The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has amended its import rules to allow noncompetitive entertainment horses to be temporarily brought into the U.S. from countries affected with the venereal disease, Contagious Equine Metritis, effective July 7.

Noncompetitive entertainment horses are those that participate in performances or exhibitions, such as the Lippizan Horses of Austria and the performance stallions in Cavalia.

Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) shows no symptoms, but it’s a highly contagious venereal disease and can cause infertility. In May, the Spanish Riding School of Vienna confirmed that several of its stallions carried the disease. It made changes to its performance schedule and management to keep the disease contained. CEM is considered a foreign disease in the United States. Nonetheless, horses here have been infected. 

The new USDA rules allow entertainment horses to enter the U.S. under certain safeguards, while still protecting U.S. horses from the disease.

“The American Horse Council has been working on this issue for some time, and is pleased that the final rule has been published and will soon go into effect” states Kerry Thompson, AHC Director of Health and Regulatory Affairs.