I recently moved to Frederick, Maryland (thanks for all the stable and boarding suggestions, COTH!) and the question just occured to me…
If I cap around my first season, do I have to get a health certificate every time I trailer from MD to VA? What do you guys do?
A health certificate is good for 30 days most of the time. That said, I do not get a HC when crossing state lines in the Mid-Atlantic area unless I am required to have one by the place I am headed.
I live in PA. I ride at Fair Hill, MD sometimes. I have never gotten a health certificate. I do carry a copy of my current coggins in the trailer and one in the truck.
I’m in VA and have hunted in MD and did not get a health cert when I trailered my horse in for the day.
Well, my experience is not recent, but when I kept my horse in MD and hunted in VA in late 70s to early 80s, never got a health certificate. Same with hunting trips to W. Va. Always had a current Coggins but I can’t say I had it on me. Same when I later kept my horse in VA and sometimes hunted in MD.
MD, VA, PA generally honor an agreement that horses coming into a neighboring state for a day or two for a show / hunting / schooling do not require a Health Certificate. The exceptions will be site / show specific and stated in the prizelist, etc.
star
I looked up the regs on the VA Department of Ag website when I moved to MD.
The way I read it you were supposed to have a health certificate, but everybody I’ve ever spoken to looked at me like I had two heads, so as far as I can tell it is never enforced.
If you drive something big enough that you need to stop at weigh bridges you probably want to get an official answer and do things right, but if you are towing a two horse and carrying a health cert I think you might be the only one.
I live in South Central PA and ship regularly to a hunter trainer in VA…and I foxhunt 1- 2x a week with a pack with country in MD and WV. Have yet to ever get a health certificate. Have even been pulled over in VA to have my diesel fuel tested (???), but never hs anyone, anywhere asked for a health certificate.
gypsymare…PM me about hunting with New Market- Middletown Valley if you have any interest!
We have always had one when moving to another state( 7 times now) and only once have I been asked to show it when crossing state lines. I thought it was a requirement when hauling across state lines( it probably is) . You are probably o.k. as long as you have the current coggins. If you were to get pulled over you could probably get off with a warning.
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