Keeping Your Horse Healthy During Show Season

Spring, summer, and fall are busy times for owners who enjoy showing their horses. In some areas, it’s possible to find a suitable show or event several times each month. These competitions can range from “fun” or schooling events all the way up to recognized shows where professional riders compete for points that determine year-end award winners. One thing is common to all these activities: lots of horses in a fairly small area. And where there are many horses, there’s sometimes at least one equine that isn’t 100% healthy. In the close-contact atmosphere of show barns and arenas, owners need to take measures to protect their horses from communicable diseases. Some helpful tips include:

• At least a month before going to a show, check with your veterinarian to be sure your horses are current on their vaccinations. Some vaccines are given once a year, but others should be repeated periodically throughout the show season to give complete protection.

• Keep all horses in good body condition and consult an equine nutritionist to design the best feed management plan for each horse based on its exercise schedule and body type.

• Consider using a nutritional supplement such as Preserve PS (Preserve in Australia) to provide natural-source vitamin E and other antioxidants that support the equine immune system.

• Before, during, and after shows, check horses for signs of disease. An elevated temperature is often the first sign of illness; diarrhea, runny nose, cough, and a dull attitude are also danger signs. If your horse is obviously ill, or even “just not doing right,” don’t take a chance; leave him at home.

• At the show, avoid close contact with other horses and their equipment. Don’t share buckets, tack, grooming equipment, or tools with other competitors.

• If you use a stall at the showgrounds, strip it of all used bedding and spray all surfaces with disinfectant before bringing your horse into it. Mixing a cup of chlorine bleach with two quarts of water will yield a simple solution that is effective against common bacteria.

• After the show, the best plan is to quarantine your traveling horses for a couple of weeks, caring for them after other horses have been groomed, fed, or ridden. Don’t use the same tools, tack, or equipment in the quarantine barn and the resident barn. Check temperatures and look for other disease signs, and get veterinary treatment at the first indication of a problem.

• Clean or disinfect clothing, tack, equipment, and the trailer you took to the show before these things are used around other horses.

Realistically, it may not be possible to prevent all diseases in show horses, but by following these management steps, owners can minimize the risk of having a horse become ill as a result of coming in contact with a sick horse at a show.