Spanish Pure Breed Horses from Spain

We are amending the regulations for the importation of Spanish Pure Breed horses from Spain by removing the requirement that the health certificate accompanying imported Spanish Pure Breed horses from Spain specify that the horses, since reaching breeding age, have not been on breeding premises. In place of that requirement, we will require that the health certificate accompanying Spanish Pure Breed horses certify, among other things, that, since reaching breeding age, the horses have not been on a farm that is exclusively a breeding premises; have not been bred; have not attempted to breed; and have not been commingled and left unattended with adult horses of the opposite sex. We are also correcting the name of the horse breed association of Spain. We believe that this action will relieve unnecessary restrictions on the importation of Spanish Pure Breed horses from Spain while continuing to protect against the introduction and dissemination of contagious equine metritis into the United States.