Quarantine
I want to talk a bit about “quarantine” services.
This is a vital & necessary service for anyone purchasing a new horse. This is crucial to the many folks now saving horses from kill pens or feed lots. Many lots offer quarantine services - but is it REALLY quarantine??
I’m curious.
Here’s the medical importance - bio-security is a must. Period. The goal should be to prevent the spread of illness and facilitate healing. Meaning, you can’t walk in a pen to feed a horse & pet them and then walk to the next pen and fill up water. By doing so, you have now cross-contaminated! You’ve spread “cooties”!
Pens or corrals need to be separated by 20 feet or more on ALL sides to prevent the spread of airborne flu type viruses, strep (Strangles) and Equine Herpes virus. Yes, 20 feet. If the horses can touch noses - it’s NOT a quarantine situation. Water troughs should not be shared and water hoses should be specific to each quarantine/isolation site. Buckets, hoses, scoops, halters, lead ropes, hay bags, poop scoops, etc. - even your boots and gloves need to be cleaned after EACH episode of exposure to a potentially sick animal.
Bleach!! It’s cheap, easy, and effective.
Transporters/haulers need to disenfect trailers in between loads. If this step is not taken fomites (solid objects) may carry illness and bacteria for a period of time, causing exposure to the next horse or horses loaded onto the trailer.
Lastly, quarantine should include:
nutritious food with ample hay
supplements as needed to help with the healing of sickly animals.
worming as indicated
medication per your vet recommendation.
All of these should result in a poor/sick animal at arrival leaving a healthy strong animal at release day.
Below is a young stallion who came to us sickly and super skinny. His mom requested a “true” quarantine . She received TRUE services where her animal was safe and got healthier.
Photo #1 is from Day 1
Photo # 2 is from Day 28 - the day he boarded the trailer to head home.
Please consider all these things when buying horses from sale barns, feed lots, or kill pens! This is a specific service and is VALUABLE. If you’re “paying bail” - add this to your list and budget and be sure services offered are being executed and true to Veterinary guidelines.
True Isolation services are available at RJF Equine, Inc. All incoming horses coming from sale barns, feed lots, or kill pens are quarantined for 14/21/28 days. With evaluations every 7 days.
Contact me for more information, rates, and, availability.
