Warmblood Import Nightmare

[roseymare]

UTE=Applecore;n10540248]

Glanders is a foreign animal disease (ie we don’t have it in the US and haven’t for decades), and the importation testing requirements are part of US code. So it literally requires an act of congress to change the law to accept the western blot test rather than the current complement fixation test which is considered the ‘gold standard’ and is what this horses is testing positive on. I know there was a paper this year comparing the two tests. I believe some high profile, well connected/funded horse people have been trying to get Congress involved, and there have been some high profile horses that tested positive, as someone linked to above. Additionally, if one horse tests positive the entire flight will have to stay in quarantine for 2-3 weeks and retest, which is very expensive and also pretty miserable for the horses (stall rest). I feel like I hear of it happening a lot more lately? Or maybe the testing requirements changed when there were a handful of positive glanders horses in Europe 5ish years ago so it’s no longer considered glanders free?

I’m so sorry OP, it’s a really crummy situation for everyone and there aren’t any good answers. I’d reach out to people mentioned above and see how they handled it. [/QUOTE]

I understand all of this but I am still surprised it hasn’t been changed yet with some high profile cases.

[vagabondrider]

Haven’t the high profile cases been related to piroplasmosis testing, not glanders?

[ladyj79]

Glanders was hugely on everyone’s radar because of the 2016 Rio Olympics, and also why horses can’t ship from Brazil before spending months in quarantine in a neighbouring country.

Europeans will import a horse with pyro, but glanders is still very much a concern.

[Mardi]

Hopefully this will be resolved with the horse’s best interest in mind.

The OP’s first post on December 20 is bit different than a southern California trainer’s Facebook post the same day frantically detailing the same story about her clients and asking for advice and funds. The media and politicians are being considered as a way to pressure the USDA, and a Go Fund Me page has been set up to help the new owners with expenses.

[findeight]

The USDA is not going to make exceptions and should not. The more contagious diseases we can keep out of this country, the safer our horses will be. And, yes, Piroplasmosis is the usual culprit. Sorry for the connections here, sucks but it’s a risk of importing versus buying one already here.

[kkgeorgio]

They should be in contact with their member of Congress as well on this one, to help liaise with USDA. Most officers should be back up and running Jan 2, but as this is an emergency situation, tell them to reach out now. You can PM me if you need any help with this angle.

[roseymare]

It is in the best interest of the country to utilize the most specific test available for FADs

[EverElite]

@kkgeorgio

They should be in contact with their member of Congress as well on this one, to help liaise with USDA. Most officers should be back up and running Jan 2, but as this is an emergency situation, tell them to reach out now. You can PM me if you need any help with this angle.

Not trying to be snarky - do Congressional offices & staff really get involved in this situation on an emergency basis? A US citizen stuck in quarantine, sure, that’s why we have embassies - but livestock?

I can understand working with a lobbyist and elected official to change federal law to the western blot test, but I’m having a hard time believing I can call up my House rep on Christmas Eve eve and ask them to get involved with the import of my five-figure horse.

[Denali6298]

@kkgeorgio

They should be in contact with their member of Congress as well on this one, to help liaise with USDA. Most officers should be back up and running Jan 2, but as this is an emergency situation, tell them to reach out now. You can PM me if you need any help with this angle.

I don’t think this would be an emergency at the congressional level. Yes they can be a liaison with the USDA but this is very much not an emergency.

[kkgeorgio]

@EverElite

Not trying to be snarky - do Congressional offices & staff really get involved in this situation on an emergency basis? A US citizen stuck in quarantine, sure, that’s why we have embassies - but livestock?

I can understand working with a lobbyist and elected official to change federal law to the western blot test, but I’m having a hard time believing I can call up my House rep on Christmas Eve eve and ask them to get involved with the import of my five-figure horse.

You won’t be able to get in contact with the actual member, no, but you can absolutely get in email contact with caseworkers. And I also posted on the eve of Christmas Eve, but yes, unfortunately the holiday is going to slow everything down. Point being, you should be able to get a response before Jan 2. The title of the post is correct- this situation is a costly nightmare (with no end in sight) that most offices would try to help out on where possible.

I do work on the hill, for an ag heavy district and I’ve helped farmers with issues costing them personally quite a bit less. Honestly, you wouldn’t believe some of the stuff we help with. Dealing with federal agencies can be a real bureaucratic nightmare. We have 6 staffers exclusively for case work.

[_Zara]

@Mardi

Hopefully this will be resolved with the horse’s best interest in mind.

The OP’s first post on December 20 is bit different than a southern California trainer’s Facebook post the same day frantically detailing the same story about her clients and asking for advice and funds. The media and politicians are being considered as a way to pressure the USDA, and a Go Fund Me page has been set up to help the new owners with expenses.

Wait what? Really crappy but not atypical horse drama turned international legislative issue and fundraising to boot! That progressed quickly.

[Classic]

Very informative thread. Hope COTH mag does, or has done, an article reflecting difficulties when importaing.

[Lindsay_Berreth]

@Classic

Very informative thread. Hope COTH mag does, or has done, an article reflecting difficulties when importaing.

I wrote an in-depth story about glanders testing following Sagacious’ issues coming back from Europe in the Sept. 18, 2017 issue of COTH. We also covered news about Sagacious’ issues on the website.

https://www.chronofhorse.com/article…-glanders-test

https://www.chronofhorse.com/article…-glanders-test

[Temecula_Jumper]

Update: the horse is still in isolation at Jet Pets at LAX. The family was finally able to get a CBC run on the horse and it came back with low WBC and very high monocytes. The USDA vet will still not prescribe antibiotics for the horse. The horse again tested suspect on the last CFt but was again negative on the western blot. The import company is now telling the family that this horse will never pass the CFt and needs to be shipped back to Europe. Jet Pets is also complaining that they want their barn back as the busy season is starting up, and if the family does not send the horse back, they will be charged $1,250 per day, beginning tomorrow.

[Peggy]

What a nightmare of a situation.

[Denali6298]

Just curious, can people request the test that the USDA accepts before the horse ships from Europe? Or is the only option the western blot test?

[Pennywell_Bay]

OP- I’m sorry. The incubation period is 2-7 days. Always a possibility there was exposure, however, USDA is a touch behind the times in this- as CFT has been know to give false positives and are typically confirmed by immunoblot. I’m not 100 percent familiar with the policy and procedures but am surprised there isn’t one in place to rule out false positives and allow entry. There are documented viruses and bacteria with a similar RNA or DNA genetic sequence that can give the false positive. Heartbreaking.

[Sswor]

@kkgeorgio

You won’t be able to get in contact with the actual member, no, but you can absolutely get in email contact with caseworkers. And I also posted on the eve of Christmas Eve, but yes, unfortunately the holiday is going to slow everything down. Point being, you should be able to get a response before Jan 2. The title of the post is correct- this situation is a costly nightmare (with no end in sight) that most offices would try to help out on where possible.

I do work on the hill, for an ag heavy district and I’ve helped farmers with issues costing them personally quite a bit less. Honestly, you wouldn’t believe some of the stuff we help with. Dealing with federal agencies can be a real bureaucratic nightmare. We have 6 staffers exclusively for case work.

That’s really interesting but all due respect to everyone, it’s a little outrageous that there exists a government agency that will assist the affluent in importing their upper 5 figure large livestock luxury pet–especially one that failed a health quarantine. This is clearly not a farmer with his/her livelihood on the line.

[Temecula_Jumper]

@Denali6298

Just curious, can people request the test that the USDA accepts before the horse ships from Europe? Or is the only option the western blot test?

The horse tested negative on both the CFT and western blot in Holland before he shipped to the US.

[Horsegirl_s_Mom]

I just feel so sorry for this family and for the horse. It seems like there should be some international agreement that sets the export and import tests for horses, such that a horse bound for the U.S. will get the exact tests the U.S. requires before being shipped, with no need for new testing upon arrival.

Sorry–I just saw the above post that the horse did have the very same tests the U.S. requires before he left Europe. Hmm. That seems like an extremely rare situation.