A current negative Coggins test is required for all horses residing on The JBiT Ranch, and is required on almost every farm in the country, at any public horse event, and on any state or National park. What you may not know is why.

Coggins was the name of the veterinary scientist who developed the definitive test for determining whether or not a horse was a carrier of the EIA virus. EIA (Equine Infectious Anemia) is a blood borne disease of the immune system in horses that acts quite similarly to AIDS in humans. It is not known to be contractible by humans, though, so rest easy. Before uniform, mandatory testing became the norm, it was not uncommon for entire herds to be mysteriously wiped out over a period of time by this silent killer. Since that time, however, EIA has been controlled to the point that reported cases are quite rare.

Please take a moment to look at your current Coggins certificate and note its date. To remain current, the Coggins test must be repeated annually (if traveling outside of Virginia, check your state’s requirements – they may range from 6 months to 2 years). This test can only be performed by a licensed veterinarian and generally costs about $20 plus farm call. What happens if a horse turns up positive? First, the farm on which that horse resides is quarantined by the State Department of Health. Every horse on the property, and any that left the property during the time the infected horse was present, must be tested. This is often done at the expense of the owner of the infected horse. The farm must remain quarantined for 30 days at the end of which all horses are tested again! The infected horse? Unfortunately he has only two options. A life of quarantine whereby he may never be within two hundred yards of any horse or horse pasture, or the animal must be destroyed. It’s quite reassuring to know all this can be avoided by having a current Coggins test.