Identification of levers for improving dead equine traceability: A survey of French equine owners’ perception of regulatory procedures following their animal’s death.

This research paper seeks to determine ways to improve the tracking of deceased horses in France by examining horse owners’ attitudes and behaviors towards the existing system. This includes their use of specific services and their compliance with regulations such as sending their horse’s passport back to the authorities after the horse’s death. The findings will help in refining the regulations and processes for increased compliance.

Background

• The current French equine tracking system is centered on a database called SIRE, maintained by the French horse and riding institute (IFCE).
• Legally, horse owners should take responsibility for removing a dead horse by contacting a disposal service directly or through a national association, ATM-équidés ANGEE (ATM), which offers negotiated pricing and help with updating the SIRE database.
• But many horse owners are not using these offers and do not return their horse’s passport to IFCE upon the horse’s death, as legally required, leading to a lack of adequate recording of horse deaths in the database.
• Disposal companies do register data on horse mortality, but cross-referencing with SIRE data is difficult making the traceability problematic.

Methodology

• The study looked at two key areas. First, how satisfied horse owners were with ATM and disposal services. Second, it looked at the barriers to owners returning the horse’s legally required passport to IFCE.
• An online survey was conducted, sent to 5158 horse owners who used ATM services over the course of a year. A response rate of 16.4% was achieved.

Results

• Most horse owners were satisfied with the services provided by ATM and the disposal companies.
• Barriers uncovered included the lack of easy, quick procedures for equine removal and a lack of connection between ATM and the disposal services.
• Most responding owners returned the horse’s passport through the disposal service or directly but compliance increased when the disposal service asked for the passport.
• The primary reason for not returning the passport was sentimental, with owners keeping it as a keepsake.

Conclusions

• This research suggests ATM and disposal companies play essential roles in the tracking of dead horses.
• To encourage better compliance, ATM’s services should be developed. This could include establishing direct connections with disposal companies to make it easier for owners to request removal and cross-reference data between ATM, disposal and SIRE databases.
• Disposal companies should also be given regulatory support to increase passport requests, formalizing their part in horse traceability.
• Lastly, better communication with horse owners would help inform them of the removal processes and responsibilities they need to fulfill.