Anyone's yards on lockdown (flu) ???

[Muddywellies]

As title

 

[dogatemysalad]

Fortunately our 60 + hunting yard has been fine. .

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Based on vet advice, it will be lifted from tomorrow only for hacking locally. No competitions or visits to other yards.

We're in Cheshire and there are other equestrian yards, including a stud farm, nearby. Nearest EI case is 20 miles away, not confirmed yet but the vets are sure it is.

Every horse not vaccinated in the last 5 months has been boosted 8 days ago.

I'm not sure how I feel about this, with the risk to other horses, I wonder if they should leave the hacking lock down in place for another weekend. Our yard has an isolated farm ride we could use.

 

[Denbob]

Yes we're down in Somerset, professionals now allowed back on but no outside hires/competing/clinics.

 

[EventingMum]

My yard is locked down although we have very little movement at present, however, I have canceled horses coming in for lessons. In reality, I think we're fairly low risk but it's better safe than sorry as there are cases 20 -30 miles away.

 

[Cowpony]

We are now allowed to hack, but no competitions off-site and no outside horses allowed in.

 

[AdorableAlice]

My yard is locked down although we have very little movement at present, however, I have canceled horses coming in for lessons. In reality, I think we're fairly low risk but it's better safe than sorry as there are cases 20 -30 miles away.

If only everyone was as sensible as this. We too have cases 15 miles away and have been advised not to hack out. We stopped travelling 10 days ago. Yet 3 competition centres all less than 20 miles away are running competitions this week. One has 10 dressage sections and 22 entries. The biggest class having 3 in it, some have no entries. Why not just shut down and contain the disease so we can all move on and get back to normal as quickly as possible. Travelling and moving horses will just keep the disease ticking over and spreading.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Nope nothing has been said. Central Scotland

 

[EventingMum]

Nope nothing has been said. Central Scotland

That's surprising given that there are two cases in the area plus the yard that some originated from.

Personally, I'm surprised competitions are going ahead even if they are checking vaccinations of horses competing as there is nothing to say people or vaccinated horses haven't been in contact with infected animals. A couple of weeks shut down could make the world of difference and then everyone could potentially get back to normal.

 

[JulesRules]

No, I went to my lesson last weekend and I'm competing tomorrow.

Others on the yard have been to lessons and hacked. We are all in contact with our vets and speaking to each other and YO and trying to be sensible.

My competion venue has put extra measures in place and I wouldn't go if I thought I was putting my horse at risk.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

Everyone seems to be going about business as usual here & we even have racers being boxed onto our yard to use the gallops every few days! The riding club's & local dressage series still going too. In the grand scheme have very little movement on & off our yard, just visitors for the gallops plus no cases anywhere near us - we're South Wales & nearest I've heard of is Somerset.

Me personally, I'm not taking my boy anywhere as he's already got issues from a respiratory infection he caught when younger resulting in exercise intolerance, so I fear if he caught this flu then that'd compromise him further.

I really think they should have locked everywhere down just for a few weeks to isolate & stop it spreading & they've got a firm handle on it. For the sake of a few missed lessons & comps I think it's daft not to. But that's me lol.

 

[JJS]

Nope, it's business as usual at my yard. That said, mine are in fields where they're essentially isolated from any other horses, and they'll be staying away from communal areas until I know it's absolutely safe. I realise that's a little over the top, but with a youngster and an OAP with PPID, I have two high-risk horses, so I'd prefer to err on the safe side.

 

[lannerch]

I can’t help thinking that a lot of yards are overreacting, equine flu is always around granted in lesser proportions. Current veterinary advice is lockdown is only necessary if you have a horse on your yard affected or showing symptoms. The virus is air born but only spreads about 100m, so hacking to should be fine.

Our yard is not on lockdown, we have all had vaccinations within 6 months as a precaution. We are less than 5 miles from Donald McCains yard.

 

[Cowpony]

I read somewhere that with the right wind conditions it can travel 2km

 

[Silverglen]

I can’t help thinking that a lot of yards are overreacting, equine flu is always around granted in lesser proportions. Current veterinary advice is lockdown is only necessary if you have a horse on your yard affected or showing symptoms. The virus is air born but only spreads about 100m, so hacking to should be fine.

Our yard is not on lockdown, we have all had vaccinations within 6 months as a precaution. We are less than 5 miles from Donald McCains yard.

I dunno, how old was the unvaccinated one that died? Since vaccinated horses are getting it too, then an older vaccinated horse could get it and die too. Hopefully not though. Or what about horses that have a weak immune system? I think it's better to be safe than sorry. Would definitely rather over react than under react.

 

[tankgirl1]

No, but we have the vet coming next week for vaccs

 

[Pippity]

We're not officially locked down, but nobody's competing and we aren't meeting up with people from other yards for hacks, as we would normally. Everything that had flu shot more than six months ago got a booster yesterday.

I'm still writing for my local dressage comp tomorrow, but I'll be changing clothes before I head on to my yard.

 

[catkin]

The virus is air born but only spreads about 100m, so hacking to should be fine.

if this is right then people's caution is very understandable.

'only' 100m spread will be in all directions so that's a 200m diameter bubble around a single horse - schools are often 40x20m or 60x20m for comparison. and that's before other factors are taken into account - the weather allowing further drift, contact transmission from humans clothing etc etc........

 

[tristar]

well said adorable alice

 

[Tiddlypom]

The virus is air born but only spreads about 100m, so hacking to should be fine.

Our yard is not on lockdown, we have all had vaccinations within 6 months as a precaution. We are less than 5 miles from Donald McCains yard.

Eh? Even if the virus spread a maximum of 100m (and it can spread much further on a windy day), if you hack past a field of infected and unvaccinated horses which are near the road you will be putting your horse at risk of picking up and spreading infection.

Last week our vets, (same area), were recommending that we locals to the McCain yard did NOT hack out, though this may have relaxed now (not sure). AA, who unfortunately is in a current EI hotspot, has also been advised not to hack out.

I agree, though, that those of us with horses who are up to date with vaccinations including a recent booster are likely best placed for a swifter return to usual activities.

 

[Auslander]

We are still quite a way from the nearest confirmed cases, so I'm fine with people hacking - the only thing we're not doing at the moment is hunting. I'm keeping a very close eye on the situ though, and if there is so much as a sniff of a case within a few miles of us - I will be asking people not to hack. Anything local local - and I will be insisting. A lot of competition horses, polo ponies and hunters round here, so I'm conscious of how quickly it could happen here.
I've got one very elderly, rather infirm horse here, and I am very conscious that a dose of flu would definitely kill him - so I'd rather be too cautious than not cautious enough

 

[lannerch]

I dunno, how old was the unvaccinated one that died? Since vaccinated horses are getting it too, then an older vaccinated horse could get it and die too. Hopefully not though. Or what about horses that have a weak immune system? I think it's better to be safe than sorry. Would definitely rather over react than under react.

Vaccinated horses have had very mild symptoms though, it’s like the human flu vaccination you can still get the same strain of flu that you have been vaccinated against but you will get a lot milder form of it, so very unlikely to die.
Also the horses that raced with the McCann horses , none of those contracted the flu ,( all were vaccinated ) even though one later at McCann yard who had been in contact with them was found to have the flu virus.

 

[lannerch]

Eh? Even if the virus spread a maximum of 100m (and it can spread much further on a windy day), if you hack past a field of infected and unvaccinated horses which are near the road you will be putting your horse at risk of picking up and spreading infection.

Last week our vets, (same area), were recommending that we locals to the McCain yard did NOT hack out, though this may have relaxed now (not sure). AA, who unfortunately is in a current EI hotspot, has also been advised not to hack out.

I agree, though, that those of us with horses who are up to date with vaccinations including a recent booster are likely best placed for a swifter return to usual activities.

Our vets said we were ok to do this , I do hack the opposite way from McCanns just as a precaution but as 5 miles away probably totally unnecessary, we will see.

 

[sport horse]

I have competition horses and all are fully vaccinated and have had recent boosters. We have flu cases within 4 miles and it now becomes apparent that one yard has 'kept it quiet' including even taking horses out and stabling at away shows and failing to inform some of the staff and liveries. My yard is now on total lockdown - if anything goes out it will not come back (other than if something needs emergency vet help!). I will review the situation in a weeks time.

Meanwhile, what shall we do for a whole weekend with no shows?

 

[PapaverFollis]

People have some weird attitudes about infectious disease... they don't want the "stigma" of having it so they ignore it or cover it up and carry on as normal, spreading it around. Seriously. What they don't seem to understand is it's being irresponsible that carries the stigma not the disease itself. Someone on my yard had a horse with what looked like ringworm... took some persuasion to get them to take basic precautions and get it tested. Because they didn't want the "stigma" of having a horse with ringworm. Such nonsense. The stigma would have been if they'd spread it round the whole yard while trying to pretend nothing was wrong. Fortunately for the rest of us it wasn't because the way they carried on it would not have been contained.

 

[rabatsa]

The talk at Rainbow vets last Wednesday stated that it was 143 yards on a still day and 5 Km on a windy day that the virus could travel, so you do not have to have your horse very near to a road to be caught by a passing horses cough.

 

[SEL]

No - but we're mainly retirees and 'out of work' types at the moment. Any sniff of cases in the local area and I'm sure it'll get more formal.

 

[maya2008]

No - but everything here is vaccinated, and no very old/very young horses. There also are no confirmed cases in our county.

 

[AdorableAlice]

No, I went to my lesson last weekend and I'm competing tomorrow.

Others on the yard have been to lessons and hacked. We are all in contact with our vets and speaking to each other and YO and trying to be sensible.

My competion venue has put extra measures in place and I wouldn't go if I thought I was putting my horse at risk.

And here is an example of the very reason why the disease is not being successfully contained. Owners who are only thinking about their own horse. 'Your' horse may well be vaccinated, 'your' horse may only be mildly unwell if he is unfortunate enough to come into contact with the disease. BUT, lets think about what 'your' horse can do to others. 'Your' horse can carry the disease back to others, those others can spread it to others, some may be mildly affected, some maybe very sick. Some will cost a small fortune to get well again.

There is a hunter hireling yard in the Midands, that has 15 positive horses in the yard. The yard has been very honest and open about their sad situation and has made sure they have let everyone know. Let's think about the logistics of this. Those hunter hireling horses may have been hired to people to hunt across 5 different pack of hounds. The average Saturday field will be 100 horses, all in contact with a flu carrier. Those one hundred horses all go home to let's say, 50 different yards. In those 50 yards is another quantity of horses. In those yards are owners who have no regard, understanding or interest in how EF spreads, so off they go to the dressage and meet up with another load of horses and so the disease continues.

I fail to see why owners cannot see the bigger picture. Facebook is covered with owners stating their horse is fine, so lets crack on. Maybe it is inexperience, maybe it is 'head in the sand' attitude, or maybe it is just 'I am alright and xxx the rest of you.

 

[bonny]

And here is an example of the very reason why the disease is not being successfully contained. Owners who are only thinking about their own horse. 'Your' horse may well be vaccinated, 'your' horse may only be mildly unwell if he is unfortunate enough to come into contact with the disease. BUT, lets think about what 'your' horse can do to others. 'Your' horse can carry the disease back to others, those others can spread it to others, some may be mildly affected, some maybe very sick. Some will cost a small fortune to get well again.

There is a hunter hireling yard in the Midands, that has 15 positive horses in the yard. The yard has been very honest and open about their sad situation and has made sure they have let everyone know. Let's think about the logistics of this. Those hunter hireling horses may have been hired to people to hunt across 5 different pack of hounds. The average Saturday field will be 100 horses, all in contact with a flu carrier. Those one hundred horses all go home to let's say, 50 different yards. In those 50 yards is another quantity of horses. In those yards are owners who have no regard, understanding or interest in how EF spreads, so off they go to the dressage and meet up with another load of horses and so the disease continues.

I fail to see why owners cannot see the bigger picture. Facebook is covered with owners stating their horse is fine, so lets crack on. Maybe it is inexperience, maybe it is 'head in the sand' attitude, or maybe it is just 'I am alright and xxx the rest of you.

If you really believe this, then why do you think racing is back on ? Or do you think it shouldn’t be ?