The European Union (EU) is in the process of revising its transport of animals regulations, writes Dr Desmond Leadon, Veterinary Advisor to the ITBA. These regulations are aimed at improving the welfare of the 1.8 million animals destined for slaughter in and from the EU. The EU entrusted its European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) – which is essentially a veterinary advisory body – with the responsibility of providing it with a scientific basis for the new proposals. Importantly, EFSA has multiple representative members, but there are no EFSA members who are experts in the horse industry in general and the thoroughbred industry in particular.
The EFSA published its report in September 2022 and stated that it had found no evidence to differentiate the effects of transport between registered horses (thoroughbreds and other high- value, high health breeds) and those destined for slaughter. The EFSA chose “to treat them as one”. The EU responded by drafting welfare in transport regulations for all horses, which include inspection protocols at loading and unloading, at border crossings and stipulations on journey durations, per movement residency requirements and on temperature ranges in which such movements can take place.
Lobbying by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) succeeded in obtaining a ‘derogation’ or exemption from these regulations for racehorses and elite competition horses. Sadly, and importantly, no such derogation was given to the thoroughbred breeding industry. When subsequently questioned during intensive lobbying by the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders Associations (EFTBA) as to why this was not forthcoming, the initial EU response was that it was an “oversight” and subsequently “that it was too difficult”.
The absence of a derogation for the breeding industry has multiple ramifications that will have significant adverse consequences. The seven-day residency requirement is incompatible with the current facilities and practices of thoroughbred auction sales. Documentary evidence of this fact, supplied by all of Europe’s major sales companies, has been sent by the EFTBA to the EU. The proposal to forbid the transport of pregnant mares beyond 80% of gestation will prevent the transfer of mares from private stud farms to foaling units. The proposal that young foals should not be transported postpartum would preclude foal heat coverings. The proposal for mandatory state veterinarian inspection of all loading and unloading is unworkable and the proposals for compulsory unloading at all state border crossings does not take account of the facts that this creates biohazards and risks injury. The regulations restricting movement to specific temperature ranges take no account of the differences between internal temperature within the vehicle and the external temperature.
In subsequent correspondence aimed at further meetings with the EU, the EFTBA was asked for responses to four specific questions to try to move towards a solution to these problems. The first question was “what are the routes and distances travelled by breeding horses?” The EFTBA responded that as many of the racing centres of Europe are synonymous with its breeding centres, the routes and distances travelled were essentially the same and that racing had been given a derogation, but that breeding had not. The second question asked for the numbers of breeding related movements. The EFTBA stated that if one takes the global population of European thoroughbred mares to be in the order of 35,000 and one accepts the global fertility figure of 55%, then the average conception requires two journeys to and from the stallion, giving a global figure of some 140,000 such movements. If the EU auction sales entries totals are then added to this figure, it rises to some 160,000-170,000 breeding related movements. This figure is in line with the European race entry figure and once again, racing has been given a derogation, but breeding has not.
The third question asked for details of the vehicles and personnel used for breeding-related movements. The EFTBA responded by stating that in essence the same vehicles and type of personnel are used for the transport of breeding stock as is the case for racing. Once again, racing has been given a derogation but breeding has not. Question four sought information on guidelines for the transport of breeding stock. The EFTBA has worked hard with the ITBF and IFHA’s joint working group and has now produced its ‘Welfare in Transport Guidelines for the Breeding Sector’ as Section 8 of a joint ITBF/EFTBA/IFHA document. These are based on and analogous to the transport guidelines issued by both the IFHA and FEI. Yet again, the racing and competition sector has been given a derogation in this context, but the breeding industry has not.
There is no evidence that the current practices for transport of breeding stock result in compromised welfare and it is entirely wrong to equate our practices with those of the slaughter horse industry. Furthermore, and disturbingly, an EU parliamentary briefing document on these regulations states that a plan should be made to create a fund to facilitate the transition from transport for natural mating of breeding stock and replace it with transfer of semen and embryos. This, too, would have very serious consequences in an industry with a declining stallion base, potentially increasing inbreeding.
These proposals have now left the EU Commission and will next be considered by the EU Council of Ministers and then by the EU parliament. The time available for obtaining a derogation for the breeding industry is finite and may realistically be as short as six months, i.e. by the end of the current Polish Presidency of the EU. The EFTBA has joined with the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF) and its CEO Paull Khan in its efforts to redress these multiple problems and achieve a derogation for the breeding sector. Both the EFTBA and EMHF have sought the further help of the International Sport Horse Confederation (ISHC), which acts as a united voice for both the racing and equestrian sectors in this monumental endeavour.
Ultimately, it will be up to everyone in this industry to understand the magnitude of the problem that we face and to make their voice heard in every forum available to them. Quite simply, this must not happen!
