Regulations National regulations require veterinarians to detail the health status of an equine traveler. Each nation's veterinary services practice preventive medicine to control the introduction of infectious equine diseases. Their regulations reduce the risk of such diseases spreading from one country to another. Politics influence the movement of horses, and ministries are responsible for enforcing their national regulations. Representatives screen all animals prior to acceptance for export or import.
Import restrictions can become political footballs.
In 1996, prior to the Olympic Games in Atlanta, federal and state officials debated the question of banning competition horses which were seropositive for piroplasmosis. This disease is endemic in most parts of the world, and the USDA aimed to keep native horses unexposed. The ensuing flap over allowing waivers resulted in a U.S. quarantine of foreign competitors during the equestrian events. Other nations label vesicular stomatitis, occurring the last two years in the United States, as a threat to their populations. They specify certain pre-export isolation periods.