🐴Equine Alert

Biosecurity Basics: Protecting Your Barn from Disease

Biosecurity might sound like a complex term, but it simply means the practices you use to prevent diseases from entering or spreading within your barn. Whether you have one horse or fifty, implementing basic biosecurity measures can save you heartache, veterinary bills, and potentially your horse's life.

Why Biosecurity Matters

Infectious diseases can spread rapidly through a barn population. A single sick horse at a show can trigger an outbreak affecting dozens of facilities. The good news? Most disease transmission is preventable with simple, consistent practices.

The Foundation: Isolation and Quarantine

New Arrivals

Every new horse entering your property should be quarantined for a minimum of 21 days. This includes:

  • Horses returning from shows or events
  • New purchases
  • Horses returning from breeding facilities or clinics

During quarantine:

  • House the horse in a separate area, ideally 30+ feet from other horses
  • Use dedicated equipment (buckets, brushes, halters)
  • Handle quarantined horses last in your daily routine
  • Monitor temperature twice daily

Sick Horses

If a horse shows signs of illness:

  • Isolate immediately
  • Contact your veterinarian
  • Do not allow contact with healthy horses
  • Use dedicated caretakers if possible

Daily Biosecurity Practices

Hand Hygiene

Wash your hands:

  • Before and after handling each horse
  • After cleaning stalls
  • Before preparing feed
  • After handling sick animals

Keep hand sanitizer available throughout the barn.

Equipment Management

  • Avoid sharing equipment between horses when possible
  • Disinfect shared items regularly
  • Never share equipment with other farms
  • Clean water buckets and feed containers daily

Visitor Protocols

  • Limit unnecessary visitors
  • Provide boot covers or a foot bath at the entrance
  • Ask visitors to wash hands before touching horses
  • Keep a log of all visitors

At Shows and Events

Shows present the highest risk for disease exposure. Protect your horse by:

  • Bringing your own supplies - Water buckets, hay, and equipment from home
  • Avoiding common areas - Don't let your horse drink from shared water sources
  • Limiting contact - Keep social interactions between horses to a minimum
  • Choosing stalls wisely - End stalls with solid walls offer more protection

Vaccination: Your First Line of Defense

Work with your veterinarian to develop a vaccination protocol appropriate for your horse's:

  • Age and health status
  • Travel schedule
  • Risk of exposure

Core vaccines for most horses include:

  • Tetanus
  • Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis
  • West Nile Virus
  • Rabies

Risk-based vaccines may include:

  • Influenza
  • Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1/EHV-4)
  • Strangles

Creating a Biosecurity Plan

Every barn should have a written biosecurity plan that includes:

  • Quarantine procedures for new arrivals
  • Isolation protocols for sick horses
  • Daily hygiene practices
  • Emergency contact information (veterinarian, state vet)
  • Communication plan for notifying boarders of disease risks

The Bottom Line

Biosecurity doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. The most important factor is consistency. Make these practices part of your daily routine, and you'll significantly reduce the risk of disease entering and spreading through your barn.

Remember: The best time to implement biosecurity is before you need it.