Horse Barn Managers

Horse Barn Manager Overview

Implementing New Biosecurity Plans: Do the best you can

You are not alone in creating a biosecurity plan for your farm. In addition to your veterinarian, there are disease experts who can help you assess specific disease risks on your farm and at different times of the year. Following a horse around the farm and noting any areas or protocols that need to be addressed is one suggestion to help you get started assessing biosecurity risks.  

The complexity of implementing a new biosecurity plan can be overwhelming. Good biosecurity is rewarded by the absence of disease which may not feel valuable to everyone. Create a reward system for workers and owners who follow the protocols diligently. Every step toward your biosecurity goals, though, is progress and will help protect the health of the horses on your farm. These small victories add up over time and will help you have the most biosecure farm possible. Make a point of writing down your biosecurity and infection control policies as you develop them. 

New habits take over two months to form, so keep enforcing your new barn rules until it is second nature for everyone. Horse owners and farm employees may need to be reminded of the rules, but eventually everyone will get on board with biosecurity!

Education Key Points

• Stay up to date with endemic diseases and emerging outbreaks in your area.
• Put posters around the farm of various biosecurity protocols.
• Put pictures or posters of normal vital signs and clinical signs of diseases.
• Engage horse owners and farm staff with talks or activities, so they will value biosecurity, too.

Education and Announcements

Research endemic diseases and risks in your area to understand the most important areas on which to focus. Additionally, stay up to date on risks and outbreaks in your area. 

Websites to follow are

• Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) 
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
• American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP)

Post instructions around the barn to remind horse owners and staff as you implement biosecurity protocols and guidelines. Be sure to check in with those people to ensure everyone understands the protocols. Send an email to the farm community or make a large poster to draw people’s attention when you create new measures. 

Post pictures of clinical signs of infectious diseases around the barn so owners and barn staff know what to look for. Also post healthy and abnormal vital signs values. Another strategy for promoting biosecurity is to encourage horse owners to take charge of their horses. 

If horse owners or barn staff are ignoring biosecurity risks or instructions, remind them of the importance of biosecurity. Hosting farm meetings or discussions on various biosecurity issues is one way to increase engagement with the topic.  These could cover equine infectious diseases, zoonotic diseases, biosecurity protocols at the farm, or many other topics. Demonstrations can make it even more interesting for the attendees. Make it clear (for example, by explaining or showing the consequences of poor compliance) that biosecurity is a priority at the farm for everyone’s safety and benefit.

New Horse Arrival and Quarantine Procedures for Barn Managers

Horse Arrival Key Points

• Only allow healthy horses onto your property with accurate CVIs.
• Take the new horse’s temperature upon arrival and every 12 hours during quarantine. 
• Normal rectal temperature is 99-101.5ºF. Recheck the temperature in one hour if it is 101-102ºF.
• Educate new clients on the farm’s biosecurity plan.

Arrival

Do not allow any visibly sick horses to enter your property. If a horse arrives looking sick, do not let them off the trailer and send them to a veterinary hospital–preferably one with quarantine facilities. Another option is to keep the horse on the trailer at your farm and have the veterinarian come to the farm to examine the horse. You can bring the new horse directly to your quarantine facilities if you have very secure quarantine facilities on your property, but this increases the risk of pathogens spreading to your farm and horses. Horses moving to your farm should be vaccinated at least with core vaccines, in addition to any risk-based vaccines for your area. Ask for these records just before or at the time of arrival. If a horse is coming from out of state, the state’s animal health official will require a CVI for each new arrival. When the new horse arrives, confirm that the owner has a CVI from within 14 days and review it to make sure it is properly completed. Even if the horse is moving within the state, it is reasonable to require a CVI if there is an ongoing outbreak. 

Once new horses arrive, have a barn employee take their temperature a few hours but no more than 6 hours after arrival and continue to do so every 12 hours for the duration of the horse’s quarantine period. Keep a log to track any potential fevers (normal rectal temperature is 99-101.5ºF–check for other clinical signs and recheck temperature in one hour if 101-102ºF). Also, keep track of food and water intake. Consider requiring a temperature log for 2-7 days prior to arrival if there is an active pandemic causing fevers. It is worth noting that temperatures in the evening are typically higher than in the morning.

If the owner of the new horse is a new client at the farm, make sure to explain the biosecurity plan. This will help with compliance by ensuring a better understanding of how and why rules are in place. Include in the boarding contract that the owner is responsible for following all of the farm’s biosecurity protocols. Be open to questions and comments.

Quarantine Key Points

• Quarantine new horses for 7 to 30 days. Prevent direct contact between the quarantined horse and resident horses and people.
• Take the quarantined horse’s temperature every 12 hours and perform health checks for the duration of the quarantine period.
• Work with the horse owner to schedule times for them to exercise their horse when they will not encounter others.

Quarantine

Depending on the perceived risk, the new horse should be quarantined for 7 to 30 days. During this time, the horse should avoid having nose-to-nose contact with other horses and, ideally, should not share air space with them. Do not share equipment between new and resident horses. If possible, assign an employee to feed, water, and clean the new horse’s stall. Otherwise, feed, water, and clean stalls for all resident horses before tending to the new arrival.

Keep a log of temperature checks every 12 hours. Additionally, check the horse once or twice daily to ensure there are no clinical signs of disease. If any signs are present, contact the owner and veterinarian immediately.

Visitors to the barn should not interact with the quarantined horse, and if they do touch him/her, they should wash their hands before touching another horse. A physical barrier, such as mesh over the stall window, and clear signage stating not to touch this horse are some options for preventing visitors from interacting with the quarantined horse. Make every effort to limit contact between the new horse and the resident horses.

Do not allow the newly arrived horse to use facilities (arenas, paddocks, grooming stalls, etc.) while other horses are present. The new horse can use the arena or other areas where they will not be able to touch anything at designated times, such as after hours. Instruct the owner on when she or he can use these areas and how to minimize pathogen transmission, such as disinfecting anything her horse touches.

Once the quarantine period is complete and the horse has shown no clinical signs of illness, he or she can be released into the general resident population.

Moving a Horse from Quarantine Key Point

• Monitor the horse’s temperature and for clinical signs of disease for several days once it is in the general population.

Moving Horse from Quarantine to the General Population

Continue monitoring the horse for clinical signs of disease and temperature for several days after it enters the general population. The horse and owner can begin using the facilities, but with extra care. They should be cleaning and disinfecting anything the horse touches for the first several days.

Cleaning and Disinfection for Barn Managers

Cleaning and Disinfection Key Points

• Wash equipment and barn areas with soap and water and let dry fully before applying disinfectant per the manufacturer’s recommendations. 
• Visitors and anyone coming to your farm must clean and disinfect their cars and tires if they have visited any other farms with horses. 
• Place tack or anything else to which you cannot apply disinfectant in the sun to kill pathogens. 
• Use footbaths at the entrance to the quarantine area. 
• Clean and disinfect stalls between horses using them. 
• Learn which disinfectants will be best in each situation. Bleach is inactivated by organic material.

Cleaning and Disinfection

Any potential source of pathogen transmission must be cleaned and disinfected regularly. This includes shared areas and equipment, stalls, vehicles, bathrooms or lounges, and people. Clean off all organic material using soap/detergent and water. Let it dry before applying a disinfect. All disinfectants should be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Anyone who travels to other properties with horses, such as veterinarians, farriers, feed delivery trucks, etc., should clean and disinfect their trucks and tires between each farm. A scrub brush with soap and water should be used, the vehicle allowed to dry, and before applying a disinfectant. On difficult-to-clean vehicles, using a disinfectant that is not inactivated by organic material is a good idea. Veterinarians and farriers should also disinfect their tools between farms and horses. If their disinfecting protocol is not obvious, make sure to ask about it to ensure your horses are getting proper care.

Tack cannot be easily disinfected, but still take caution with this equipment. Clean it often and dry it in the sun, as sunlight can kill or inactivate some pathogens.

Clean footwear is a priority for keeping the farm safe from pathogens. Before entering the quarantine area, any visitor to the farm, including horse owners, must clean their boots, change into rubber boots, or wear shoe covers if they have worn their shoes to other equine facilities. Footbaths should be placed just outside the quarantine area for easy access. A bleach solution can be used in the footbath (1-part bleach: 10 parts water), but there must be no organic material on the shoes. As a result, a disinfectant that is not inactivated by organic material, such as phenols, may be more effective (see last paragraph of this section). Also include scrub brushes with the footbath to ensure the disinfectant reaches all parts of the shoes. Change footbaths regularly, especially if they become contaminated with organic material. If footbaths are not possible or feasible for some reason, use disposable shoe covers. Another option for the quarantine area is to locate a pair of rubber boots or over-boots that are only used for that horse/the quarantine area just outside the area.

Once a stall is used and the horse then leaves, whether in main barn or the quarantine area, thoroughly clean and disinfect the stall before another horse uses it. Trailers follow this same logic. For specific instructions on disinfecting trailers and stalls after use, reference pages 11-13 in UC Davis’ Horse Biosecurity guide (PDF). Once you have decided on cleaning protocols for the facility, write them down and keep them handy for quick reference.

Knowing which disinfectants to use in various situations can be very helpful, especially when a horse is identified as infectious. Bleach should be mixed 1:10 with water, but organic material will inactivate it. However, One Stroke Environ and Tek-trol (phenols) can be used when organic matter is still present, making them good options for truck tires, trailers and footbaths. If there is not a sink or clean running water nearby, gel hand sanitizer is a good option for handwashing. If you are going to be using other spray disinfectants, make sure they work to kill or inactivate bacteria and viruses. Sunlight can also be used to disinfect equipment that cannot be cleaned with bleach or other sprays, such as leather tack.

Leaving/Returning to the Farm for Barn Managers

Leaving the Farm Key Points

• Have owners notify you of any travel plans.
• Help them assess biosecurity risks.

Leaving the Farm

When anyone takes their horse(s) off of the property, they must notify you of their travel plans. This includes date of departure, destination, and date of arrival back to the farm. If the destination is far from your farm, conduct disease risk research with the owner. Even if you are not involved in these travel plans, any biosecurity risk mitigation for a horse on your farm will benefit all humans and animals present.

Returning to the Farm Key Points

• Quarantine horses that have been off property.
• Keep a temperature log.

Returning to the Farm

While horses are off the property, stay up to date with disease outbreaks around the country, especially in the locations of those horses. Follow the same quarantining procedures as if a new horse had arrived at the farm. Depending on the amount of contact and biosecurity risks encountered while off the farm, the horse can be quarantined in the designated area or in their own stall. The quarantine period should last at least one to two weeks, or longer if the horse was exposed to a disease or is visibly sick. Temperature logs are also important to ensure that this horse does not spread any pathogens to the other horses on the farm.

Horse Health for Barn Managers

General Horse Health Key Points

• Require vaccination records from owners. Consider organizing a veterinarian to provide vaccinations for the whole farm. 
• Reduce stress on the horses. Feed high quality food to keep the horses in good nutritional health. 
• Offer a parasite control program to boarders (guided by a veterinarian). Otherwise, require parasite control program records. 
• Post signs with healthy horse vital signs. 
• Staff should be checking over each horse, at least daily, for any health changes. 
• Learn healthy vital sign values and teach them to staff. Temperature: 99-101.5ºF; respiratory rate: 10-24 breaths per minute; heart rate: 28-44 beats per minute; mucous membranes: pink and moist; capillary refill time (CRT): <2 seconds 
• Look for health issues, such as respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurologic signs of disease. 

General Horse Health and Warning Signs

Ensure that all horses on the property (who are able to be vaccinated) are vaccinated on a regular basis by requiring owners to provide you with vaccination records.

Parasite control is also a necessary measure to promote biosecurity. Offer a parasite control program to the boarders, in which the horses will be routinely tested for parasites and treated, if necessary, according to your veterinarian’s recommendations. If the horse owners want to do their own parasite control, require them to provide you with records to ensure they are complying.

Some owners may not be aware of the normal vital sign values for horses. As a reference for owners and barn staff, post signs around the barn with the healthy temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, mucous membrane color/feel, and capillary refill time values. Have the staff check over each horse at least once daily (this can be done while cleaning, feeding or performing other barn chores).

It is important to know what a healthy horse appears and behaves so that you can recognize a sick horse quickly. Normal rectal temperature is 99-101.5ºF and anything above that would be considered a fever. Horses normally take 10-24 breaths per minute and the nostrils do not contain excessive mucus. Clear liquid may come out of the nostrils, but any fluids thicker or with a color can suggest respiratory disease. A normal equine heart rate is 28-44 beats per minute. Check the mucous membranes (gums), which should be pink and moist, and the capillary refill time (time for color to return after firmly pressing finger against gums), which should be <2 seconds. Generally, the warning signs for disease include fever, a recumbent or weak horse, neurologic signs including aggression and stupor, diarrhea, vesicular or ulcerative lesions of the mouth or coronary band, enlarged lymph nodes, and respiratory signs including cough and increased respiratory rate. Have a written protocol for barn staff and owners to follow about when to contact a veterinarian.

A Single Sick Horse Key Points

• Quarantine the horse as soon as you/its owner/barn staff are suspicious that s/he is sick. 
• Disinfect everything the horse has touched, including its stall and equipment. 
• Note at-risk horses: neighbors, in the arena at the same time, have the same caretaker, any horse who had contact with the affected horse for the previous 14 days. Notify all of these horses’ owners. 
• Restrict movement on and off the farm. 

Single Sick Horse

When you, barn staff, or an owner notice a sick horse, quarantine the horse immediately. Take its temperature and continue logging it every two hours if the horse has a fever. If the horse doesn’t have a fever, check the temperature every 12 hours. Take note of any clinical signs and any changes. Call a veterinarian if the owner hasn’t already, who can help you develop the quarantine plan. Do not put waste from the sick horse in the manure pile; use a large plastic bag, seal tightly and dispose of it in the trash to be hauled away. Write out your protocol for managing contagious disease cases ahead for time, and post it in a visible place in the barn for horse owners and barn staff to reference.

While the horse is in quarantine, fully clean and disinfect his/her stall and equipment, as well as any other surfaces, equipment, etc. that the horse uses or touches. Take note of which other horses have or may have had contact with the sick horse. This could include stall or paddock neighbors/mates, horses that traveled or were off property with the sick one, horses that were in the arena at the same time, horses with the same owner or caretaker or shared equipment, and any others you are able to trace back for the previous 14 days. Don’t forget to consider anyone or horse that trailers in for lessons or training. Notify these owners and all horse owners at your farm of the illness once it has been confirmed by the veterinarian. Monitor the horses with potential contact for fever (every 12 hours) and any clinical signs of illness until it is known whether the disease is contagious.

Restrict movement on and off the farm until the nature of the disease and level of spread is determined. Consult your veterinarian and/or an animal health official to determine how long this restriction should last.

Controlling Outbreaks Key Points

• If the infectious disease spreads beyond the first sick horse, monitor the at-risk horses and all other horses for at least 7-10 days.
• Quarantine any horse with fever or clinical signs.
• Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible, who will help contact any animal health officials.
• Restrict movement on and off the farm, including dogs and visitors. Take extra precautions for cleaning and disinfection.
• Ideally, assign separate people to care for sick and healthy animals.

Outbreak Control

If an infectious disease spreads to more than one horse, you may have an outbreak on your farm. Monitor all at-risk horses and all other horses on the farm, to a lesser degree, for at least 7 to 10 days. Quarantine any horse that shows clinical signs of the disease or has a fever. If the quarantine area becomes full, separate the barn into a quarantine section and a healthy section, with very clear signs and barriers of which is which. Contact owners of all at-risk animals so they are aware of the situation.

Make sure to contact your veterinarian as soon as you notice more horses getting sick, even if you already notified him/her of the original horse with symptoms. Your veterinarian will be able to help you contact animal health officials who may need to be involved. Follow all guidance that your veterinarian and the animal health officials give because it will help the horses recover faster and may be required by law.

Restrict movement on and off the farm while potentially infected horses are being monitored. Once the last horse on the farm develops clinical signs, your veterinarian can help determine when the quarantine period and restricted movement can end. This will be based on the incubation period of the disease and/or the horse testing negative for the disease. Do not allow dogs or unnecessary visitors onto the property during a disease outbreak.

Extra precautions must be taken in terms of cleaning and disinfection. Ideally, different employees should take care of healthy and sick horses. If that is not possible, have employees take care of healthy horses first, exposed horses next, and finally infected horses.

Medical Records Key Points

• Keep medical records for all horses on the property.
• Keep travel records from owners to allow for tracebacks in the event of a disease outbreak.
• Map your farm, with locations of stalls and paddocks for each horse.

Medical and Travel Records

Keep medical records for all horses on the property. This will allow you to check that horses are regularly receiving vaccinations and medical visits. You will also be able to see if horses have been exposed to or have contracted diseases in the past. This can help figure out which horses are at higher risk. Travel records are also essential to require from owners and to keep for 6 months or longer after the travel has occurred. In the event of a disease outbreak, the travel records may help you piece together where the disease originated. Vaccination records additionally can help trace back the disease or guide containment plans.

It is very useful to have a map of your farm, including stall and paddock locations for each horse. Other helpful information could include property and fence lines and water sources.

Biosecurity Checklist for Barn Managers

Barn Manager Resources