India has established its first Equine Disease-Free zone in Meerut, marking a major milestone in veterinary health and horse export standards. This achievement strengthens the country’s standing in global horse trade and equestrian sports.
Seismic-Proof Biosecurity Standards Ensure Horse Health
The Equine Disease-Free zone in Meerut has been designed with world-class biosecurity systems. It even meets seismic-proof safety standards, ensuring that horses remain safe from natural disasters and infections. The area is carefully controlled to stop any disease from entering or spreading, making it a secure place for breeding and maintaining healthy horses.
Declared Equine Disease-Free: Influenza, Glanders, Surra
This zone has been officially declared free of three serious equine diseases: Equine Influenza, Glanders, and Surra. These diseases affect horses’ respiratory and nervous systems and can be fatal. The disease-free status is a result of regular testing, vaccination, and strict isolation practices, helping to ensure the highest health standards.
Equine Disease-Free Zone Gets WOAH Recognition
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has recognized the efforts made in establishing this zone. This international recognition makes India one of the few countries with a certified Equine Disease-Free facility. It also improves India’s reputation in the global animal health and trade community.
This makes horse-related businesses in India more trustworthy on the international stage, opening doors to global partnerships.
Enables Sport-Horse Exports & Global Competition
The disease-free status now allows India to export high-quality sport horses to countries around the world. Until now, the presence of diseases like Glanders made it difficult for Indian horses to compete internationally or be sold to other countries. With this new Equine Disease-Free zone, India can now participate more actively in global equestrian events and trade.
Located at Meerut’s RVC Centre & College
The zone is located at the Meerut Equine Health Centre, inside the RVC Centre and College, which is part of the Indian Army’s Remount Veterinary Corps. This location has both medical and research facilities and is well-equipped to manage large-scale horse health programs. The college plays a key role in maintaining health standards and providing trained professionals.
Supported by MoD, Animal Husbandry and EFI
This initiative has been strongly supported by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Department of Animal Husbandry, and the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI). These agencies worked together to create a model that could help India become a hub for healthy and export-ready horses.
Model Now Being Extended to Poultry HPAI Zones
The success of this Equine Disease-Free zone is now inspiring similar efforts in the poultry sector. Authorities are working to set up Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) free zones to support poultry exports.
For more details, you can read the official report from GK Today.
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