occur in advance of breeding and on an annual basis. Mare and stallion owners should always request proof of health status ahead of breeding.
- Adherence to the International codes of practice (v.2023).
- Adherence to the Horse Sport Ireland voluntary code of practice provides detail on pre breeding screening, including detail on EVA, EIA, CEM, EHV etc. How to prevent and screen against these diseases, many of which are notifiable diseases.
- Ahead of the 2024 breeding season the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has notified the equine industry of an EVA vaccine shortage.
- If vaccinated all stallion owners should to blood sample all previously vaccinated stallions and teasers and to urgently submit these surveillance blood samples before Jan 2nd 2024, and thereafter at 6 monthly intervals, to the Virology Division, CVRL, Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Kildare W23 N9FA
The importation of equine germinal products
According to the business of breeding 2022, over 70% of breeders in Ireland use at least one artificial reproductive technique. This is unique to the sport horse sector where international studbook rules for thoroughbred breeders only allows for natural cover. It is important that breeders remain aware that importing germinal products still carries the risk of importing equine diseases. It is vital that these importation rules are always adhered to, to preserve the high health status of the Irish equine industry and mitigate disease outbreaks. Please see the detail below regarding the steps which must be taken during the process of germinal product importation.
Germinal products means semen, oocytes and embryos intended for artificial reproduction.
If importing from within the EU you must ensure:
All documentation relating to the import must be retained for a minimum of three years.
The germinal products were collected and stored, from the time of collection or production, in an EU-approved germinal product establishment. The EU Commission list is updated regularly.
The germinal products travel with an appropriate official health certificate issued by the country of origin.
The germinal products are accompanied by the appropriate zootechnical certificate where the offspring produced from these are intended to be entered or registered in a breeding book for those animals.
You must register with Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) in order to allow the exporter to complete the export certification process. If this is your first time importing germinal products, you will need to contact TRACES directly to have the relevant activity validated. Register at [email protected].
If importing equine germinal products from outside the EU (for example GB, Australia etc) you must ensure:
You must retain all import documents and a validated common health entry document (CHED) for a minimum of three years.
The germinal products travel with an appropriate official health certificate issued by the country of origin i.e. an EU-approved third country health certificate.
You must register with TRACES in order to be able to submit Part I of the common health entry document (CHED). TRACES can assist with registration and ensure you have the correct validated activity on your operator profile ([email protected]).
In addition, you must register with DAFM and submit the required paperwork to the DAFM Import Portal. For more details please see ie – importing animals and animal products from the UK (www.gov.ie)
The germinal products are accompanied by the appropriate zootechnical certificate where the offspring produced from these are intended to be entered or registered in a breeding book for those animals.
Common health entry document (CHED) must be completed on TRACES-NT at least 24 hours prior to the importation and sent to the nominated border control post (BCP).
The appropriate fee for imports of equine germinal products from third countries is paid to the DAFM.
Germinal products may be imported through any of the BCPs in Ireland. For a list of BCPs and contact details please click here.
Please CLICK HERE for additional detail related to the above and for information on:
- Approved germinal product establishments
- Health certificates
- Zootechnical certificates
- Importation from within and outside the EU
- The November 2023 information note from DAFM; All imported germinal products must be imported through an EU-approved germinal product establishment, accompanied by a health certificate and zootechnical certificate, please CLICK HERE for more details.
Breeding contract
Advice to breeders in relation to the contract of breeding stallions and mares.
In relation to the process of having a mare covered; the following pieces of advice are useful items to consider and it is best that these items are covered in a written contract between the mare owner and the stallion owner.
- Once a suitable stallion for has been chosen, the mare owner should agree the covering fee for the service and any additional costs likely to be incurred (i.e. keep, veterinary fees) should also be agreed in advance with the stallion owner in a written contract.
- Important dates should be included in the contract. Of particular importance are the covering dates and the payment dates for covering and keep fees.
- Payment should be documented and recorded. The mare owner should ensure that they use a payment option which provides a receipt, and the receipt should include the total payment and identify the breakdown of the items that make up the total amount.
- Mare owners should ensure that they receive the mare owners yellow copy ‘record of service’ of the covering from the stallion owner.
- The contract may also specify what should happen if the mare does not go in foal (i.e. free return, return of fees, etc.,).
A sample contract is given here and we recommend that both mare owners and stallion owners adopt a practice of completing a written contract for each stud service of their horse. SAMPLE CONTRACT.