NEWMARKET STUD FARMERS’ ASSOCIATION

2012 BREEDING REGULATIONS

The Horserace Betting Levy Board’s (HBLB) Code of Practice will be strictly applied with respect to the control of Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA), Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1), Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA), Dourine, Contagious Equine Metritis (CEMO) and other Equine Bacterial Venereal Diseases, as well as additional precautions that are considered necessary by the Newmarket Stud Farmers’ Association.

A.  HIGH RISK MARES - those who have had previous contact with CEMO or who originate from countries outside France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom (a full definition of high/low risk status can be found at Appendix 2 of the HBLB Code of Practice (http://codes.hblb.org.uk/index.php/page/126) require:

Before first time of covering:

Two negative clitoral swabs taken after 1st January 2012 and at least seven days apart at the home premises or the boarding stud.
One negative endometrial swab taken after 1st January 2012 at the home premises or the boarding stud during the oestrus prior to service.

Clitoral and endometrial swab test results must be certified negative for CEMO, Klebsiella pneumoniae (capsule types 1, 2, & 5) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by a Horserace Betting Levy Board Designated Laboratory (UK) or other National Approved Laboratory in Ireland or France. Swab certificates from laboratories in other countries will not be accepted and tests will need to be repeated at the boarding stud, unless the Laboratory is accredited by the HBLB Laboratory Approval Scheme, following quality assurance testing. See note c) at the end of these regulations.

Subsequent walkings-in:

Repeat negative endometrial swab for each subsequent oestrus period.

B. LOW RISK MARES require:

Before first time of covering:

One negative clitoral swab test and one negative endometrial swab test taken after 1st January 2012 with the latter taken during oestrus. Negative swab test results must be certified for clearance for CEMO, Klebsiella pneumoniae (capsule types 1, 2, & 5) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by a Horserace Betting Levy Board Designated Laboratory (UK) or other National Approved Laboratory in Ireland or France. Swab certificates from laboratories in other countries will not be accepted, unless the Laboratory is accredited by the HBLB Laboratory Approval Scheme, following quality assurance testing. See note c) at the end of these regulations. The Stallion Stud Manager may, at his or her discretion, on veterinary advice, allow mating to proceed on the basis of satisfactory results from aerobic culture of endometrial swabs if adequate clitoral swabbing has already been carried out. However the microaerophilic culture or PCR endometrial swab results should be sent to the stallion stud as soon as they are available.

Subsequent walkings-in:

Repeat endometrial swab tests during all subsquent oestrus periods must be cultured aerobically or PCR tested for Klebsiella Pneumoniae & Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, and results certified before the mare is covered.  Microaerophilic cultures or PCR testing for CEMO are still recommended and full results should follow afterwards if covering has already taken place.

C.  ALL MARES

In the case of pregnant mares who have had difficult foalings requiring veterinary attention and antibiotic treatments, an additional clitoral swab should be taken after foaling and more than 7 days after antibiotic treatment has finished, in addition to routine endometrial swabs, in order to rule out acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. Providing the pre-foaling clitoral swab was certified negative for Taylorella equigenitalis, the additional post-foaling clitoral swab may be cultured aerobically or PCR tested only.

D.  EVA tests to be taken after 1st January 2012

1. All mares that have not been outside the United Kingdom and Ireland within the last 12 months will require one negative blood test to be taken after 1st January 2012 and before service. Seropositive mares will require two blood-tests to be taken a minimum of 14 days apart; these should demonstrate a stable or declining titre.

2. All mares originating from outside the UK and Ireland will require two negative blood tests, the first to be taken within a 28 day period prior to arrival in the UK, with the second to be taken at the boarding stud, a minimum of 14 days after arrival. Similarly, animals that are seropositive for EVA will require two tests to be taken in the UK. These should be taken a minimum of 14 days apart and demonstrate a stable or declining titre. It is recommended that mares travelling from Mainland Europe should not be travelled with non-thoroughbreds or with any animals that have not been tested for EVA. All correctly completed international travel documents should accompany the mare/s.
 
3. NB. If a mare should leave the boarding stud after service or scanning in foal and thereafter wish to return during further oestrus, it may be necessary to provide a second negative EVA test.

These test results must confirm no significant rise in antibody titres (seroconversion).

E.  EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANAEMIA (EIA)

1. All mares that have NOT been outside the United Kingdom and Ireland within the last 12 months will require one negative blood test for EIA to be taken after 1st January 2012.

2. All mares originating from OUTSIDE the United Kingdom and Ireland will require a negative blood test for EIA taken no more than 14 days prior to arrival in this country. A second blood test must be taken at the boarding stud, prior to covering, a minimum of 14 days after arrival. Further blood tests must be taken as required to ensure that the mare is tested within 21 days prior to, and as close as possible to, EACH COVERING until a final blood test has been taken a minimum 60 days after the mares arrival in this country.

3. Any mare arriving from ITALY with a foal at foot will require a blood test for EIA to be taken from the foal a minimum of 14 days after arrival in this country.

F.  DOURINE

Mares arriving from Italy and mares arriving from outside the United Kingdom and Ireland who have been in Italy since 1st January 2011 will require two negative blood tests for Dourine, the first to be taken within a 28 day period prior to arrival in the UK, with the second to be taken at the boarding stud, a minimum of 14 days after arrival. Mares already in the United Kingdom and Ireland who have been in Italy since 1st January 2011 will require a single blood test for Dourine which must have been taken a minimum of 14 days after their arrival.

G.  STRANGLES

Owners and managers are required to declare any possible contact or exposure their mares or stud might have had to strangles, over the last two years. The current Code of Practice guidelines on prevention and control will be observed.

The following documents MUST ACCOMPANY THE MARE the first time she walks in for covering:

a) Clitoral swab certificate(s) – specifically certifying negative culture or PCR results for Taylorella equigentalis (CEMO), Klebsiella pneumoniae (capsule types 1, 2 & 5) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  Negative test results must be certified by a Horserace Betting Levy Board designated Laboratory (UK), or other National approved laboratory in Ireland or France. Certificates from Laboratories outside these three countries will not be accepted, unless the Laboratory is accredited by the HBLB Laboratory Approval Scheme, following quality assurance testing. See note c) at the end of these regulations.

b) Cervical/endometrial swab certificate –– specifically certifying negative culture or PCR results for Taylorella equigentalis (CEMO), Klebsiella pneumoniae (capsule types 1, 2 & 5) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  Negative test results must be certified by a Horserace Betting Levy Board designated Laboratory (UK), or other National approved laboratory in Ireland or France. Certificates from Laboratories outside these three countries will not be accepted, unless the Laboratory is accredited by the HBLB Laboratory Approval Scheme, following quality assurance testing. See note c) at the end of these regulations. An additional cervical swab certificate must be provided for each subsequent oestrus period in which the mare is to be covered. CEMO culture or PCR results may follow but Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture or PCR results must be certified before the mare is covered.

c) A passport or fully legible photocopy (to include number, markings and vaccinations) MUST accompany the mare on EVERY occasion when walking in. Equine influenza and tetanus vaccinations must be up to date.

d) Horserace Betting Levy Board or other National Approved Laboratory breeding history certificate (CEM certificate)

e) A correctly completed N.S.F.A. Freedom from Infection Certificate is required on every occasion that the mare walks in, including cross services.

f) Negative EVA test certificate(s).

g) Negative EIA test certificate(s).

h) Negative Dourine test certificate(s), if required (see F. above).

PLEASE NOTE

a) Additional swabbing and/or other tests may be required in certain circumstances at the stallion stud manager’s discretion.

b) If a mare is changed from one stallion to another during the course of the breeding season a new clitoral swab, endometrial swab and EVA test will be required. These should be taken no sooner than seven days after the mare was last covered by the original stallion.

c) The HBLB may give approval to Laboratories outside the United Kingdom if the Laboratories have successfully completed the HBLB’s quality assurance tests. A list of Laboratories will be published on their website www.hblb.org.uk. Mares with swab results from these Laboratories may be accepted for covering by stallion studs provided results are CERTIFIED ON THE CORRECT HBLB MARE CERTIFICATES. Mare owners and boarding studs must establish with the relevant stallion stud that these results are acceptable well in advance of covering.