Development of the National Equine Identification & Traceability System has evolved out of the need for the NZ equine industry to be as prepared as possible to respond quickly and efficiently to a post-border disease outbreak. The New Zealand Equine Health Association (NZEHA) has extensively investigated both national and international best practices when it comes to successful and cost effective disease response in equine populations.

A strong common theme from the evidence and research available is where there is a ID system in place ahead of an outbreak to identify animals and connect with their guardians, that there was a significant correlation between this and the success of the response plus minimising the costs involved. Being that the NZ equine industry is relatively small and significantly underfunded, being as prepared as possible is a key step we can take ahead of time. This project is industry led by the NZEHA as the New Zealand equine industry hold responsibility for 50% of the cost of a post border disease response as part of the Government Industry Agreement. Because of this we need to ensure that the limited funds we do have are spent efficiently in the face of an outbreak.

On this page you will find some of the the supporting evidence that has guided this project and may be useful to helping horse owners better understand why NEIT is a worthwhile project to protect the health and welfare of our horses.