strangles and yard quarentine policies

[Queenbee]

Ok, so what with all the strangles and other viruses winging it around the equine community at the moment and everyone asking the fair question:

“ Why was the new horse not quarantined when it came into the yard?”

It got me thinking, I have been at 7 livery yards in the past (one of which was also a fairly big riding school) and none have ever bothered to quarantine new horses. This is not to say I don’t agree with it or think it important, just to say I have never been at a yard where the owners credited it with importance, even when the owners have kept their horses in a manner that brings them into contact with the livery horses.

I wwould really appreciate your views on this and any other comments or experiences you have had that may be of interest to others.

Thanks in advance

So my questions are…

 

[Shipley]

My yard do have stable we could use if we had to ie they are in their back garden however they are not used unless there is a problem or her daughter has an extra horse in for schooling

 

[1928sky]

I am not nomally on a yard, but I spent 3 months on one. Now to me there is high risk and low risk- I don't mind a horse coming from another yard in this country and not being quarantined if it looks fit and healthy on arrival, after all I take my horse to competitions and shows and stable there if need be. However on the yard I was at I was so angry when an international horse transporter turns up with a horse from spain that looked bloody poor, guess what yard owner just flung it in with the rest of the geldings in the field. Now to me this was high risk and not acceptable.

 

[ihatework]

Interesting poll queenbee

I for one have never been on a yard where they quarantine new horses.

 

[burtie]

At our yard a lot of the equines regularly travel to comps and stay away so quarentine would be largely pointless. However we do have an isolation area if needed and we have a fairly low turnover of new horses anyway.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Just moved both of my horses to a new yard. One came from a small, very professionally run livery yard with individual turnout and only 5 liveries. The other horse (just purchased)came from a 50+ horse livery yard with poor grazing and mass turnout. The first horse wasn't quarantined, the second horse was. New YO evaluated the risk and made her decision. Both horses were wormed the day after arrival.

I have been in a yard where we had strangles and it was ignored and hushed up. The infected horses were hidden away in a field and we weren't informed and all carried on competing and hacking. Not there anymore!

 

[Marie_P]

No new horses allowed on our yard until they have had a strangles carrier blood test. If they fail this, they don't come.

 

[Queenbee]

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting poll queenbee

I for one have never been on a yard where they quarantine new horses.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you...

I am quite liking posting polls at the moment (may do another one later or tomorrow

)

I think it is really interesting to see the outcomes especially with something so topical. We all know what best practice is, and are the first to ask the 'Q' question when strangles is mentioned but I always wonder whether we take our own advice!!! It would seem that there are a lot of us that do not. Perhaps that is just because there are so few livery yards about that do infact quarentine, and so we just have to do what we can to be vigilant and carefull and act upon anything that happens quickly.

It is also really interesting to see in Q5 how the yard set up (namely the risk to YO horses) might affect how the YO sets and enforses such policies.

I am also a bit miffed

although not surprised at the amount of yards that had problems but did not bother to implement or improve proceedures as a result.



One further question which may seem stupid but many people do not seem as concerned with quarentine as I thought (although we know we should do it). Some, infact might, because of the nature of their riding activities find it too restrictive. Soooo....

 

[Queenbee]

ooops sorry, think I ended the poll by asking a new question!! Feel free to post your answers though, the more the better.

 

[SO1]

I can't move my pony to a yard that quarentines as he gets very worried about being stabled or being left on his own so it would not be safe for him.

There have been yards locally that have had strangles but these yards have had dealers on them bringing in new horses from I don't know where.

I think there is a bigger risk from horses coming from dealers or from sales than there is from a horse coming from a private owner. Though some horses can carry strangles yet get no symptoms so even if you quarantine you are still at risk.

 

[ribena73]

My old yard had a 2 week quarantine policy which was completely pointless as you could still use the facilities and the yard had competitions running where the yard horses mixed with the visiting horses anyway. I think the 2 weeks in quarantine sent my old mare into a frenzy when she was then turned out with company which resulted in her doing a tendon.

 

[Zippydoodles]

My current yard has no quarantine policy, however only 8 horses on the yard, none ever competes and last new horse to arrive was 2 years ago. Someone has to die (literally!) to get a place on our yard so not many risks of anything brought in.
If I was on a big yard with regular comings and goings I would def. pick one with quarantine. Having had a horse with strangles, when I was on a different yard at uni, and experienced the witch hunt that affects owners I would not wish it on anyone

 

[Hippona]

[ QUOTE ]
No new horses allowed on our yard until they have had a strangles carrier blood test. If they fail this, they don't come.

[/ QUOTE ]

Same on ours......having had strangles a couple of years ago, we all missed the show season and YO's daughter couldnt go eventing, YO takes no chances now.

Clear test before arrival on yard, then wormed on arrival.......then allowed out with others.