Reprinted from Endurance News, July 2011, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372
As I sit here typing, several AERC rides have been postponed or canceled because of the late spring EHV-1 outbreak.
While it is everyone’s hope that this crisis has passed by the time this column is published, the Ride Managers’ Committee thought it would be a good idea to talk about how Ride Managers can cope during any equine disease outbreak.
First, know that the guidance here is based on a statement by Dr. Jeanette (Jay) Mero and the AERC Veterinary Committee, posted on the AERC website about the EHV-1 outbreak, but that it is an excellent guide for handling any similar equine disease crisis.
Just the Facts, Ma’am
One of the first things that happens when there is an equine disease outbreak is that the rumor mill cranks up to full gear. While the internet can be an excellent place to do research, consider the source. Anecdotal tales are less reliable than official information that has been properly vetted, if you will excuse the term.
Two websites recommended by the AERC Veterinary Committee are that of the United States Department of Agriculture, www.usda.gov, as well as the American Association of Equine Practitioners, www.aaep.org and, of course, AERC’s own website, www.aerc.org.
Personally, I found the AAEP website very easy to negotiate, including a summary of news releases by state.
Communication is KEY!
As with so many things integral to managing a successful ride, this is another one where the Ride Manager should be having frequent and frank conversations with their Head Control Judge.
Discussions can help identify the facts of the disease, the trends of the outbreak, and weigh all of the factors involved in making a decision about whether to hold, postpone or cancel a ride. This should include the status of the outbreak in the area from which the ride is likely to draw horses and riders.
Steps, called biosecurity measures, might need to be taken to ensure the horses arriving at the ridecamp are symptom-free, or to try to control shared sources of water or contact between horses.
If a decision is made to hold the ride, Ride Managers can communicate guidelines to the riders planning to attend to minimize the likelihood of an exposed horse arriving at the ridecamp.
If a decision is made to cancel or postpone the ride, again, getting that information out to the potential competitors as soon as possible is the least that we can do in such unfortunate circumstances. (Especially given the recent prices of fuel!)
Individual Rider Responsibility
A few years ago, my ride season was ended abruptly when a fellow competitor decided to bring a horse that was NQR (“not quite right”) to an endurance ride, where it was camped close to mine. The horse had a fever and a cough when it arrived on site, and when, 10 days later, one of the horses I took to the ride started to cough and run a fever, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened. I quarantined my entire herd for a conservative period of time based on what the incubation period appeared to be, to allow the virus to run its course through my barn.
While it irritated me no end that someone else’s lack of horsemanship and responsibility ended my ride season (including plans for the AERC National Championship ride), keeping my horses away from all others until I could be sure they were no longer carrying or shedding a virus was an absolute no-brainer to me.
Fortunately, none of my horses got seriously ill.
We ALL have a responsibility to other riders and horses at any group event.
My husband has a joke that every time an equine in our barn coughs, or shows a tiny bit of nasal discharge, regardless of cause, they should run for ze hills. “Here she comes with the thermometer and the Vaseline!” I am pretty sure one or two of them have learned to stifle a cough when I’m within hearing range.
When there is a known viral or bacterial outbreak, we need to be even more vigilant before loading horses up to head for a ride. A fever often precedes actual disease symptoms and keeping our own NQR horse at home could prevent a major outbreak of a serious illness in the endurance horse family that we know and love so much.
Keeping a clear head, doing some research, keeping the lines of communication open and bearing the responsibility that horse ownership and competition entails means we can all have a longer, healthier ride season, hopefully minimizing the impact of future disease outbreaks.
Happy trails.
–Patti