Published: September 23, 2011 » Comments | Post a Comment
An outbreak of Equine Herpes in East Tennessee is prompting local horse owners to take extra precautions. Earlier this week, veterinarians diagnosed five horses from the Dixie Stampede with the virus. That makes six cases at the Pigeon Forge show. Last week one horse was put down as a precaution after it was diagnosed with the virus.
Local riding stables and therapeutic horse stables say they haven’t seen the strain of herpes yet. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t taking major precautions to keep their stables clean.
Small Miracles Therapeutic Stables in Kingsport are upping the cleanliness of their facility, by posting signs and insisting people wear freshly laundered clothes and wash their hands and arms before entering the barn, or touching the horses.
Sherrie Russell with Small Miracles says, “We do not know the origination of the virus, we're just treating it as anybody could infect our horses. We're voluntarily not allowing a set of horses to go anywhere or other horses to come here. We just want to make sure you're wearing freshly laundered clothes. We have a sign there that all of our volunteers, students, and staff must wash their hands before they handle the horses."
WF Stables and Tours are doing the same thing, but tell me, there is no way to keep horses from contracting Equine Herpes 100 percent. A vaccination is the best preventive measure.
Patti Walters says they are supposed to be in a horse show in two weeks, “If we were having it this weekend we would have done like the Crumley House and canceled, just because it’s so close to home and just so new."
Both stables say they will close if any strain of the virus turns up outside of Pigeon Forge.
What experts don’t know is how the horses at the Dixie Stampede developed the virus. They are a closed herd, meaning no horses have come in, or gone out since January.
Horses can get it from other horses or from humans. Humans and other animals can not contract Equine Herpes.
ccrapps@11connects.com
