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Horses frequently cross the border from Mexico to the United States.
Horse owners who wish to move their horses from Mexico to the U.S. must go through a broker, who holds a special permit from the Mexican government for the exportation of animals. This broker will arrange for paperwork to be completed and will arrange transportation for the horse. |
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| A horse will arrive at the USDA Inspection pens on the Mexican side of the border and will be stabled there until it has passed inspection. |
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On the day of arrival, the horse will have a cursory examination and will have its blood drawn. The blood is sent off to a laboratory and will be screened for antibodies to equine infectious anemia, dourine, glanders, and equine piroplasmosis (Babesia equi and Babesia caballi). |
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| If all serologic (blood) tests are negative, the horse is then checked for ticks. If any ticks are found on the horse, the horse will not be allowed entry. The most common tick found on these horses is the Spinose Ear Tick, which does not carry babesiosis. |
| The presence of any type of tick means that the horse was not properly treated for ticks prior to arriving at the inspection station, and the possibility of the horse having a Boophilus tick is high. Horses are not affected by the protozoan that causes bovine babesiosis, but they may carry a Boophilus tick into the United States that could then drop off, move to a cow, and infect the cow with Babesia. |
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If the horse passes the tick inspection, it is tagged with a USDA mane tag and then sprayed with a solution of coumaphos from head to tail.
The USDA mane tag has a unique number that identifies this horse. |
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USDA Animal Health Technician sprays a mare and her foal.
Note that he is wearing full protective suits, gloves, and masks. |
A Mexican worker at the Nuevo Laredo Inspection Office spraying a horse with coumaphos.
This worker does NOT have PPE.
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| The pictures tell an interesting story about health safeguards in the workplace! |
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| Video of horse being sprayed (Quicktime; 2.8 MB) >> |
| Once a horse is sprayed, it is loaded onto a trailer, and that trailer is sealed with USDA seals. The import paperwork is signed and given to the driver, and the horse is allowed to cross the US border. Once in the US, it must travel under the same regulations as domestic horses. |
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Texas
2005 | Importation of Horses Througb Land Ports