11/19/2025
Tis the season for all kinds of viruses going around. Now obviously horses can’t wash their hooves before they eat dinner, and after they’ve played with friends. To help protect our equine friends we can,
-not share equipment with our friends and their horses.
-not share water buckets/hay nets with outside horses.
-not let our horses sniff noses with strange horses.
-keep our horses home if they have nasal discharge or are coughing.
-make sure vaccines are up to date. They don’t all prevent all illnesses, but can lessen the severity. Especially in older and young(under 5yrs old).
-if you have to travel for competition, spray down stalls with a disinfectant like Vircon or even Lysol. Monitor the traveling horse for two weeks after the event(even keeping seperate from its friends for two weeks) to prevent the possibility of spreading something to your other horses.
-closed herds(that never travel) are generally the safest(just like a homeschooled kid vs a kid who goes to school).
When in doubt, call your vet and ask questions! They are always happy to help❤️
Equine herpesvirus (EHV) is a family of equine viruses named by numbers including EHV-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with EHV-1,3,4 posing the most risk for domestic horses. EHV is a common DNA virus that occurs in horse populations worldwide. The two most common species are EHV-1 and EHV-4.
