From: CMNewell
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 11:56 AM
To: Howard Bramhall
Subject: Re: [RC] Howard/passports
I believe the current fee is $150, but I don't have any on my horses, so I could be wrong. Some DVMs charge for the initial filling out the paperwork; I generally don't.
The FEI is a helluva lot more than endurance--endurance is just a small part of what they do. Since FEI is the organization that governs Olympic and other international equestrian events, it gets involved with things at that level. They just apply their requirements to endurance the same as any other discipline. My eventer client goes to Canada in a week or so to compete--she may be in Europe later this summer. Me, I'll consider it a success if I get to a baby novice horse trial by this fall. Even if I had a
horse that could do it, I'd never be ready for the FEI levels. Same thing.
C.
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Actually, I do understand that FEI is all encompassing, that endurance is only a very small aspect of it's operations. And, that's the only aspect I speak of whenever I discuss FEI, hence, my nickname, Foreign Endurance Idiots. I've intentionally avoided the show ring and other sports; endurance is more than I can handle (and I'm not doing a very good job at that) at the moment.
My point is, I have to obtain a Health Certificate every time I leave my beloved state of Florida with my horses. I must have a current Coggins, for each horse, renewed every year (there's talk of making this a 6 month requirement). This can get to be a real pain in the ass, and I'm still not thrilled with our Florida Agricultural Department stops at the borders, in spite of the so called computerized system they're using now. You still must stop and get out of your vehicle. (I think this is one of the reasons why a lot of Florida endurance rides get a low turn out from out of staters). I totally hate it, although if they had more female officers I wouldn't object so much to the body frisks (next time I'm wearing my new Paddi briefs).
So, add one more piece of paper and, quite frankly, I'll come close to losing my mind over all this. I don't need this kind of paperwork for my kids or my dog, why on earth do I need all this for the horses.
Look, you're a DVM, you can sign your own papers and this means nothing to you and doesn't cost you a cent, vet wise. It doesn't come close to working that way for most of us other folks. My vet is extremely busy, and just to get her out here for a Health Certificate requires advanced planning if I don't want to pay thru the nose. A passport for each horse that I own would be over 750 dollars in your estimate, and I do believe your estimate is low.
I've had enough of this damn bureaucratic red taped world we live in and think it's high time we horse owners all got up out of our chair and let the bureaucrats know they'd better start toning things down or we will go renegade on them. Why on earth does my horse need more documentation to prove he exists than most humans? FEI can kiss my butt!
cya,
Howard (keep making things more and more difficult and only the rich will own horses; which might be just what they want)
