Horse Care | Horse Racing Free Tips

Can I Contract Coronavirus From My Horse? A Vet Responds

Just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic became a reality for people in the United States, the equine version of the coronavirus was making its way through show facilities and racetracks across the nation. Thankfully, the equine coronavirus is not transmissible to humans and is not the cause of the worldwide pandemic.

Dr. James Williams of Novato, CA, reports that the only way a human could contract COVID-19 from a horse would be for an infected human to cough onto a horse's coat and then for another human to touch the horse (and the droplets), then touch his nose or mouth. This is the same way a non-infected human might contract COVID-19 from a countertop an infected person coughed on.

Thankfully, both scenarios seem highly unlikely: Most viruses are species specific. When horses are infected with the equine corona, they typically run a fever, have no appetite, are lethargic and have diarrhea. Rarely is their respiratory tract affected. Equine coronavirus typically lasts four to five days and recovery is generally uneventful. Supportive therapies may be used, including administering fluids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.

Equine coronavirus is spread between horses through the fecal-oral route: a horse must have direct contact with infected feces to contract the disease. Clinical signs typically begin between 48 and 72 hours after exposure; the horse will shed the virus in his feces three to four days after exposure. This may cause horse's feces to test negative for the disease in its early stages. The horse sheds the most amount of disease three to four days after clinic signs begin.

Infected horses generally shed the disease for about three weeks. Asymptomatic shedders can also spread the disease. How long the disease can last in the environment is not known, similar to human coronaviruses. Equine coronavirus is often seen in cold weather, though transmission in warmer months is possible.

Is Colic The Only Reason For Bacterial Changes In The Gut? Probably Not

It's long been known that the best way to prevent ulcers in horses is to make sure they have something to eat—preferably forage—nearly constantly. But what happens if feed and hay are withheld to not exacerbate a problem, like colic?

Drs. Jaclyn Willette, Dipti Pitta, Nagaraju Indugu, Bonnie Vecchiarelli, Meagan Hennessy, Tamara Dobbie and Louise Southwood found that the bacterial population of a horse's gut changes if he has been without food for at least 10 hours.

Chronic gastrointestinal disease leads to a decrease in variety of bacterial species in the gut of humans and cattle; the same is thought to be true for horses.

The bacteria in a colicking horse's gut is distinctly different from that in a healthy horse's gut. While this could be related to intestinal problems and inflammation that is leading to the colic epsiode, other factors could be at play, including withholding feed, which is an essential tool in managing a horse with colic.

The study team used eight mares for a crossover study that withheld nearly all feed for 24 hours and then allowed each horse free-choice timothy hay for 24 hours. The horses had access to water at all times.

The researchers found that bacteria richness and diversity were significantly lower 10 to 24 hours after the fast began. This limited bacterial population persisted for 2 to 12 hours after the horses were given access to hay. The horse's gut returned to normal 18 to 24 hours after the hay was reintroduced.

The team concluded that the effect of withholding feed should be considered when interpreting data on species and amount of gut bacteria in horses. Their findings may help locate markers that will lead to the development therapeutic interventions for horses that are colicking.

Read the study here.

Sidewinder Gait: A Poor Prognosis No Matter The Cause

Sidewinder gait in horses looks as odd as its name: An affected horse walks with his body and pelvis drifting out to one side; a severely affected horse may spin or circle with their hind legs moving in one direction and their thoracic limbs moving differently to compensate.

The disease is poorly understood, in part because it's difficult for the horse to stand in one place or symmetrically load his hind limbs. Sidewinder gait can come on gradually or suddenly.

Drs. Monica Aleman, Emily Berryhill, Kevin Woolard, Charlotte Easton‐Jones, Tania Kozikowski‐Nicholas, Sue Dyson and Isabelle Kilcoyne hypothesized that the gait might be caused by neurologic or musculoskeletal issues. They completed a retrospective study of 37 horses that were seen for sidewinder gait at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis, and the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England, between 2000 and 2019.

Some horses were excluded from the study for a variety of reasons; the scientists used a total 24 horses for the study. They found that the average age of the affected horses was 18.9 years old and that sidewinder gait came on suddenly in 10 of the cases.

In total, 16 cases were caused by neurologic issues, including dynamic thoracolumbar spinal cord compression (five cases), equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (four cases), thoracic myelopathy (four cases), gliosis (two cases) and thrombosis of thoracic spinal cord segments (one case).

Eight cases of sidewinder gait were caused by non-neurologic reasons: osteoarthritis of the hip (four cases), multiple displaced pelvic fractures (two cases), rupture of the ligament at the femoral head (one case) and severe necrotic damage of pelvic muscles (one case).

The scientists reported that though short-term improvement was reported, the sidewinder gait remained unresolved in all horses. The fatality rate was nearly 80 percent (19 of the 24 horses). Of the horses that lived, not one resumed the level of previous activity.

The researchers determined that sidewinder gait is normally seen in older horses of any breed or sex and can have neurologic or musculoskeletal origins. The condition has a poor prognosis for function and life.

Read the study here.

Snap, Crackle, Pop: What Creaky Joints Mean

It's not unusual for equine caretakers to hear their steed's joints pop and crack when they move. Though alarming, these noises are generally nothing to worry about. Joints make noise when the joint capsule is stretched and releases gas from the joint fluid very quickly. This is the same process that allows people to “crack” their knuckles; after a bit of time, the same joint can be cracked again.

The most-mobile joints tend to be the loudest: knees, hocks and stifles. Joints in the neck or back may also pop, especially when the horse is stretching.

Cracking doesn't mean that a joint is tight, loose or out of alignment. If the horse is sound and comfortable, clicking joints is nothing to worry about.