Through a technical instruction dated 18 September 2025, the French Directorate General for Food (DGAL) launched the new biennial campaign of mandatory health visits for the equine, pig and small ruminant sectors. On the ground, the kick-off took place on 22 September 2025, according to La Depeche Veterinaire and the GDS Centre-Val de Loire. For owners and keepers of equids, this deadline is worth noting in your calendar.
A unifying theme: "One Health"
This 2025-2026 campaign has adopted the theme "One Health, a single health", which links animal health, human health and that of ecosystems. To make this concept accessible, an innovation accompanies the visit: a format in the shape of a serious game, playable on a tablet or computer, with or without an internet connection. The aim is to raise keepers' awareness without weighing the process down with a classic theory lesson.
In the equine sector, the visit is made up of two parts. The first, shared with the small ruminant and pig sectors, introduces the One Health concept in the form of an escape-game-style game. The second, specific to equids, focuses on the proper use of medicines, a central point for horses' day-to-day health, as GTV Pays de la Loire points out.
Who is concerned?
The scheme is aimed at all keepers of three or more equids, whether or not they operate professionally. Gathering centres and markets remain excluded from the scheme. So if you run a boarding yard or a riding school, or own several horses privately, this visit concerns you directly.
The dates to remember
The timetable set by the DGAL spans several months:
- Online procedure site opens: 22 September 2025
- End of on-farm visits: 31 December 2025
- End of registrations on the online procedure site: 31 January 2026
Between these two markers, each keeper concerned must arrange the visit with an authorised official vet, then make sure the registration is completed before the January 2026 cut-off.
How to get organised
To avoid the end-of-year bottleneck, it is best to contact your official vet early in the season. The playful format on offer reduces the perceived length of the exercise, but booking an appointment still depends on everyone's availability, especially in areas where vets cover several sectors at once.
If you manage a horse in co-ownership or in shared boarding, remember to check who, between the owner and the yard manager, takes charge of arranging the visit. Keeping a written record of who does what avoids things being forgotten as the deadline approaches.
Why this visit matters
Beyond the regulatory obligation, this health visit contributes to the prevention of diseases transmissible between animals, and even between animals and humans, in a context where exchanges and movements of equids remain frequent. The proper use of medicines, addressed specifically in the equine part, also helps to limit antibiotic resistance, an issue closely followed by the health authorities over several campaigns now.
