EHV-1 Outbreak in Spain

Nicnac

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I know of a horse in Ashford Kent who has Equine Flu - not sure if it's EHV-1 or 'normal' flu. Apparently picked up whilst out hacking? Yard closed and contained and they've gone public. There are a lot of rumours and somebody just asked whether one of the reasons Badminton cancelled could be due to worries around EHV-1 amongst all the other C-19 shite going on.
 

Squeak

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I really really hope they manage to contain this. Do we know if riders purposefully moved their horses to avoid the restrictions/ quarantine? Or was it an accident in that the horses had already been transported before they realised about the outbreak?
 

Squeak

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Oh dear, another blow for international riders.

From a selfish point of view as all the restrictions currently seem to be until March 28th, hopefully there wont need to be any bans in the UK.
 

sport horse

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It is very very serious. At least 4 horses dead and 85 horses showing symptoms at Valencia. It is the neurological strai of EHV1 which causes anything from illness to paralysis to death. Having seen the videos I doubt any badly affected horse will ever be the same - even it it recovers. Quite a few riders have packed up and left the tours and are heading back to the UK. Many supposedly without health papers which do not seem to be checked coming back into UK although are avidly scrutinised on the way out. As the incubation period is 20 days any of these horses could be carrying the virus.

Defra are not interested as it is, amazingly, not a notifiable illness. If this gets hold in the UK it will shut down any hope of re starting competitions but could well kill a lot of horses. There is a Facbook group trying to campaign to 'Close the borders' - if the horses were not permitted to return to UK until tested negative then we have a chance to keep the virus out of the country.

Please can you contact your MP now to rally them around. Also any press contacts etc etc.

Rattle every cage and door you can - now. Tomorrow may be too late.

If you want to read more go to Facebook UKSJ and/BSJA pages where you will be able to catch up.
 

teapot

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But some of them aren't even elite and are competing at 1.10/1.15

Some may not even be based in the UK full time.

The Funnells/Whitakers/Stockdale jnr/even the Prices will all count under elite for being in Spain or Portugal, even if jumping the smaller classes.
 

muddybay

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Some may not even be based in the UK full time.

The Funnells/Whitakers/Stockdale jnr/even the Prices will all count under elite for being in Spain or Portugal, even if jumping the smaller classes.
it does just seem at the moment that the higher class 'big' equestrian names are able to go out to compete and potentially bring home viruses that could stop us amateurs competing at home
 

sport horse

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it does just seem at the moment that the higher class 'big' equestrian names are able to go out to compete and potentially bring home viruses that could stop us amateurs competing at home

Absolutely yes! Will they stick to any non compulsory isolation? Best to act fast and stop them getting back with negative tests. Please e mail your MP/contact any influential people you can and rattle every cage. We must protect our horses.
 

teapot

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it does just seem at the moment that the higher class 'big' equestrian names are able to go out to compete and potentially bring home viruses that could stop us amateurs competing at home

You could say that about flu or strangles though, regardless of an EHV outbreak. You risk catching something every time you take your horse out. I actually think Covid has proved just how little people actually think/care/register about biosecurity on their yards... (and yes I have seen what it takes to do quarantine for potential EHV risk - was very close to the UK outbreak last year).

At the end of the day elite/professional sport helps us more mortals, as we do them. It's a debate for another day though!
 

muddybay

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You could say that about flu or strangles though, regardless of an EHV outbreak. You risk catching something every time you take your horse out. I actually think Covid has proved just how little people actually think/care/register about biosecurity on their yards... (and yes I have seen what it takes to do quarantine for potential EHV risk - was very close to the UK outbreak last year).

At the end of the day elite/professional sport helps us more mortals, as we do them. It's a debate for another day though!
Sorry for sounding confrontational it's an issue I'm passionate about as I saw a young horse get herpes and completely break down
 

Squeak

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I'm not sure I agree with not letting them back in to the country if this is where they live (ideally they wouldn't have left the venue without the relevant certificate) as they could end up in a very difficult situation but I do think they should be very carefully monitored when they're back in the country and have to do relevant quarantines with their full yard.
 

EASTIE17

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This could end the start of any season irrespective of the COVID situation. And rightly so but it sounds like we could be taking steps now to stop it becoming a disaster. Thought we might have learnt something from the COVID mess but our instinct seems to be not to act until the thing we could prevent by acting, actually happens.
 

SussexbytheXmasTree

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The easiest thing to stop this would be to name and shame any rider bringing back horses from those shows without the appropriate quarantine and health certification which some of them apparently left without. Threats of banning from competing due to bad publicity and bringing the sport into disrepute is something the governing bodies could use to stop this. So who are they?
 

Squeak

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The easiest thing to stop this would be to name and shame any rider bringing back horses from those shows without the appropriate quarantine and health certification which some of them apparently left without. Threats of banning from competing due to bad publicity and bringing the sport into disrepute is something the governing bodies could use to stop this. So who are they?

I think you'd need to be very sure that the riders had moved their horses knowing about EHV before doing this and if so whether they were moving them to quarantine them and if they transported them safely.

I'm unclear whether riders had returned home/ moved horses before they knew about EHV or did they know about EHV and move their horses so that they could still compete?
 

Squeak

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This could end the start of any season irrespective of the COVID situation. And rightly so but it sounds like we could be taking steps now to stop it becoming a disaster. Thought we might have learnt something from the COVID mess but our instinct seems to be not to act until the thing we could prevent by acting, actually happens.


I agree swift action whilst the UK is still in lockdown seems very sensible.
 
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