Equine identification was a lively topic of discussion during the National Institute of Animal Agriculture’s (NIAA) Identification and Information Expo held in Arlington Heights, Ill., the last week of July. The conference featured a first-of-its-kind Equine ID Symposium to address the industry’s need for a universal ID system in light of emerging diseases, emergency preparedness, theft prevention, and maintaining access to international market opportunities.

“The Equine ID Symposium planning committee should be very excited about the turnout, presentations, and participation of everyone who attended,” said Glenn N. Slack, President and CEO of NIAA. The planning committee, chaired by Tim Cordes, DVM, of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Veterinary Services, was created during the last decade. Cordes developed plans for this symposium between the 1994 and 1998 NIAA Food Animal ID seminars