The push for the National Animal Identification Program has picked up momentum with formation of a consortium, the contribution of millions of dollars from the USDA, and recommendations from The Jockey Club on how equine identification should work.

Jockey Club executive director Dan Fick, during the Aug. 15 Round Table in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., said the equine industry should support the identification program to help control contagious diseases, ensure human health, counter bio-terrorism, and maintain freedom of transport. But there is more.

“Perhaps the most important reason to be a responsible member of the livestock industry is to ensure we receive the same benefits as do our friends in the cattle and other livestock businesses: favorable tax rates, emergency relief funds, and funding for equine research,” Fick said.

The Jockey Club has recommended the horse industry control implementation and maintain oversight of any national identification system for horses. It proposes to incorporate existing identification programs and believes identification should begin with breed registration and veterinary inspections