A New Era Begins For Equine Health In New Zealand

The health and wellbeing of New Zealand’s horses are set to take a major leap forward with the launch of the New Zealand Equine Health Association’s (NZEHA) new biosecurity initiative in August 2025.

Following years of research and collaboration, the National Equine Identification and Traceability (NEIT) project has developed into a comprehensive system designed to strengthen biosecurity across the country. The NEIT system will build a nationwide database of horse locations and ownership, enabling faster, more efficient responses during equine disease outbreaks. This system will not only protect the national herd but also deliver a return on investment of 63:1 for the equine industry in the event of a disease outbreak.

“It’s been a long journey to reach this point,” said Dr Trish Pearce, NZEHA Executive Advisor. “While some may view the new requirements as an added cost, the truth is that a robust system is essential for us to undertake any disease response efforts. Over 23 exotic diseases pose a threat to New Zealand horses, and some of these affect people or other livestock as well. The NEIT system is a simplified traceability tool designed to meet these challenges effectively. It only tracks ownership changes—not the movement of horses throughout their lives.”

The NEIT system aligns with the Government Industry Agreement (GIA), which requires industries to share the costs of managing post-border disease outbreaks. It will ensure a rapid, coordinated response in the event of a disease outbreak by identifying and locating equines quickly and accurately.

From August 2025, all foals born in New Zealand will be required to have a microchip. This will be a straightforward procedure, which can be combined with other regular farm visits, such as ram palpation, to minimize costs. Once a foal is microchipped and the vet records the relevant information, the farmer will receive an email confirming ownership details for review. The system is designed to be simple: movement tracking is only necessary if the horse is sold or dies. Horses born before August 2025 will not require microchipping but owners may voluntarily chip and register these at any time.

There will be a one-time registration fee, but NZEHA will cover all subsequent costs over the horse's lifetime.

As this is an industry-wide initiative, the system will apply to stationbred horses including foals that are bred on farms in a managed herd with low levels of human contact. The NZEHA note that there are always risks such as standardbred horses being purchased from high density populations, horse sports, or young horses being broken in and then sold. For the NEIT system to be robust, it needs to be a blanket approach.

“This is just the beginning,” Pearce concluded. “As the system continues to grow, the database will become more populated, and we will have a clearer picture of where horses are located, who owns them, and how we can protect the national herd. August 2025 marks the start of a new era in equine health and biosecurity.”

The NZEHA is a non-government organisation and a registered charity. For more information, visit

www.neit.org.nz.

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