New regulations requiring horses destined for slaughter to have paperwork documenting illnesses and medication for the previous six months have created confusion at auction markets.
The Aug. 13 horse sale at Alberta’s Grande Prairie Auction Market was cancelled because of the confusion surrounding the new Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations requiring slaughter facilities to have complete records for each horse.
Marty Gilfillan, manager of the Grande Prairie Auction Market, said his employees are trying to figure out how to manage the documentation.
“I knew it was going to be a paperwork nightmare,” said Gilfillan. “The document is getting shorter, but it is still complicated.”
Read Also
Manitoba Parkland research station grapples with dry year
Drought conditions in northwestern Manitoba have forced researchers at the Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation to terminate some projects and reseed others.
The Equine Identification Document requires the name of the animal, land location or premise identification number, horse’s markings, colour, pedigree, pictures of the animal and a history of drugs or vaccinations given to the animal with the last six months.
Gilfillan said he heard of one auction that only sold 50 to 60 head of horses, but it took two to three days before and after the sale to do paperwork.
His northern Alberta horse sales are more likely to draw 250 horses, which could take staff 30 days to do paperwork.
“I haven’t got 30 days to do a sale.”
Gilfillan expects to have a process established so that the September horse sale will go ahead.
Don Fessler, manager of the Vold Jones auction in Dawson Creek, B.C., said he and his staff are preparing the paperwork for their upcoming Sept. 25 horse sale.
“It looks like it will be a lot of work for us.”
Danny Daines of Innisfail Auction Market said the paperwork accompanying horses will become part of the auction process.
AUGUST 26, 2010
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4
The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications,
which is owned by GVIC Communications Inc. Publisher, Larry Hertz Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240; Registration No. 10676 “This is just the way it is,” said Daines, who has held two horse auctions since the regulations took effect July 31.
Now, Daines and his wife, Dusty, fill out the EID for each horse owner and take pictures of each horse coming through the auction to help streamline the process.
Each picture must be signed and dated by the owner. In the medication declaration form, Daines said the most common medication is dewormer.
The date and dosage given must be recorded and the documents signed in blue ink.
Daines said meat buyers are given a list of the horse documentation before the sale.
“Where it would hurt is if you didn’t fill these out, you wouldn’t get the value you should,” he said.
Bruce Flewelling, an auctioneer and horse buyer from Strathmore, Alta., said the extra paperwork is here to stay.
“It’s going to be pretty complicated. With my wife’s help, I can live with it.”
The new rules will affect the price of horses without proper documentation. A 1,200-pound horse that would normally sell for 40 cents per lb. would bring $480. The same horse without paperwork would likely sell for $100.
A horse without paperwork would need to spend six months in a feedlot to ensure no medication is in the meat destined for European dinner plates.
“The Europeans don’t want meat with drugs in it,” said Flewelling.
