Equine Influenza: What can I do to prevent my horse from getting ill?
It has been confirmed by equine officials that there is a new strain of equine flu, Florida clade 1 H3N8, causing the current outbreak, the Animal Health Trust (AHT) has confirmed.
The charity has now confirmed flu outbreaks in 17 counties in England and Scotland, unvaccinated and vaccinated horses are both effected by equine flu. However it’s still important to get your horse vaccinated, as these horses will get better quicker and have milder symptoms.
Here are the 5 most important things you can do to prevent your horse from catching equine flu:
“Vaccinate – boost your horse’s vaccination if it was given more than six months ago and encourage others to do the same. If your horse is not vaccinated, it will need to start a course of vaccinations and will not have protection until two weeks after the second vaccine in the course is given.
Isolate – what biosecurity measures are in place at your own yard? Immediately isolate new or unwell horses away from the main yard to help prevent the disease spreading. Make sure you know your own biosecurity policies, and if you are not sure ask yard owners or managers.
Investigate – if you’re planning to attend an event or training, speak to the organisers and ask about biosecurity policies – what is in place to minimise the spread of disease? If you are not comfortable with what is in place, don’t attend!
Communicate – we encourage vets and horse owners to be open if they have a suspected or confirmed outbreak, to help minimise the spread of flu to others.
Mitigate – horse owners are encouraged to do all they can to know the risk of moving their horse or attending an event. Gather as much information as you can to enable you to mitigate against the risk and make your own sensible decision based on this.” - Horse and Hound
If you have any issues or want to seek advice, Julie Andrews Horse Insurance can provide information and resources to adhere to this matter. Email from the website or call 01444 708836.
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