BETTER
safe THAN sorry
TO CONCLUDE OUR SERIES ON DISEASE AWARENESS, WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT EQUINE BIOSECURITY AND DISEASE PREVENTION. WE EXPLORE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP KEEP YOUR HORSE AND OTHERS’ FREE FROM INFECTION.
D
isease can be a real threat to any horse or pony and can seriously impact their health and welfare. Disease outbreaks can also be costly, especially if it affects a business such as a livery or competition yard, or competition centre. In serious outbreaks, the yard may have to go on lockdown for weeks or even months until the disease has been fully eradicated.
WHAT IS BIOSECURITY? Biosecurity is a set of management practices designed to minimise the introduction and greatly reduce the spread of infectious disease. By following certain procedures, horse owners and carers can greatly reduce the likelihood of their horses catching a disease and/or passing it on to others. Good biosecurity should be practised at all times, not just during a disease outbreak, and is vital in the protection of not only your horse, but also those around you.
If everyone carries out good biosecurity measures, the risk of infectious diseases spreading around the equine population reduces significantly. e’re all responsible for horse health, so it’s important for everyone to play their part.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO REDUCE RISK? There are simple, inexpensive steps that people can take to promote good biosecurity and help reduce the risk of disease entering or spreading through their stables: now your horse’s normal vital signs and behaviour. ake your horse’s temperature regularly and get to know what’s normal. Any rise in temperature means extra care needs to be taken and call your vet if it goes above 38.5degC. • Practice good hygiene – wash your hands before and after you attend to your horse. • Clean water buckets and feed buckets daily. • Keep any new horses away from others for a period of time
(ideally in isolation facilities for three weeks). This may be varied in line with consultation with your vet. Ensure all your horse’s vaccinations are up to date. eep your horse’s grooming kit, feed bucket, rugs etc separate from others to avoid crosscontamination and clean them regularly. • Avoid sharing equipment such as water buckets, mangers and haynets between horses to reduce the risk of crosscontamination. • Make sure everyone on your yard understands the biosecurity protocols in place.
HOW CAN WE PROTECT HORSES AWAY FROM HOME? To reduce the risk of infectious diseases when out and about at training events, competitions and any other horse gatherings, you
should: • Bring all necessary equipment with you, including feed, and feed and water buckets. • Avoid communal troughs. on’t share any e uipment, particularly tack. • Prevent direct and indirect contact between horses. • Minimise use of communal grazing areas. • Avoid horse-to horse contact. • Discourage other people from touching your horse and avoid touching horses belonging to others. • Frequently sanitise your hands, particularly before and after touching horses. hen stabling away, ensure the stables have been cleaned, including feed mangers and water drinkers. • Bring disinfectants, such as household wipes or sprays, to reduce contamination in areas where your horse is stabled. • Use insect repellent to reduce ies and other insects around horses and their stables.
More detailed advice, including guidance around transporting and biosecurity containment, can be found at britishequestrian.org. uk/equine/health-biosecurity/biosecurity
BRITISH DRESSAGE // Issue 3 2022 // 57
