Quarantine! When Sharing is NOT a good thing!

Unlike what you were taught from a young age, sharing is NOT always advised! Sharing germs and items that can spread them is one such case!

Quarantine is VITAL for ANY and EVERY new horse coming to your barn. They quarantine million dollar horses coming into the country for a reason! So, whether from John Smith down the road, the high end show barn you just bought one from, auction, or feedlot - QUARANTINE your new equine! Yup, it can be a nuisance but it is far less of a nuisance than having every horse in the barn sick (and if you board, lynching by other horse owners is a real risk!) Auction & Feedlot horses have co-mingled with hundreds of other equines from all over the country. Do you have kids? Sent them off to school and oh the plagues began - they bring EVERYTHING home - it is much like that. Germ swapping has happened!

Proper Quarantine means NO contact whatsoever with existing horses. Did you get 2 together? Yes, in a perfect world you should quarantine them separately but quarantining horses who came from the same place at the same time together is more the norm. This will work as long as you treat them like their own little closed herd of 2 - closed herd means nobody else in or out during quarantine. This means ALL BY THEMSELVES - no nose touching, no common fence lines, no shared ANYTHING. Distance them away from all other equine and they need to STAY distanced throughout quarantine. No sharing of ANYTHING - no buckets, grooming tools, manure forks - NOTHING. What is used for the quarantine horse stays with the quarantine horse and is ONLY for the quarantine horse. The most overlooked culprit in disease spread and germ swapping is your hose! Yes, that water hose - the one you plunk into the tank to fill, the one used at show grounds to go from stall to stall.

DO NOT PLUNK YOUR HOSE END INTO THE WATER......EVER! All the biosecurity in the world goes out the window the minute you do that! Hello germs - here's a wet environment for you to prosper and grow!

You can carry germs....so can your vehicle tires, farrier, veterinarian, etc......

In addition to having separate everything for quarantine horses, traffic must be controlled too! Care for your quarantine horse LAST when doing chores and "decontaminate" when leaving your quarantine area. Boot wash (or separate footwear - Lord knows we ALL have old boots kicking around), wash your hands, change your clothes. Don't go cruising through your quarantine paddock on the golf cart then head on over to your existing herd's pasture either. Your new horse will likely need to see the vet or the farrier while in quarantine. That's of course necessary but TELL THEM prior to scheduling the appointment that it is a new horse in quarantine. Ideally, they can then schedule you at the end of the day or otherwise take measures to not "spread the love on their next call". Be considerate! Yes, we horse people want to show our friends and family the new additions. Take photos - share them that way during quarantine rather than parading people over to your new horse. We know, its hard to keep them to yourselves but the less traffic in and out, the less chance of a break in quarantine procedure.

Common things to watch for and do during quarantine: Whenever possible, check your horse's temperature morning and night. An early spike in temperature is often the first sign of illness and as with most things in life, intervention sooner rather than later is the way to go! Watch for your horse to go off feed, changes in expression (i.e. - looking lethargic and like he/she just plain old doesn't feel too sparky), nasal discharge, coughing, swollen lymph nodes. Call your vet sooner rather than later. ****Feedlot and Auction horses will more often than not develop a respiratory illness. Every snotty nose and swollen lymph node is not Strangles (the word that sends horse folks running for the hills) and there are all kinds of fun respiratory bugs out there. Many are viral and need to run their course in which case your vet may elect to only use something like Banamine as needed for fever. Some are bacterial or viral that develop a bacterial secondary infection and then antibiotics may be utilized. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR VET!

If all of this is more than you want to take on at home or you just aren't set up for quarantine separation, there's hope! Quarantine boarding facilities are just what their name implies. We are fortunate here at Tar Heel to have two such facilities within an hour of us and both do great work at reasonable pricing (often equal to for what you would pay for regular boarding in this area). While you can absolutely quarantine at home by taking proper measures, the benefits of using an experienced quarantine barn are usually worth every penny! 1) They've seen just about everything. Experienced quarantine providers have likely seen more than the average horse owner when it comes to all the fun funk that can arise. Years of experience have taught them what to look for, when to have a regular vet visit, and when an emergency call may be in order. 2) Their vet has seen just about everything too! With every quarantine barn comes their vet who likely has a presence in their barn at least weekly if not more. All vets do not see the common respiratory illnesses that arise with feedlot/auction horses and not all are familiar with the most effective ways to treat them. Quarantine barn vets know because they do this - week in and week out, they see it, treat it, know what will usually work, and what usually won't. 3) Using a quarantine facility near the lot or auction is highly recommended. Transport for any horse is stressful - transport for one who may be thin, who has been through auction and untold travel even more so. Whenever possible, we advise you to quarantine as close to the lot or auction of origin as possible because A) it is easier on the horse and B) good practice is to wait until quarantine is complete to send a horse on long journeys. Again, that whole "not sharing" thing.

PANIC! When I spoke with the quarantine barn, they said I can't visit!!!

We have heard this panicked call time and again. We get it - that's a terrifying thing to be told and the first thing people think is "Why can't I visit? What are you hiding?" Breathe.....there's more to this! While some quarantine barns do allow for scheduled visits, many ban visits all together and here's why. EVERY person that sets foot into their quarantine area presents a risk of breaking quarantine. Nobody means to, but they do ALL....THE....TIME. In order to make sure this doesn't happen, someone at the quarantine barn must babysit - they must hover over you to make sure you aren't breaking quarantine! Remember, there are more horses there than just yours. Oh that quarantine providers had that kind of time! They don't! Their days, much like ours, are filled with work that is endless. While they get that you want to visit "Princess" they also know the risks of you doing so and that they will have to stop what they are doing to make sure all is done properly. If 8 of you want to visit your respective Princesses, you can see how that will quickly occupy literally their entire day. It isn't realistic.

CLICK HERE to read UC Davis's Biosecurity Guide - Note Visitors is addressed first!

But then how do I know this facility is ok? The same way you would vet anything - use Facebook, use Google, read reviews! You can probably visit the actual facility ahead - just know that access to some areas will likely not be available and an "I want to check it out" visit is not the same as popping by 3 times a week to visit Princess. Most facilities maintain a web or social media presence. Check them out! Call and have a conversation. Make a list of your questions. There are lots of things you can do! The point is that when "No Visitors" gets put out there, to understand what that usually means and not just assume some nefarious motive.

Be a good quarantine horse owner! What does this mean? Well, it means a few things, the first of which is to PAY YOUR QUARANTINE BILL ON TIME! Quarantine providers are not getting rich doing this and if you break down their expenses, you'll quickly realize that they won't be retiring in the lap of luxury. If you elect to not pay your bill for a few weeks thinking it is "no big deal" think again. They're feeding and caring for your horse whether you pay your bill or not and it is lousy to expect them to fund it from their own pocket. The same holds true for ALL boarding barns - don't be inconsiderate - pay them and pay them ON TIME! Again, you're not the only quarantine horse owner and if 10 of you decide that it's Christmas so the barn can wait a couple of weeks, well then doesn't it suck to be the barn owner left to cover everything. Not cool! Respect their time! Quarantine providers realize that you want updates and will typically provide regular photos and phone/email updates. That doesn't mean they have time to visit with you daily or send a photo every day. Weekly - sure. Daily? Again, you are one of several owners and if ALL of you expect a daily update (assuming there isn't something eventful going on with your particular horse - obviously an acutely ill horse will mean frequent contact/updates) when exactly is the provider supposed to feed, medicate, water, clean, and care for your horse? That's what you are paying them to do - please establish what that barn's protocol for updates is ahead and follow it so they can do their job.

Quarantine is necessary for ALL new equines! Whether you do so at home or do so at a facility, this is a step that CANNOT be skipped!