Equine

Kentucky is known to be the Horse Capital of the world.  With the miles of black and white equestrian fencing dancing along the sprawling bluegrass countryside leading to the historic horse racing cathedrals as well as dozens of legendary Kentucky horse farms, many of Kentucky’s trainings facilities have raised horse legends as well as trainers.

The Kentucky Derby is one of many highlights of how strong the equine industry is to Kentucky.  Some other highlights include the breeding and rearing of equine in Kentucky pastures.  Equine in Kentucky has helped boost the tourism and the economy by providing many jobs.

There are over 242,000 horses in Kentucky, with close to 50% of them involving in showing or recreational activities.  The average thoroughbred farm is 300 acres.

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COVID-19 – Farm, Veterinary and Other Equine Activities - Updated: January 1, 2021

Version en espanol

To: Equine Industry Representatives and Veterinary Practitioners

From: E.S. Rusty Ford, Equine Operations Consultant – KY Office State Veterinarian

Further to the COVID-19 Guidance provided earlier this week I am providing this update to address Equine Boarding Facilities:

After receiving multiple inquiries, I sought clarification and have received from Governor Beshear's office that equine boarding facilities are defined to be agriculture and in caring for horses is an essential business.  With this determination, equine boarding facilities are currently permitted to remain operational so long as the facility can implement and follow the direction given by Kentucky Office State Veterinarian that includes maintaining/practicing social distancing as well as limiting individuals in the facility at any given time to a minimum and to those that have a defined need/purpose/benefit. Additionally, all tools and equipment handled by individuals is to be adequately cleansed/disinfected and frequent hand washing must occur.  Insuring compliance of the individual borders will be responsibility of the facility operator/manager.  This should not be interpreted to imply concession riding operations or other such retail businesses are permitted to operate.

COVID-19 – Farm, Veterinary and Other Equine Activities

To: Equine Industry Representatives and Veterinary Practitioners

From: E.S. Rusty Ford, Equine Operations Consultant – KY Office State Veterinarian

Date: January 1, 2021

The public health threat presented by COVID-19, otherwise known as coronavirus, is impacting all, and the equine industry is not immune to it. Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles, State Veterinarian Dr. Bob Stout and I are appreciative of the proactive steps our agricultural industries have taken thus far. Only by working together as we are can help insure our own health and that of our industry. Protecting the health of ourselves, families, friends, employees and one another is of paramount importance. As veterinarians, technicians, farm managers, and horsemen – we are knowledgeable and familiar with biosecurity. We have all worked through disease outbreaks, quarantines, and understand the basic principles to mitigating disease transmission in horses. The environment we are in today though, does necessitate applying and expanding these principles. It is our mutual goal to see the standards defined below be adopted, implemented and practiced by all farms, practitioners and horsemen working together in our industry here in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Office of State Veterinarian has developed the following guidance to adjust equine activities to better protect public health during this time.

General Guidance:

• •  If you feel sick, stay home. Do not work. Contact your medical provider.
• •  If your children are sick, keep them at home. Do not send them to school. Contact your medical provider.
• •  If someone in your household has tested positive for the virus, keep the entire household at home. Do not go to work. Do not go to school. Contact your medical provider.
• •  If you are an older person, stay home and away from other people.
• •  If you are person with a serious underlying health condition that can put you at increased risk (for example, a condition that impairs your lung or heart function or weakens your immune system), stay home and away from other people.
• •  Limit individuals from unnecessarily congregating and maintaining a responsible social distance between individuals. Social distancing is the phrase of the month and is defined as a 6 foot perimeter/space between individuals.

• •  Please keep up to date with the Centers for Disease Control Guidance, which includes best practices during this time.

Caring For Our Horses and Industry:

Dr. Stout and I have been speaking with equine practitioners, farm managers, farm employees and other individuals in the industry to best define the path forward.

We have compiled the following best practices.

1. Barns should be open to allow as much exchange of fresh air as possible

2. Equipment (leads, shanks, twitches, grooming etc.): Should be assigned to a barn and not passed to different individuals. This equipment should be cleaned and disinfected daily.

3. Surfaces (desk, rails, gates etc.) having contact with individuals or equipment should be cleaned and disinfected frequently.

4. Paperwork: Paperwork should be completed and submitted electronically.

5. Communication should be via phone call, email or text.

6. Veterinarians/Veterinary Assistants (and others who visit farms daily): Limit the number of individuals assisting the veterinarian. Veterinarians and other individuals who visit multiple facilities daily must understand and accept the additional steps they must take to avoid becoming contaminated and potentially transferring the contagion to other environments.

a. Veterinarians, assistants, and others should take their temperature 2x daily and not report to work if an elevated fever is detected. Any fever detected should be reported to a supervisor or manager.

b. Veterinarians, assistants, and others should wear gloves, coveralls and consider wearing a mask when deemed appropriate. These would be changed between farms and cleansed for reuse at end of day.

c. When feasible, the vet assistant should be the individual holding/restraining the horse. 

d. Palpation – The manner by which you palpate or examine a mare is based on your assessment and familiarity with the individual animal. Ideally, the tail would be pulled and tied or the assistant wearing gloves would hold the tail. Alternatively, a farm employee could serve this role so long as he or she has the proper PPE while maintaining the defined social distance. Our objective is to minimize the number of individuals working in close proximity.

e. The veterinarian assistant should cleanse the gloved hand or use new gloves moving horse to horse. The veterinarian should change or cleanse gloves between horses.

f. Avoid transfer of paperwork – reports support contagions are easily transferred to/from paper products. All administrative processes should be completed electronically when possible. This includes daily worksheets, payment.

7. Farm Employees (there should be no physical contact between individuals and they should practice social distancing).

a. Farm employees should check their temperatures 2x daily and if an elevated fever is detected they should report the fever to their supervisor and not interact with veterinarian.

b. Where possible, employees working on the farm should be ‘consistently compartmentalized’, meaning individuals day-to-day routines should be that they work with the same people daily, and do not work different shifts having interaction with new or different individuals.

c. Ideally, there would be one farm employee per barn working with the veterinarian. This individual should be at or near the head of the horse and away from the veterinarian. The veterinarian or accompanying assistant is holding tail.

d. Foals requiring restraint, will be attended to by the veterinarian's assistant.

Implementing these practices, and any other action you can take to eliminate people from congregating in common areas will be beneficial and could be critical in our ability to continue business is as normal manner as possible.

For additional information regarding the COVID-19 status in KY please visit https://govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19.

Guidelines, updates and information offered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture can be viewed at www.kyagr.com/covid19

COVID-19 – Equine Activities

Version en espanol

To: Equine Industry Representatives

From: E.S. Rusty Ford, Equine Operations Consultant – KY Office State Veterinarian

Date: March 21, 2020

The threat that COVID-19 virus poses is impacting each of our lives daily. The efforts to contain the virus by mitigating further transmission is dependent on each of us practicing the guidelines issued by Kentucky’s Department of Public Health and the actions/restrictions initiated by Governor Andy Beshear. Specifically, limiting individuals from unnecessarily congregating and maintaining space (i.e. social distance is the phrase of the week and is defined as a 6’ perimeter/space) between individuals when it is necessary to be together is a critical component of the mitigating strategies. Commissioner Quarles, Dr. Stout and I genuinely appreciate the proactive steps our agricultural industries have taken thus far.

BREEDING SHED ACTIVITY: Throughout the week I have spoken with and/or visited a number of breeding sheds to review the practices in place. With vans and individuals visiting multiple facilities each day we do recommend adopting standard practices in how we manage people and horses visiting sheds. Dr. Stout and I are of the shared opinion that implementing the following practices will be advantageous to our maintaining breeding shed activity.

1. Submission of documentations for mares booked to be bred would best be done electronically. We’ve seen numerous reports where handled paper can be contaminated.

2. Eliminate outside individuals (van drivers and mare attendants) from coming into the prep area and shed. To accomplish this the van would arrive, the mare would be offloaded and handed off to a shed employee (using the shed’s shank) who would handle the mare through the process. The van driver and anyone accompanying the mare to the shed should remain outside in the parking area while maintaining social distance with other individuals.

3. After cover, the mare would be returned to the loading area and handed off to the attendant for loading onto the van. If there is need for a mare’s attendant to witness the cover, this should be accomplished from outside – looking in, videotaped or virtually.

4. The shank would be cleaned before returning to the shed or reuse and attendant would wash hands.

5. Breeding equipment (leg straps, collars, boots etc.) would be cleaned before reuse.

6. Additionally, maintaining enhanced biosecurity in our daily activity is essential to all of these mitigations.

Implementing these practices, and any other action you can take to eliminate people from congregating in common areas will be beneficial and could be critical in our ability to continue transporting horses to/from sheds.

For additional information regarding the COVID-19 status in KY please visit https://govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19.

Guidelines, updates and information offered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture can be viewed at www.kyagr.com/communications/covid-19-ky-agriculture-updates.html.

INTRODUCING THE EXTENDED EQUINE CERTIFICATE OF VETERINARY INSPECTION (EECVI)

As of April 1, 2019, the Kentucky Office of the State Veterinarian will no longer issue the Equine Interstate Event Permit, also known as the Equine Passport.  However, please be advised that any Equine Passport issued by our office before 04/01/2019 is still valid for interstate travel to accepting states six months from the CVI issue date or until the EIA (Coggins) expires.

Introducing the Extended Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (EECVI): a better solution for frequent horse travelers to keep moving and stay compliant, and offered by GlobalVetLINK.  Participating states include: Alabama (AL), Arkansas (AR), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Maryland (MD), Missouri (MO), Mississippi (MS), Montana (MT), North Carolina (NC), New Mexico (NM), South Carolina (SC), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Virginia (VA), West Virginia (WV), and Wyoming (WY).  Many additional states plan on participating, but are not able to at this time due to requirement of a legislative rule change period.  We will share information as additional states join the program in the future.

How does the EECVI help you?

• •   Health Certificate that lasts up to six months
• •   Owners have 24/7 access in online account
• •   Automatically submitted to original and destination states
• •   Greater participation nationally

Click the links provided below for more information about the EEVI, helpful to Kentucky horse owners and veterinarians alike.

EECVI Owner-Agent Checklist

EECVI Veterinarian Checklist

For more information about the EECVI and FAQs, please visit GlobalVetLINK.com.

KENTUCKY’S 2018 POTOMAC HORSE FEVER (PHF) Cases - Updated: August 25, 2018

The first confirmed case of Potomac Horse Fever (PHF) diagnosed in Kentucky during calendar year 2018 was reported on June 1, 2018.  The diagnosis was confirmed with PHF DNA detected by PCR testing and compatible clinical symptoms observed.  Through the week ending August 25, a total of 26 cases have been confirmed.  Confirmation of each case was by PCR testing and compatible clinical symptoms observed.  A summary of the cumulative cases is included in the table and graphics below.

Historically, Kentucky’s PHF cases are first detected later in the year (mid-July), and our thought is the early detection this year was most probably associated with abundant wet weather in April and record breaking warm temperatures in May.

Horsemen are encouraged to review the environment their horses are housed and consult their veterinarians on strategies they may use to mitigate disease risk. Minimizing opportunity for horses to ingest aquatic insects by turning off lights in and around barns and other areas at night, has been suggested.

Potomac horse fever (PHF) is described to be an acute enterocolitis syndrome that presents as mild colic, fever, and diarrhea in horses of all ages.  The resulting illness can also cause abortion in pregnant mares. The causative agent, Neorickettsia risticii, is a gram-negative bacterium.  Infection of the large intestine results in an acute colitis, which is one of the principal clinical signs of PHF.  While the disease is often associated with pastures bordering creeks or rivers, it is believed most horses contract PHF after inadvertent ingestion of aquatic insects that carry N risticii and not the water source.