Tuesday March 19, 2024
For National Pony Club updates and information please go to pcuk.org
Flu Vaccinations and EHV

To protect the the health of all horses and ponies and the biosecurity of venues, the following rules apply to all Pony Club activities.

Passports

A valid passport and vaccination record must accompany your horse/pony to all events. It should be available for spot checks at any time.

No horse/pony should attend an activity, compete or be present at any event as a companion unless it has a Record of Vaccination against Equine Influenza completed by the veterinary sureon who gave the vaccination, signed and stamped line by line, which complies with the Minimum Vaccination Requirements set out below:

Rule Changes – January 2024

All horses and ponies receiving a new primary course of vaccinations from 1 January 2024 must be vaccinated according to this schedule:

  • initial primary course of two vaccinations (V1 and V2) must be given: the second vaccination (V2) must be administered within 21-60 days of the first initial vaccination (V1)
  • Horses may attend activities 7 full days after receiving the second vaccination of the primary course (V2).
  • A first booster vaccination (V3) must be administered within 120 – 180 days of the administration of the second vaccination of the primary course.
  • Thereafter booster vaccinations must be administered at a maximum of 12 months intervals.

Horses and ponies must not attend activities within 7 days of receiving any vaccination. For clarity: no horse or pony may compete on the same day as a relevant injection is given or on any of the 6 days following such an injection.  

NB: This is the minimally appropriate booster schedule; it is highly recommended that horses and ponies competing regularly and travelling around the UK and abroad follow an optimal schedule and receive a booster within 6 months +21 days prior to arrival at the event or activity, in line with the FEI protocol.

 

BHA (British Horseracing Authority) / Racecourse Requirements

Please note the BHA requirements are different to the above. If taking part in Pony Racing all equines visiting a racecourse on race day must conform with the current BHA vaccination rules, regardless of where they will be sited.

For clarity, the BHA does not recognise the vaccination amnesty that was granted at the end of 2022 allowing ponies to have 2 vaccinations within 24 month period (i.e. one after 15 months followed by a 9 month booster).

BHA rule requires booster vaccinations every 6 months; the FEI rule requires booster vaccinations within 6 months +21 days of attending the event.
EHV

The Equine Herpes Virus is highly infectious and potentially fatal. Please don’t attend rallies, camps or competitions if your pony has a high temperature, a new cough, nasal discharge or is in a yard where there is a suspected or confirmed EHV case.

https://pcuk.org/officials/health-and-safety/equine-welfare-and-veterinary/