Equidae Working Group

Record of Decision

Teleconference Call - August 29, 2007

Present:

Shirley DeVenz
Reda Ouamara
Ron Clarke
Debbie Millar
Susan Stewart
Al Patterson
Bruce Brown
Sandra Conrad
Mara Coote Freeman
Craig Andreas
John Snobelen
Brian Tropea
Chris Gould
Bill desBarres
Dr. Edward Kendall

Absent:

Marnie Somers
Vel Evans
Dean Leifso
Gayle Ecker

The purpose of this conference call was discuss the National Animal Health Strategy, the upcoming workshop on September 18th and 19, 2007 and the pre-workshop questionnaire.

Overview of Presentation -
National Animal Health Strategy/August 2007

The presentation covered why we need a National Animal Health Strategy, what animals are covered in the strategy, who is involved, their roles and responsibilities, how the Strategy will be developed and where we are now in the process.

It was noted that perhaps the number of livestock farms was low.

What is the link between the National Animal Health Strategy and the National Farmed Animal Strategy? Are farmed animals represented in the strategy? The National Animal Health Strategy seeks to develop one strategy aiming at improving animal health and welfare of all animals in Canada and the National Animal Farmed Strategy is more of an economic strategy. It is not clear yet if the CAHC will continue to work with us on developing the National Animal Health Strategy. It will hopefully be cleared up at the August 1st meeting. The Equine Working Group is an observer on the Farmed Animal Working Group. The NAHS is working with other farmed animal groups to ensure proper representation of all farmed animals in the development of the strategy. The NAHS has only talked to partners who have a role to play during the life of farmed animals (e.g. from birth/import to death/export). It is not clear yet if disposal of animals and derived products should be included in the strategy and this will be decided at the September workshop.

How does the NAHS initiative connect to government policy? Governments are partners in Canada's animal health system and therefore play a part in the development through the involvement of the Council of Chief Veterinary Officers, Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health and the Candian Wildlife Directors Committee. The NAHS is neither a government strategy nor an industry strategy but an overall National strategy involving all players who have a role to play in Canada's animal health system. Policies and programs will be decided in July, 2008.

The Equine working group was formed to bring together a broad range of participants from the sector to work horizontally with the other working groups (e.g. farmed, companion)

The NAHS is a longer initiative and the Next Generation of Agriculture and Agri-Food Policy deals more with the farmed animal sector as it is an agricultural policy. There is a strong alignment of principles and objectives in both frameworks AAFC and CFIA are partners in both initiatives.

Information between the various working groups will be done by the NAHS team.

Action Item - Information regarding the CAHC and their strategy.

Action Item - Background email from NAHS Team to be sent out to Equine working group members

Discussion of proposed working definitions:

Animal Health: The state of a living organism, species, or population which can sustain biological functions to preserve its own integrity. Animal health includes animal welfare.

Animal Welfare: The state when an animal is in harmony with its environment and its physical health, and behavioural needs are fulfilled - in accordance with expert opinion and scientific knowledge.

Definitions are general and for use for this strategy the group can work with them and look at refining for their own interests.

Is there a specific definition for farmed animal and companion animals?

Action Item - input on definitions from other working groups that the equine industry holds an interest

Horses travel and intermingle more with people than any other animal species and these interests must be captured are they being covered. CCVO's are part of this initiative, Alberta is working on their own animal health strategy, and the provincial perspective will be part of the NAHS initiative.

Discussion of September workshop:

Exactly what is expected of the working group prior to the workshop and at the workshop? Prior to the workshop, discussion on the definitions, issues for the equine working group and issues to be considered in the scope of NAHS. What's in and what's out working with the pre-workshop questionnaire.

Discussion of Issues:

Overview of issues of the horse industry and other horse issues from research of NAHS:

• Horse diseases which impact humans
• Horse transportation
• Functional Horses
• PMU
• Horse Meat
• Feral Horses
• Intermingling (travel and contact with people e.g. parades, rodeos, trail riding)
• Welfare (end of life - neglected and abandoned)
• Regulatory
• Economic - market access
• Definition of Horses
• Management of Drugs

Horse meat, transportation and intermingling is extremely important from a health perspective due to contact with humans.

Health issues that impact markets (e.g. Australia equine epidemic)

Regulatory - relationship with veterinarians, owners and horses in public barns

Welfare - end of life - (neglected and abandoned) measures not acceptable in the future which will pose health challenges

Environment - manure management and disposal

Feral Horse (health and endangerment)

• Impacting outfitters in National Parks due to disease
• Preservation of feral horses - active group in Alberta aiming to protect feral horses by legislation
• Fable Island horses/Suffield

Which of these issues could be solved by the NAHS?

Entertainment horses and movement of horses (horse shows, breeding, economic impact) should be defined. Terms "companion" "entertainment" do not adequately describe equine species. Classifying/categorizing equidae using the concept of functional livestock and companion animals is not clear and horses are clearly unique and proposing another definition would be useful. American Horse Council definitions and Equine Canada definitions should be reviewed in positioning horses in the livestock sector.

Equidae cover horses, donkeys and mules

Participants - are all sectors covered within the working group. Looking to include slaughter, feedlot and trail industry.

Action Item - provide American Horse Council definition and Equine Canada definitions to working group for feedback

Action Item - provide a list of issues for input to the working group (Economic, Human Health, Animal Health, Welfare and Environment Impacts)

Action Item - proposed participants from other sectors to be forwarded

Other Items:

For the National Animal Health Strategy Workshop on September 18th and 19th, 2007, we would only like "participants" at the workshop who are members of working groups. We do not have room for observers at this time.

Records of Decision will be placed on the National Animal Health Strategy website when is it up and running.

Next Meeting:

Friday, September 14, 2007 at 10:00 am (Ottawa Time)