When the equine show season is in full swing, easy management strategies to avoid disease spread at events is paramount. Here are some of our top tips to minimise the risks!

• Take your horse’s temperature regularly and know what’s normal. Any rise in temperature means extra care needs to be taken and ring your veterinary surgeon immediately if it goes above 38.3C.
• Avoid sharing equipment such as water buckets (including communal water troughs), haynets, grooming supplies between horses to avoid cross-contamination.
• Limit horse-to-horse contact: pathogens may be directly transmitted between horses through nose-to-nose contact, therefore, elimination of potential areas for direct horse-to-horse contact in the stabling, wash area and in warm up areas is recommended.
• Limit human-to-horse contact: event visitors can also pose a significant disease transmission risk due to the unknowns of their previous horse contacts. Event officials should also try to avoid touching multiple horses without washing their hands.

We wish everyone the best of luck this season and to stay safe while having fun with your horses!