Overview
Horsify includes a full Horse Health and Movement Declaration workflow that helps event organisers meet biosecurity obligations. When enabled on an event, Horsify creates a declaration for each entry and emails riders a secure link at the time you choose, where they confirm their horse and movement details and sign a health check, with no manual chasing required.
This guide covers:
- Enabling health declarations on your event
- Configuring email timing and reminders
- Monitoring and managing declarations on the day
- Handling flagged declarations
- Exporting declaration records
The Two-Stage Workflow
STAGE 1 - at registration STAGE 2 - the emailed form
────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────
Rider registers for event → Rider receives secure email
Horsify creates a declaration Rider checks horse details and fills
with the horse and the in movement details (origin
person responsible property, destination, transport)
Rider answers 8 health questions
Rider signs digitally
Flagged answers alert organiser ⚠️Riders don't fill in movement details while registering. Everything is collected on the emailed form, which pre-fills what Horsify already knows from the rider's horse profile, so a declaration showing Details missing before the email goes out is normal.
Organisers see the status of every horse's declaration in real time from the Health Declarations dashboard.
Step 1: Enable Health Declarations on Your Event
- Go to Events and open the event you want to configure
- Scroll down to the Horse health declarations section (or use the left-hand nav to jump to it)
- Tick "Require a horse health and movement declaration"
Then click Save health declaration settings (Step 4). This section saves on its own, separately from the rest of the event form.
You only have to do this once. Whatever you save here becomes your club's default, and every event you create from now on starts with the same set-up: the requirement itself, the email timing, the reminder and the biosecurity contact. The notice at the top of the section tells you what new events will start with. Existing events are never changed.
Note: Enabling this setting after registrations have already been submitted creates declarations with status Details missing for those riders when you save. They receive the emailed form like everyone else. If any entries are missing from the dashboard, click Refresh from entries there.
Step 2: Configure Email Settings
When the health declaration requirement is enabled, configure how riders receive their day-of-event link.
Automatic Email (Recommended)
Tick "Email riders the health declaration automatically" to have Horsify send the email without any manual action.
Choose when to send the email:
| Option | When email is sent |
|---|---|
| On the morning of the event | At the Send at time you specify on the event day |
| A set number of hours before the start | The number of Hours before the start you specify (1 to 72) |
| The day before the event | At the Send at time you specify on the day before |
For most events, "On the morning of the event" with a Send at time of 07:00 works well. Riders then complete the form before they leave home.
Timing is approximate. Horsify checks for declaration emails to send every four hours, so an email goes out at the first check after the time you set, which can be up to four hours later. The same applies to reminders. For an early start, choose The day before the event or a larger number of hours.
Reminder Email
If a rider hasn't completed their declaration, Horsify can send a reminder. This option appears once automatic email is ticked. Tick "Send a reminder if the declaration is not completed" and set Hours before the start (1 to 48).
Recommended setup:
- First email: on the morning of the event, Send at 07:00
- Reminder: 2 hours before event start
Manual Email
If automatic email is turned off, you can send emails manually from the declarations dashboard, one rider at a time, with the email icon on their row. This is useful if you want to review declarations before triggering emails.
Step 3: Set a Biosecurity Contact
Add a biosecurity contact: name, phone and email. When a rider flags a health concern, Horsify emails this address straight away. The rider is told to contact the event biosecurity officer before travelling, but the contact's name and phone number aren't currently shown on the rider's form, so make sure riders know how to reach them (for example in your event information).
This should be a steward, vet, or committee member on-site who can handle biosecurity matters.
Navigate to: Event Edit → Horse health declarations → Biosecurity contact
Step 4: Save Settings
Click "Save health declaration settings" to apply your configuration.
Saving does two things: it applies the settings to this event, and it records them as your club's default for events created afterwards. That applies to turning declarations off, too. If your club decides not to require them, untick the box and save, and new events will start with them off from then on.
Who can change these settings: organisation admins, staff with Events access at Manage, and that event's Event team. Staff with Events access at View can open the dashboard and export it but can't send emails, copy links, mark declarations or add notes. See Staff Access.
Managing Declarations on the Day
Accessing the Dashboard
From the event edit page, click "Manage declarations" in the Horse health declarations section, or from the event page, Health Declarations, or navigate directly to:
/organiser/events/{eventId}/health-declarations
Dashboard Overview
The dashboard shows aggregate stats at the top:
| Stat | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Total | All registrations requiring a declaration |
| Details Missing | Movement details not yet filled in (normal until the rider opens the emailed form) |
| Details Saved | Movement details saved, declaration not yet signed |
| Email Sent | Email sent, awaiting rider completion |
| Completed | Declaration signed and submitted ✅ |
| Flagged | Health concern indicated, needs your attention ⚠️ |
| Cancelled | Registration cancelled |
Filtering Declarations
Use the filter bar to narrow the list by status. The "Flagged only" checkbox gives you an instant view of any declarations that need attention.
"No live entry"
A rider whose entry has been cancelled, or whose nominations have all been withdrawn, is shown with a muted grey No live entry pill rather than as outstanding, and they're left out of the declaration emails and reminders entirely.
The declaration itself is kept for your biosecurity record; it just stops chasing someone who isn't coming. If your outstanding count looks higher than the number of riders actually competing, this is usually why: look for the grey pills.
Actions Per Declaration
For each declaration, you can:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Send/Resend Email | Manually send the declaration link to the rider |
| Copy Link | Copy the rider's personal link to share directly (e.g. by SMS) |
| Open the row | The full declaration: horse, movement details, health answers and signature |
Inside an opened declaration you can also mark it contacted, mark it reviewed, and add an internal note under Organiser Notes.
Sending or copying a link always creates a fresh one, and the rider's earlier link stops working. Links expire 48 hours after the event ends.
Handling Flagged Declarations ⚠️
A declaration is flagged when a rider answers "Yes" to one of the health concern questions, or writes anything in the health concerns box:
- Signs of illness in the last 72 hours
- Fever, nasal discharge, coughing, or other symptoms
- Awareness of disease exposure in the last 14 days
What happens when a declaration is flagged
- The declaration is marked Flagged on your dashboard
- Your biosecurity contact is emailed, if you've set a contact email (otherwise check the dashboard)
- The rider sees a message asking them to contact the event biosecurity officer before travelling to the event
What you should do
- Filter to flagged declarations on your dashboard
- Open the detail panel to read the health concern description
- Contact the rider (use their phone number shown in the detail panel)
- Discuss whether the horse should attend based on the severity of the concern
- Click "Mark Contacted" once you've spoken with them
- Click "Mark Reviewed" once the matter is resolved
- Record the outcome under Organiser Notes and click Save Note
Never allow a horse with active symptoms of infectious disease to attend your event. Refer to your relevant state/territory biosecurity guidelines if unsure.
Exporting Declaration Data
To export all declarations for an event to a CSV file:
- Go to the Health Declarations dashboard for the event
- Click "Export CSV" in the top right
The CSV includes:
- Horse name, breed, colour, sex, microchip number
- Person responsible name, email, phone
- Origin property and destination details
- Declaration status and completion time
- Health question answers and any health concerns
- Signed by (legal name)
- Flagged, and your organiser notes
Use cases for the export:
- Printed gate list for checking declarations at entry
- Biosecurity record-keeping for the event
- Post-event reporting to state equestrian federation
Declaration Statuses Explained
| Status | What it means | Action needed |
|---|---|---|
| Details missing | No movement details yet. Normal until the rider fills in the emailed form | None before the send time; after it, send the link |
| Details saved | Movement details saved, not yet signed | Will send automatically at configured time |
| Awaiting email | Email scheduled, not yet sent | None |
| Email sent | Email sent, waiting for rider to complete | No action unless reminder needed |
| Completed | Declaration signed ✅ | No action |
| Needs re-signing | Movement details changed after signing, so the rider needs to sign again | Send the link with Send/Resend Email |
| Flagged | Health concern indicated ⚠️ | Contact rider before event |
| Cancelled | Registration cancelled | No action |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to turn declarations on for every single event?
A: No. The first time you save the settings on any event, they become your club's default and every event you create afterwards starts with them already switched on, with the same email timing and biosecurity contact. You can still change them per event; changing them also updates the default. Clubs that have never enabled declarations are unaffected: new events stay off until you opt in once.
Q: We turned declarations on once but don't want them any more. How do we stop?
A: Untick "Require a horse health and movement declaration" on any event and click Save health declaration settings. That records the decision as your club's default, so new events start with declarations off.
Q: Can I require health declarations for only some horses at an event?
A: No. The requirement applies to all horses registered for the event. Every registration gets a declaration, including entries with no nominated horse (a clinic, for example): the rider names or adds the horses they're bringing on the emailed form.
Q: What if a rider doesn't have email access?
A: Use "Copy Link" on their declaration to share the link via SMS or another channel. The form works on any mobile browser without requiring a Horsify account.
Q: Can I re-send the email if the rider deleted it?
A: Yes. Click the email icon (✉️) on the declarations dashboard for that rider. Each resend generates a new secure link, and the old one stops working.
Q: What if a rider says they never received the email?
A: Ask them to check their spam/junk folder first. If it's not there, use "Send/Resend email" or "Copy Link" to get them a fresh link.
Q: Can the rider update their movement details after submitting?
A: Before signing, yes: the movement details on the emailed form are pre-filled and have an Edit button. Once signed, the link shows the declaration as already completed and it can't be changed there. If a signed declaration's movement details are changed, its status becomes Needs re-signing; use Send/Resend Email to send the rider a fresh link.
Q: Are declarations stored permanently?
A: They're kept as your biosecurity record for at least two years. Completed declarations include a snapshot of the declaration text shown to the rider at signing time, along with the submission timestamp and IP address.
Q: Can I see a completed declaration's answers?
A: Yes. Open the detail panel for any declaration. Completed declarations show all 8 health question answers and the rider's legal name signature.
Regulatory Context
Horse movement and health declarations help you meet state and territory biosecurity requirements, including:
- Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), general biosecurity obligations
- New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW)
- Victoria: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Vic)
- Other states: Similar legislation applies
Horsify's declaration includes the 8 biosecurity questions most commonly required by Australian equestrian venues and state federations. Always check your specific event and venue requirements and consult your state equestrian federation or biosecurity authority if in doubt.
Related Features:
- Horse Health Declarations (Rider Guide) - Rider-facing documentation
- Event Workflow Guide - Creating and managing events
- View Registrations - Managing event registrations
For technical support, contact support@horsify.com.au or visit https://kb.horsify.com.au/help\n\n---\n\nSource: wiki/features/ORGANISER_HORSE_HEALTH_DECLARATIONS.md \nLast synced: 2026-10-21 13:13:48 UTC