By TESA NAUMAN
Tennessee Correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For horse owners in Tennessee, a bright yellow form has been an official stamp of good health from the state for their animals. Now the state hopes the form is easier to identify.

Anyone in the state who owns a horse or other equine and participates in trail rides, shows, sales or events, where horses gather is required to have a Coggins test form. The bright yellow forms are proof that the animals have tested negative for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA).

In April, Tennessee’s Department of Agriculture began using perforated marks on the bottom of the form in lieu of a standard signature, according to the state’s Department of Agriculture.
“With the new perforated mark of approval, we hope to serve Tennessee’s horse community better by making the official Coggins test form easier to identify,” explained State Veterinarian Charles Hatcher. “We want fair, show and sale operators and other event organizers to be aware of the new look and to recognize that it meets state animal health requirements for EIA testing.”

EIA is a viral disease that affects horses. Transmitted through insect bites, the disease infects its victim throughout its lifetime, and the infected animal can infect other horses. Tennessee usually has a low number of EIA cases each year because of its disease testing and surveillance, Hatcher said.

Hatcher said there’s been a bit of confusion about the new forms, but nothing has changed except the added perforations on the form. The procedure for getting the form remains the same. When a person has their animal tested, the state sends the vet who did the testing the Coggins test form that now brandishes the new marks and the vet gives the owner their copy of the form.

The new marks on the bottom of the Coggins test forms spell out KORD ADDL, the department’s Kord Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, the test dates and NEG for negative.

The marks will help the state’s diagnostic lab save time. Instead of having to individually writing down information on each form confirming it is legitimate, the form is put through a perforating machine that creates the marks, Hatcher said.

Additionally, the new marks, which are punched through all of the carbon copies attached to the original form, help officials in the field know that the form is authentic.

“It’s permanent. You can’t change it or alter it. It helps as far as making sure that form hasn’t been falsified,” Hatch said.
Hatcher added that not only does the new procedure cut down on fraud, it is cost-effective, as well. “The machine that does the perforation was the only expense. It was not very expensive.”

For more information on EIA or the new Coggins test form, visit www.TN.gov/agriculture or call the State Veterinarian’s office at 615-837-5120.