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Buddy Up: Stressed Horses Respond Better With A Friend

Horses that are stressed or scared are better able to cope when they have another horse nearby. Whether they know the horse or not is of little consequence; the presence of another horse can reduce the first horse's reaction to what is scaring him and can calm him down after the scare, reports The Horse.

Dr. Claire Ricci-Bonot led a study that paired 32 riding school horses with a companion horse they did or did not know.

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Half the companion horses were taught to not react to an opening umbrella or a striped gymnastics ball being placed near their hooves. The test horses, either with or without a companion they may have been familiar with, were then exposed to the objects.

The research team measured the test horses' heart rates and reactions, discovering that the horses reacted more calmly to the ball when they had a companion with them, whether they knew the other horse or not.

Their fearful reaction to the umbrella was the same with and without a companion, but the test horse's heart rate decreased more rapidly when paired with a companion than when alone. This discovery suggests that a companion has a post-reaction calming effect.

Novel Circovirus Identified In A Kentucky Horse

A novel circovirus has been found in a Kentucky horse with liver disease, though it remains unclear whether the virus was the cause of the horse's health problems.

Circoviruses can affect pigs, birds, elk, dogs, cows, pandas, bears, bobcats, pumas, foxes, mink, seals, bats, rodents, fish, and bobcats. They can have no effect on some animals and may be lethal to others.

Dr. Alvin Hui serum tested five horses in Kentucky: one ill and four healthy. The researchers discovered parvovirus-H, equus anellovirus and some distantly related mammalian circoviruses sequences. The circovirus was present in the ill horse, which was a pregnant mare with hepatitis and a fever. The mare was also positive for equine parvovirus-H, which could have been the cause of the liver disease.

The scientists were able to completely map the genome of the equine circovirus 1 strain Charaf (EqCV1-Charaf). The team determined that the equine circovirus genome is most closely related to pig circoviruses PCV1 and PCV2, which are distributed worldwide, and to a Canadian elk circovirus, which has been reported just once.

The team concluded that EqCV1 is a new species in the circovirus genus and the first reported in a horse. Whether the circovirus played a role in the mare's hepatitis is uncertain as the virus's disease-causing ability is unclear.

Read the full article from the journal Viruses.

Dying Wish Fulfilled, Racing Fan Will Be Laid To Rest

A racing fan who fulfilled a dying wish by watching racing from his hospital bed on the infield at Morphettville in Adelaide earlier this month has passed away.

Nigel Latham, 58, died on May 3, just two days after ambulance staff granted his request to stop off at the race meeting while he was on his way home to start palliative care.

He saw Craig Williams ride three winners, including a G1 win on Instant Celebrity for which the jockey said Latham had been the inspiration, later handing him his whip as a souvenir.

The story became global viral news.

Latham, a member of the South Australian Jockey Club who owned shares in two horses, was born in Britain and moved to Australia in 2006. He wanted to be laid to rest in his birthplace.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Julie and the rest of the family.”@CWilliamsJockey is grateful for the people who granted Nigel Latham his last wish. 💙 pic.twitter.com/X7YSKeNllw

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 15, 2021

A family statement said: “Nigel's final wish was to come home where his final resting place will be under the shadow of the Malvern Hills. Internment of ashes will be in Great Malvern at a later date when COVID travel restrictions allow.”

The chosen charities in lieu of flowers are the Bob Champion Cancer Trust in the UK and the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group.

This story was reprinted with permission by Horse Racing Planet. Find the original piece and more content here.

The post Dying Wish Fulfilled, Racing Fan Will Be Laid To Rest appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Do We Need To Practice Social Distancing With Our Horses?

Social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing, and the dreaded nasal swab have become part of our normal life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The equine industry faces similar types of outbreaks, but placing a mask on a horse isn't feasible. However, there are ways to prevent disease spread within the equine community.

The recent increase in horses affected by herpesvirus neurologic disease in North America and Europe reminds us that herpesvirus (EHV-1) remains a constant threat for horses. The virus, which causes upper airway infection and abortion, is highly contagious and easily transmitted between horses. Although there are vaccines for this virus, these vaccines are not completely effective and do not protect against the neurologic form of the disease, which is often fatal. The best protection to limit the spread of this disease is appropriate biosecurity, including isolation and social distancing.

Like COVID-19, equine diseases such as equine herpesvirus and equine influenza are highly infectious and spread by contact or by inhalation of micro-organisms on particles in the air or water. When an infected horse coughs or sneezes, tiny particles are spread. Viral diseases can also be spread by horse-to-horse contact or by contamination on commonly touched surfaces. Bacterial diseases such as Strangles are also transmitted through contact—from horse to horse or by horses touching common areas such as watering systems, tack, and grooming equipment. Both viruses and bacteria can be spread by humans working with an affected horse and carrying it to other horses.

Keeping horses separated is one of the most important steps in biosecurity to help prevent disease spread. When an infectious disease is suspected or confirmed, all horses in the same facility or on the same premise are at risk of becoming infected. Keeping horses separated in stalls or at a separate facility is crucial to stop the transmission of diseases to other horses. With very contagious diseases like equine herpesvirus, a quarantine is often necessary to stop all horse movement and limit movement of people on the affected premises.

Social distancing only works if appropriate sanitation measures and careful separation of tools and equipment are in place while caring for infected horses. Just as hand washing is needed to help control Covid-19, it is important that hands, clothing and any objects that come in contact with more than one horse are sanitized between horses.

If a horse is suspected or confirmed to have an infectious disease, horse owners should employ the following protocol to help prevent disease spread.

Immediately isolate the horse showing signs of an infection.
Implement movement restrictions of the affected horse and possibly exposed horses until the situation is evaluated.
Contact your veterinarian or the event veterinarian and ask what you should do.
Inventory horses, identify and isolate potentially exposed horses, and immediately implement health monitoring: take temperature twice daily (a temperature above 101.5° F suggests the horse has an infectious disease) and observe for clinical signs of depression or abnormal behavior.
When more than one owner or caretaker is involved, establish communication with all parties.

Additional protocol detail is available here.