Identification of New Zealand’s horse populations is a fundamental element of New Zealand’s equine biosecurity success.
The New Zealand Equine Health Association’s mission is to protect the health and welfare of New Zealand horses. Disease incursion is recognised as one of the key concerns for the health of the New Zealand equine population, and hence, any opportunities to identify and trace the population will be crucial in isolating and controlling the spread of potential outbreaks.
The National Equine Identification & Traceability (NEIT) system is a project the NZEHA and its equine industry partners have been working quietly on in the background for the last decade. Since 2020, the focus of this project has become a key priority for the organisation, with a working group being formed and more active measures being taken to deliver an identification and traceability solution for the New Zealand horse herd.
The end goal of NEIT is to protect the health of all New Zealand horses by collating the identification data already captured by numerous equine organisations in New Zealand into one master database, as well as create a place for the identification and traceability data of the remaining equine population to be housed. In doing so, we are maximising our post-border biosecurity readiness to quickly and efficiently respond to an equine disease outbreak, ultimately affecting the success and cost of that disease response.
This project will use microchipping, a globally recognised and safe means of uniquely identifying horses. Of course, microchipping has additional benefits, including being quickly identifiable in the face of a natural disaster, supports proof of ownership, the ability to record a baseline reading on their temperature with the use of Bio-Thermo microchips, and improved welfare outcomes for all New Zealand horses.
We will continue to provide updated information on the NEIT system as it is developed, but if you have any further questions, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions or contact us. Alternatively you can also head over to the dedicated NEIT website - www.neit.org.nz
Equine Vaccination Guidelines
Vaccination is a vital component of equine health management and assists in protecting horses against a raft of infectious diseases, such as tetanus, strangles, equine herpes virus, salmonella, rotavirus and others.
Equine Surveillance
Understanding the importance of equine surveillance is fundamental to successful disease surveillance within the New Zealand equine industry. Below the Equine Veterinary Surveillance Network explains the approach to equine surveillance in the UK horse population.
If you want more information about the Natinal Equine Identification and Traceability (NEIT) system that isn’t mention here please contact us.
