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Peer-Reviewed

Horse Owners

  • Cari Wollman
  • Kathy Whitman
Young girl dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, guiding a brown horse through a wooden stable towards a sunlit opening.

Quick facts…

  • Finding a home for your horse at the right farm is an important step in animal ownership, safety, and biosecurity.
  • The first step in choosing a home for your horse is to find a farm operation that matches your tolerance for risk.
  • The density of horses on a farm can impact the level of biosecurity.
  • At least a few weeks prior to moving, have your horse vaccinated with all core vaccines and any risk-based vaccines depending on the new location and your horse’s health.
  • If you are cleaning your horse’s stall, make sure you know the correct equipment to use and where to dump waste.
  • As a horse owner, it is important to keep medical records for your horse.

Horse Owner Overview

Finding a home for your horse at the right farm is an important step in animal ownership, safety, and biosecurity. By visiting farms and learning about their husbandry practices, you will find a place for your horse where it can be healthy, stress-free, and safe.

The first step in choosing a home for your horse is to find a farm operation that matches your tolerance for risk. Horse activities are inherently risky, and there is a wide range of risk horse people are willing to take. Our guidance focuses on the steps the boarding farm and the client agree to take to reduce the likelihood that horse(s) will contract an infectious disease. These steps are often referred to as “biosecurity protocols.” Best practices are presented under each topic. Not all farm operations will choose to follow every best practice and you must honestly evaluate how you feel about their choices. Similarly, if you feel the farm’s rules are too stringent, you may want to consider another farm.

When considering biosecurity protocols, the nature of how you interact with your horse and its pattern of travel is a good place to start. Do both of these match that of other horses at the farm? Do the horses at the farm spend most of their time at home, or do they often travel long distances to large shows? If your horse never leaves the farm, it is important to choose a farm where many of the horses do the same to reduce the number of potential exposures to disease-causing organisms (pathogens).

Biosecurity Plans Key Point

  • Incorporate biosecurity protocols into your daily barn routine.

Implementing New Biosecurity Plans

While new biosecurity guidelines can seem like an obstacle, recognize that they are put in place to protect your and your horse’s health and safety. Ask the barn manager if anything is unclear. Work toward incorporating the new practices into your daily barn routine. If other horse owners are not following the biosecurity guidelines properly, gently remind them.

Education Key Point

  • Research biosecurity protocols and disease risks in your area.

Education and Announcements

As an owner, take initiative and learn about biosecurity protocols. Not only will this reduce risks for your horse, but it will also create a healthier environment for you and other people at the barn. Stay up to date on emerging infectious diseases or current outbreaks in your area. Good websites to follow are the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). If your barn manager provides any biosecurity information, make sure to read it and follow any new guidelines. If there is anything that you don’t understand, ask the barn manager or your veterinarian. 

Selecting a Farm, Arrival, and Quarantine Procedures for Owners

Farm Selection Key Points

  • Make sure your horse’s activities are similar to those of the other horses at the farm. 
  • The barn should have good air circulation.
  • Stalls and paddocks should be designed to minimize horse-to-horse and human-to-horse contact. 

Farm Selection

The first step in choosing a new farm is to match the nature of your horse’s travels with other horses at the farm. Do the horses at the farm stay primarily at home or do they often travel long distances to large shows?  If your horse never leaves the farm, it is important to choose a farm where many of the horses do the same to reduce the number of potential exposures to pathogens.

The density of horses on the farm can also have an impact on the level of biosecurity that can be achieved. Less densely packed farms allow each horse to have more room, while more densely packed farms mean horses are more likely to interact with each other or people. This encourages the spread of pathogens through nose-to-nose contact or hand-to-horse contact.

Evaluate the design of the barn. A barn with excellent airflow and ventilation will reduce the risk of airborne pathogen transmission and toxic gas buildup. Fans and windows are helpful for air circulation but cannot overcome a very poor design. Hazy air and the smell of ammonia when you enter the barn are signs of poor air circulation, insufficient bedding, or improper stall cleaning.

While stalls with windows that open onto the aisle are nice, they allow horses and people to interact more than with closed-off stalls. Nose-to-nose contact between horses and human-to-horse contact can spread pathogens. Stalls with doors facing the outside of the barn help to reduce unwanted interactions along the aisle but may increase interactions with humans or animals on the outside of the barn. Outward-facing stalls will help with better air circulation, too, lowering the risk of pathogen transmission. Runs that allow for fence-line contact also pose an extra risk because of increased contact between neighboring horses.

Feed should only be stored in a secure feed room. Tack rooms should be cleaned regularly.

Arrival Key Points

  • Your horse should be healthy, vaccinated, have a negative Coggins test, and have a CVI before travelling. 
  • Make sure your horse goes directly to a quarantine area upon arrival at the new farm.

Arrival

Your horse should be healthy before transport. Prior to interstate travel, a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) is required. Remember that a CVI only ensures that the horse was healthy at the time of examination; an illness could have been acquired in transit or progressed to the clinical stage during that time. Contact your veterinarian and double-check the entry requirements of the destination state. You can find this information on the state’s Department of Agriculture website or by calling them. Most states require current Coggins test results (negative EIA virus test).

At least a few weeks prior to moving, have your horse vaccinated with all core vaccines and any risk-based vaccines depending on the new location and your horse’s health. Reference the current AAEP list of core and risk-based vaccines. Your veterinarian will be able to guide you on which vaccines are appropriate. If you have your horse regularly vaccinated, continue on that schedule unless there are additional vaccines needed before the move. Vaccination two to four weeks prior to transport is important so the immune system has time to respond before the stress of travel and acclimating to a new place. If your horse has never been vaccinated, make sure to schedule the initial vaccination and any boosters at least two to four weeks before you plan to move him/her.

Shipping (especially long distances) can weaken your horse’s immune system, thus making him/her more susceptible to infectious diseases. After unloading your horse, they should be placed in a quarantine area at the facility. This reduces the chances of your horse contracting a disease and spreading it to other the horses on the farm.

Quarantine Key Points

  • The quarantine stall should be separated from the resident horses and prevent direct contact between the quarantined horse, other horses, and people. 
  • Your horse’s temperature should be taken every 12 hours during quarantine.

Quarantine

The quarantine stall should be freshly cleaned and disinfected it should be located 35 to 200 meters away from other horses. Direct contact between your horse and others should not be possible. Your horse’s temperature should be taken soon after arrival and recorded. For the duration of quarantine, his/her temperature should be checked every 12 hours (for seven to thirty days depending on perceived risk). 

You should not touch your horse and then touch another horse while he or she is in quarantine. Before interacting with another horse, thoroughly wash your hands. 

If your horse needs exercise during his or her quarantine period, work with the barn manager about when to use the arena or round pen. Plan to exercise your horse when you are least likely to encounter another horse. Make sure to minimize the time in shared spaces and thoroughly disinfect anything your horse touches.

Moving a Horse Out of Quarantine Key Points

  • Your horse should be moved into a thoroughly cleaned and disinfected stall. 
  • Continue to disinfect anything shared that your horse touches for the first several days. 

Moving Horse from Quarantine to General Population

Your horse should be moved to a clean, disinfected stall. Between the last resident and your horse’s arrival, the floor, walls, buckets, etc. should have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Clean and disinfect anything your horse touches when using shared facilities for the first several days. 

Day-to-Day Management for Owners

Horse Handling Key Points

  • Do not let your horse interact with other horses while you are handling him/her. 
  • Choose grazing locations away from areas where other horses recently grazed.

Horse Handling

While handling your horse, do not let him/her touch any other horses, especially nose-to-nose. Think about this while walking past other horses, on crossties in the barn, or out on the property. If your horse touches any surfaces while passing by, clean/disinfect those areas as soon as possible. 

When grazing, you should choose a location where another horse was not recently grazing. Also, stay away from manure piles and other grazing horses.

Paddocks, Pastures, and Fields Key Point

  • Choose private turnout whenever possible. Otherwise, group your own horses or horses of similar age and use together.

Paddocks, Pastures, and Fields

Private turnout provides more biosecurity than group turnout. However, you can make group turnout situations safer by  having all of your own horses turned out together. If that is not an option or you only own one or a few horses, check with the barn manager to ensure that the other horses in the group are being held to the same or higher biosecurity standards as yours.

Vector Control Key Point

  • Use vector control products on your horse, such as a fly sheet and mask, fly spray, and/or feed additives.

Vector Control

Vectors are insects that can transmit disease from one animal or human to another. Insect control for the horse owner consists of horse-specific strategies to keep external parasites off the horse. This should include a fly sheet and fly mask, in addition to daily (or per the product instructions) administration of fly spray to any exposed areas. In hard-to-reach areas, use a fly repellant cream or apply spray to a rag and use that on the horse. There are feed additives, such as insect growth regulators, that can be used for more internal fly protection.

Equipment Key Points

  • Do not share your horse’s equipment with others or borrow equipment used for other horses.
  • If you must borrow/loan something, disinfect it before and after use.

Horse-Specific Equipment

Equipment for each horse, such as bits, other tack, boots, brushes, blankets etc., should not be shared unless it has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to use on a new horse. Label and store each horse’s equipment in a designated area.

Waste Management Key Points

  • Only use waste management equipment when cleaning your horse’s stall. 
  • Clean up urine and manure promptly in shared spaces.

Waste Management

If you are cleaning your horse’s stall, make sure you know the correct equipment to use and where to dump waste. Cleaning stalls should not be done with the same wheelbarrows or other equipment that is used for feeding. 

Make sure to clean up urine and manure as soon as possible in shared areas. Flies can be attracted to waste and given a place to breed and grow. 

Visitors Key Points

  • Wash your hands, change your clothes, clean or change your shoes, blow your nose, and even shower between visiting two horse farms.

Visitors

Visiting multiple horse farms consecutively increases the risk of disease transmission from one farm to the next. Before visiting another farm, wash your hands. Inform barn managers of any other farms you’ve visited, especially if they are dealing with a health issue. 

Cleaning Key Points

  • Disinfect tack by placing it in the sun. 
  • Regularly clean and disinfect all of your horse’s equipment.

Cleaning and Disinfection

Cleaning and disinfection are important for horse owners to understand, as you are generally the person cleaning your horse’s equipment. 

Although tack cannot be easily disinfected, it should still be used with caution. It should be cleaned on a regular basis and then dried in the sun, as sunlight can kill or inactivate some pathogens. Additionally, make sure to clean and disinfect grooming supplies such as halters, lead ropes, blankets, etc. It is your responsibility to clean and disinfect anything you use specifically for your horse.

Leaving/Returning to the Farm for Owners

Leaving the Farm Key Points

  • Only transport your horse when he or she is healthy.
  • Make sure your barn’s manager has records of your travel plans.
  • Look into health risks in the area you are visiting.
  • Only load your horse onto a clean and disinfected trailer.
  • Try to trailer your horse alone or only with horses from the same property.

Leaving the Farm

If your horse is showing signs of illness, do not leave the property unless you are transporting the horse to a veterinary clinic. 

Make sure the barn manager has a record of where you are going, when you are leaving, and when you are returning. If the destination is far from your farm, research potential risks in that area, such as endemic diseases (which are common in that area), current outbreaks, and different types of parasites that may be present. 

Before your horse enters the trailer, it should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. This excerpt from the AAEP General Biosecurity Guidelines (PDF) gives clear instructions on how to clean and disinfect trailers properly: 

“Horse trailers and vans should be cleaned and disinfected between uses even if there is no known risk of disease. In general, protocols for cleaning stalls can be adapted to the cleaning of trailers and vans. Mats should be removed to allow wood plank floors to dry. Surfaces around the feeders and cross ties should be given special consideration due to contact with potentially infectious nasal secretions.” 

It is much safer to trailer your horse only with horses from the same property rather than horses from other farms. 

Returning to the Farm Key Points

  • Do not leave your travel destination if your horse has been infected. 
  • Quarantine your horse when you arrive back to your home farm from travelling. 

Returning to the Farm

If your horse has been exposed to or has contracted an infectious disease, stay at your travel destination until you are released. If you are leaving to keep your horse safe from disease (for example, if there is an active outbreak, but your horse hasn’t been exposed), have a veterinarian examine your horse and issue a CVI 72 hours or less before arrival. When you return, your horse should be quarantined at your farm. The length of quarantine will depend on the pathogen’s incubation period. 

Even if you had no disease exposure or active outbreaks while traveling, your horse will still need to be quarantined from the rest of the herd, especially if you interacted with horses from other farms. This quarantine period should last at least one to two weeks and should follow the same protocols as when you first moved to the farm. 

Horse Health for Owners

Horse Health Red Flags Key Points

  • Yearly, vaccinate your horse, get him/her a Coggins test, and have a wellness exam by a veterinarian. 
  • Have your veterinarian guide you on a parasite control program. 
  • Learn healthy vital sign values and how your horse normally runs. 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. 

General Equine Health and Red Flags

It is essential for healthy horses to receive core vaccines and, potentially, risk-based vaccines regularly. Your veterinarian will guide you on what vaccines are appropriate and how often they should be given. Coggins tests should be performed on your horse at least once a year to ensure that he is free of the EIA virus. When your horse receives vaccines, your veterinarian may also perform a wellness exam to ensure his or her health. All of these records should be kept in case of a disease outbreak or other emergency. 

Your horse should be on a parasite control program. Your veterinarian can advise you on fecal egg count testing and treatment, if necessary. 

It is important to know how a healthy horse looks and acts so you can recognize a sick horse quickly. Normal rectal temperature is 99-101.5ºF and anything above that would be considered a fever. Horses should take 10-24 breaths per minute, and the nostrils should not contain excessive mucus. Clear liquid coming out of the nostrils is normal, 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 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. Coughing and neurologic signs are two other health issues to look out for. Check for all of these signs regularly, so you know what your horse’s normal values are.

Medical Records Key Points

  • Keep medical records of vaccinations, parasite control, disease outbreaks, and health issues.
  • Have your horse microchipped and registered. Inform your barn manager of any plans to take your horse off property.

Medical and Travel Records

As a horse owner, it is important to keep medical records for your horse. Keep records of vaccinations, parasite control, disease outbreaks, and any other veterinary visits or health issues. Make sure you have a Coggins test (EIA virus test) yearly, especially if you will be traveling (across state lines). Having your horse microchipped is also a good idea, but remember that the microchip must be registered somewhere in order for trace-back to be possible. This could be a breed registry, microchip registry, discipline group, or some other type of registry. 

Inform your barn manager whenever you plan to leave the property. He or she can help you assess biosecurity risks during your travels and will want to keep records for the barn.

Single Sick Horse Key Points

  • Notify your barn manager if your horse seems sick. 
  • If your horse tests positive for an infectious disease, clean and disinfect anything your horse has touched, whether equipment or areas in the barn/paddock.

Single Sick Horse

Notify barn staff and your veterinarian right away if your horse shows signs of disease. To prevent the potential spread of an infectious disease, quarantine your horse until clinical signs resolve and a veterinarian clears him/her. 

Clean and disinfect your horse’s tack and equipment and surfaces you touch regularly. Make sure barn staff will clean and disinfect your horse’s stall, water and feed buckets, and anything else in the stall or paddock that your horse touches. 

Outbreak Control

Everyone at the barn, including horse owners, is responsible for controlling an outbreak. 

Educate yourself about the disease or pathogen that is being transmitted. What is the incubation period? Is it a parasite, bacteria, or virus? What are clinical signs? All of these questions (and many others) will help you become a more responsible horse owner. It will also help you report any suspicious signs or symptoms in the horses right away.

Biosecurity Checklist for Horse Owners

Horse Owner Resources

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