Regulatory Perspective on Individual Equine Identification - Dr. Diane Stacy, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, from the 2017 Equine Forum: Advancing ID, Technology, and Electronic Health Records, January 17 - 18, 2017, Denver, CO, USA. More presentations at http://www.trufflemedia.com/agmedia/conference/2017-equine-forum-id-tech-ehr

1. State Regulatory Perspective on Equine ID
Diane Stacy, DVM
Assistant State Veterinarian

2. Louisiana’s Equine Infectious
Anemia Program
EIA program established in early 1970’s with advent of
AGID test
Highlights
Negative test within 12 months on entry
Negative test within 12 months at equine events
Negative test within 6 months on change of ownership
Annual negative test for all equine in state
Positives are consigned to euthanasia
All equine within 200 yards of positive are tested
Major changes in ID requirement in 1994

3. §913. Equine Infectious Anemia
(Formerly §507)
A. Identification. Beginning February 1, 1994, all equine
prior to an official test for equine infectious anemia (EIA) shall
be individually and permanently identified by one of the
following means:
1. implanted electronic identification transponder with
individual number;
2. individual lip tattoo;
3. individual hot brand or freeze brand.

4. YEAR Total Number Tested Positives
1995 42,576 373
1996 45,523 156
1997 47,501 127
1998 49,593 112
1999 54,246 92
2000 58,500 91
2001 69,843 53
2002 (Through June) 13
PROGRAM ACTIVITY

5. • Other livestock disease programs require ID
• Written identification and descriptions often insufficient and
inconsistent, i.e. “Bay horse”
• Poor descriptions without identified markings caused
abuses of the program and legal problems
• Better traceability in disease cases
• Theft deterrent and identification of stolen horses
• Natural disasters-reunification of lost, rescued horses

6. Permanent ID Methods
• Brands
• Painful
• Often not individual
• Lip Tattoos
• Jockey Club & QH Association have
good tattoo systems
• Can fade, can be altered
• Microchips
• Embraced by horse owners and private
vets for permanent individual ID
• Easily placed with few problems
• Technological advantages

7. • LDAF dispensed microchips to private accredited
veterinarians
• LDAF sold readers to vets at reduced cost
• LDAF personnel applied microchips to horses at
congregation points at reduced cost ($10)
• LDAF established electronic database to record and
search for microchips

9. • Negative tests are
scanned into an in-house
Document Imaging
System
• Database is traditional
Sequential on the
backend, ASP front end
(active server pages)

10. Tests are then cataloged by the following searchable
fields: owner’s name, zip code, permanent ID

11. Our database allows us to search the EIA history
of any horse tested in the state of Louisiana.

12. All horses tested by that owner are shown but there’s
no date given; last one scanned is on top. Technol0gy
is dated but still effective search program.

13. Physical description still must be included on test
chart.

14. But not all vets include the description and problems
occurred when no chip reader available at venue.

15. • LDAF used Destron reader that would only read 9 digit chip
• AVID readers available that would read 15-digit chip
• Readers not universal to read both chips
• All states did not accept microchips and often refused entry
of LA test if description not complete, even if microchip
present on test chart
• Racing industry objected to use of microchips-exemption
granted

16. • Labor intensive to scan charts and enter data into
searchable fields
• No in-house IT support available as creator of our system
has retired
• Keeping up with technology with ISO chips and readers
• Concerns over mandatory 840 chips
• Racing exemption discontinued in 2017

17. Contact Info
Diane Stacy, DVM
Assistant State Veterinarian
Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry
225-925-3980 Office
225-935-2173 Direct
225-237-5555 Fax
dstacy@ldaf.la.gov