Biosecurity at Horse Events

Many horse owners enjoy traveling with their horses to events like shows, clinics, and even trail rides with friends. However, it is important to remember that any time your horse is in contact with horses from different barns, it could potentially be exposed to new pathogens and diseases. Sometimes these illnesses can take weeks to appear after you have returned home. In the meantime, your horse could be shedding germs and infecting other horses at your barn. 

There are some steps you can take to minimize the chance of bringing home any unwanted germs. Broadly, these steps are referred to as "biosecurity." Here are some biosecurity tips you can use any time you bring your horse off the farm.

• Minimize nose-to-nose contact between horses. Do not allow another horse to sniff your horse's nose "to get acquainted."
• Do not share equipment for use with other people's horses. Alternatively, if you loan out any of your equipment, keep it away from your horses until it is properly disinfected.
• Do not use common water troughs. Bring your own water and feed buckets.
• Do not dip the end of the hose into a water bucket when filling it. It could be contaminated from other horses' buckets.
• Avoid common-use areas such as tack stalls used to groom and tack multiple horses. If these common areas must be used, use cross-ties instead of tying horses to a post, wall, or other nose-to-nose contact areas.
• Halters, lead ropes, and face grooming towels should be used on and restricted to one animal only.
• Wash your hands or use a 62% ethyl alcohol hand gel before and after handling or riding other people's horses.
• Early disease detection is paramount, especially contagious infectious diseases. Take horses' temperatures twice daily (morning and night) during the event and for two weeks after return to the stable.
• Quarantine horses when they return to the barn or training facility after an event.
• Clean and disinfect horse trailers before they're used by other horses.

Following these steps can drastically reduce the risk of bringing home an illness when you have traveled with your horse.