A "tainted" yard

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Dressagediva86

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I am looking to move liveries and found a lovely little yard I like.
However 3 years ago they had an outbreak of Equine HPV1 and a few horses died. It was a horrible time and rocked the whole area.
The YO was very honest and admitted that at the time, mistakes were made and lessons have been learned. They have much stricter quarantine controls now and haven't had any problems in 3 years.
However I am aware that the yard is "tainted" with the reputation and am worried I am being foolish moving there.
Basically I am asking would you move your horse to a yard that had a serious outbreak in the past?
 
I wouldn't be bothered about it. It sounds like the yo has sorted things out. If you're happy with the facilities I'd go for it.
 
mule said:
I wouldn't be bothered about it. It sounds like the yo has sorted things out. If you're happy with the facilities I'd go for it.
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Thank you. This is my feeling. My trainer is being very cautious and wants to know how long the virus can lie dormant for. I haven't got any answers to these questions but we compete, we go away a lot. We are at as much risk anywhere
 
I would have no hesitation. Our yard had a strangles outbreak 2 years ago after which strict controls were introduced. All existing horses were blood tested then scoped if necessary. All new horses have pre-movement strangles tests and are quarantined. No outside horses can come on or share lifts in trailers etc etc. And yet a couple of months ago at a local vet talk there were comments about 'the yard with strangles'. It is very unfair to consider a yard 'tainted' when in fact yards who have their fingers burnt and learn the lessons are safer than complacent yards who have been lucky enough never to have had a problem.
 
Ambers Echo said:
I would have no hesitation. Our yard had a strangles outbreak 2 years ago after which strict controls were introduced. All existing horses were blood tested then scoped if necessary. All new horses have pre-movement strangles tests and are quarantined. No outside horses can come on or share lifts in trailers etc etc. And yet a couple of months ago at a local vet talk there were comments about 'the yard with strangles'. It is very unfair to consider a yard 'tainted' when in fact yards who have their fingers burnt and learn the lessons are safer than complacent yards who have been lucky enough never to have had a problem.
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Thank you. I feel like this. My current yard has shocking protocols. How they have been so lucky for so long is a miracle
 
Dressagediva86 said:
Thank you. I feel like this. My current yard has shocking protocols. How they have been so lucky for so long is a miracle
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I think it's because it's actually pretty rare for horses to die of EHV or strangles, and strangles is actually so common that many (most?) horses already have some exposure/immunity.

The biggest yard in this area is Somerford Park. At my last count, not including the hire by the day stables out by the competition/camp arenas, there were 11 yards/barns, all of which house either some horses being dealt or horses which regularly come and go to competitions, or both. Outside competitors and casual users come and go constantly. There are, as far as I can tell, no quarantine facilities, and there has never in nearly thirty years that I've known the place been a strangles or an EHV lockdown there.

One big livery yard in the area had a strangles outbreak years ago. They didn't lock down, continued to run shows, turned infected horses out as normal and no horse got more than a mild cold, most got nothing.

Quarantine protocols seem to me to be completely pointless unless your yard does not allow anyone to take a horse to visit any other yard, any competition or mass ride and come back again without repeating the quarantine.

.
 
ycbm said:
I think it's because it's actually pretty rare for horses to die of EHV or strangles, and strangles is actually so common that many (most?) horses already have some exposure/immunity.

The biggest yard in this area is Somerford Park. At my last count, not including the hire by the day stables out by the competition/camp arenas, there were 11 yards/barns, all of which house either some horses being dealt or horses which regularly come and go to competitions, or both. Outside competitors and casual users come and go constantly. There are, as far as I can tell, no quarantine facilities, and there has never in nearly thirty years that I've known the place been a strangles or an EHV lockdown there.

One big livery yard in the area had a strangles outbreak years ago. They didn't lock down, continued to run shows, turned infected horses out as normal and no horse got more than a mild cold, most got nothing.

Quarantine protocols seem to me to be completely pointless unless your yard does not allow anyone to take a horse to visit any other yard, any competition or mass ride and come back again without repeating the quarantine.

.
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Thank you, this is a very interesting way of looking at it.
 
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