Isolation at livery yards

horsemadinpoulton

horsemadinpoulton

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Does your livery yard, owner or manager ever put the isolation of new horses into practice? just wondering because I've never actually seen it done at many yards I have been at throughout the years. I've seen many livery owners buying new ones from auctions etc and thought it could be a bit risky really. :) what is your input in this? My yard is due to open shortly. I have two long rows of stables (20 in all) and two spare elsewhere. I was going to operate an isolation policy (mainly due to all the horses stabling on a row easy for disease to spread) but is an isolation policy a bit old fashioned these days?
 
i dont think its old fashioned at all. i think its a very responsible rule to have and not enough yards do it. all the yards i have been to have not had this isolation rule either. i know it can be a pain in the ass for the owners with the new horses, but in the long run it is worth it. other horse owners would soon complain if their horse caught something from a new arrival.
 
I think its highly under rated as a policy. Most yards dont do it because it takes up a spare box they could have a permanent horse in. Its also pretty useless unless you have designed the location of the box into yuor layout. A box upwind of the rest of your yard is not gong to be as effective.
 
I agree, if you have the facilities to do this then I would do it. As an owner I would be pleased that this happended, especially after being on a yard where a new horse brought in strangles which effectively closed the yard down for six months. Most of the yards I have been on don't have the facilities so it has been impossible to do.
 
OP. It doesn't matter if it an old fashioned policy or not, if it is your yard you can make whatever rules you want. :) Although, if your yard is opening soon will you have to isolate an influx of new horses at the same time? Good Luck with your venture by the way.

Most of my paddocks are separated by walkways so new horses go in one of the smaller ones before they go in with a group. I prefer them in paddocks to in the barn.

It doesn't stop infection spreading though unless you have owners and anyone else on the place on your side. As my Vet says though, despite all reasonable precautions, you'd actually have to have the horse in a bubble and wear a bio suit to completely isolate it. A stable cat can pass on infection, as can rodents, friendly dogs etc.

I had a mare from the US with 'shipping fever' aka strangles, the owner blithely went around stroking other horses even after I'd explained why I didn't want her too. Result, more horses went down with strangles and some very (understandably) grumpy owners.
 
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If you have the space I def recommend it. I have also experienced strangles through another horse just being thrown in the paddock and nobody knowing until a few days later. Yard quarantined as a result.

I also think it gives the new horse a short breathing space to get used to new surroundings before being put with new roomies :)
 
Isolation is difficult to implement properly and for it to be effective you would need to do it for a month minimum. All tack would need to be isolated and owners of arriving horses would have to have separate access to their horse. Isolation paddocks which are well away from other horses (including any other newly arrived horses) but close enough for the arriving horses to get to without crossing the path of other horses fields would need to be built. Each isolation stable would need to be isolated from not only existing horses stables but also other newly arriving horses. Each newly arrived horse would have to have a groom who disinfects after contact with any of the new horses. Separate mucking out tools and wheelbarrows would be needed, or total disinfecting of tools would need to be done before moving onto any other new horses. No new horses would be able to be ridden out on hacks or be allowed to use any of the facilities for a month.

And that's the problem. To isolate properly incurs a lot of extra costs, diligent manpower and owners who will accommodate this type of upheaval for this length of time. Anything less than the guidelines above and you may as well not bother having isolation.

A lot of people would not move to a yard where their horse had to be isolated, not ridden and have no use of facilities for a month. In reality it is a great idea however for most people it is impractical.
 
i've rung around alot of yards in the last few months and only one of the yards asked about strangles. i was asked if i would be willing to do a strangles swab before moving the horse to the yard and would i mind mine being isolated for a while, i said no it wouldn't bother me.
she said the reason she asked was that if i had said no i wouldn't want any of that to happen then it would have been pointless going to see the yard.

i thought that was a very good thing and surprised that none of the other yards followed the same idea.
 
We've always done it. The fact that you can't do a full bio-security programme (the works as suggested by an earlier poster) is no reason not to do the best you can.
 
As mentioned not all yards have the facilities or staff as you need separate tools and the stable has to be far enough away from the others.

Its def a good idea though I would include this if you can .
Round here we get to know where most of our liveries come from usually other close yards which I know the owners well.
We separate the new horse in the field though ,never let a new horse out with the existing group which reduces injury .

We have a local riding association group, deals with all yards within 10 miles central of us , we have meetings with yard owners and all sorts of riding events , any news like strangles goes on the grape vine. All yards get to hear about it in email, the yard that did have it was isolated NO horse outside this yard got infected , Every thing is now in the clear.
 
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Thank you so much for your replies. It's sometimes quite hard to do what's best for the reputation of the yard and it's liveries without driving potential liveries away. The balance is quite hard really. You dont want to seem to have too many rules:rolleyes: We are lucky to have a small block of two stables and tack room with its own seperate small sand paddock area where the horses can go in and out of the stables when they want - it is all walled off from the main yards too. Very interesting points to look into. I dont see it done much in or around our area at all, if ever, and wondered with most horses being cared for much better these days, do people not 'bother' with isolation anymore. Thank you :)
 
The last I went to did this and I was really chuffed, it meant the baby had to be in a paddock on her on for a week but I'd definatley this happen if the boot was on the other foot and tbh if it was my yard and people were moaning about this very good practise i wouldnt want them on the yard.

Best of luck with your yard, i hope it all goes well!! xxx
 
Ours does. In my case it meant new boy had to stay out in what would be the winter paddocks with his other friend (same dealing yard). They were left out for a week before being allowed to come into his stable.
 
Mine was isolated in a stable for two long weeks. She box walked, tried to jump out, lost weight, was a total stress head and is the reason that we won't be moving yards any time soon! All the yards do it round here. I totally understand why it's done but I hate it when a new livery turns up and has to go through it too!
 
I have to say unless your going to isolate every horse that goes somewhere for competitions and blood test it when i comes back after having contact with other horses (unavoidable) then a quarantine period is pointless IMO

I would do the usual 3/5 days for worming and ask to see if vax record is up to date. If these things are done then I would say youve done the best you can :)
 
If we are looking at strangles, taking a swab test is no use, as it is unreliable, a blood test is now recommended but new horses should be isolated for two to three weeks and if ill [temperature taken twice per day], they should be kept away from all contact, and further tests undertaken, until it is proven that they are not infected/infectious.
Funnily enough isolation is possible if the YO wants it; there is little risk of airborne transfer from strangles, it is usually spread by contact, horse, rider, staff, communal hay, haynets , water hoses, any communal facilities are indicated.
Carriers are found in the equine population, however greatest risk must be from horses coming from dealers yards, and horses which are competing, therefore mixing with a large number of animals from numerous sources. I have no idea why YO ignore basic isolation policies, other than "we haven't had a problem for x number of years"
 
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imho The BHS would be better employed doing a survey on strangles in livery yards than wasting their time with Ragwort, which is so obviously rampant.
AND then formulating a strategy, eg insisting that all their BHS Approved Yards took on their own [BHS] recommended isolation policies.
Horses which compete regularly can be vaccinated.
 
Ansiscool said:
Mine was isolated in a stable for two long weeks. She box walked, tried to jump out, lost weight, was a total stress head and is the reason that we won't be moving yards any time soon! All the yards do it round here. I totally understand why it's done but I hate it when a new livery turns up and has to go through it too!
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She could have been kept in a little isolation stable/shelter with turnout/paddock attached.
 
Strangles is absolutely nothing compared to some of the diseases we may well be facing and soon!Its high time we all started thinking about "Biosecurity".Everyone needs to play their part or we could see a disaster in the near future.So many deadly equine diseases are moving northwards with global warming.
 
My old yard did used to have it actaully! It was a big yard, and most of the owners expected some sort of standard.
There was a stables with a small pen, for 2 weeks. However, there were 2 stables close by, but the horses mainly lived out, and they were not directly touching.
 
No isolation policy on our yard as we do not have the facilities. I only know of one yard that has an isolation policy and also any new horse has to have a blood test before it is allowed on the yard.
Must admit I have had worries when new horse moved into the stable next to ours as we are in a small barn and the horses can touch their neighbours through the bars. Found out there had been no vetting either so spent 2 weeks watching the new one more closely than the owners!
 
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