11/21/2025
THIS IS GREAT INFO ON ABOUT THE SEVERE OUTBREAK OF EHV-1 THAT OCCURED IN TEXAS AND WILL SPREAD THROUGHOUT OTHER STATES IF PEOPLE DONT TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!!!!
🚨 HORSE OWNERS: PLEASE READ — THIS IS EXTREMELY SERIOUS. 🚨
THIS IS A LONG POST — but worth your time.
Please don’t scroll past this.
I don’t care who gets mad at me for saying this:
This is NOT the week to be hauling horses around.
This is not the time for being aware of the risks and going anyway to “just to show up, horse show, auctions, or run and leave.”
This is not the time for denial, excuses, or people saying “it’ll be fine.”
We are dealing with a very aggressive strain of EHV-1, and overnight cases have been appearing across the lower 48 and into Canada. It doesn’t discriminate, Show Horses, Auction Horses, are declining fast — some within 24–36 hours — and a few have died with no fever and no warning signs at all.
Several major events held over the last couple of weeks now have confirmed exposures, and thousands of horses are currently traveling home to barns across the country.
In Minnesota, they have a big barrel race coming up this weekend — and there is a VERY real possibility that some of the horses planning to attend were unknowingly exposed at a rodeo, jackpot, or barrel race recently. OR they never traveled, but they’ve now been unknowingly exposed to horses that did. Many horses have traveled to Texas and Oklahoma in the last couple of weeks — and those areas are currently experiencing the worst outbreaks. Those horses could be back home and now be silent carriers, spreading it to others without anyone realizing it since they are not showing signs of illness yet or they are now a horse that has been exposed and appears healthy, but is spreading it to others.
If you hauled anywhere recently — or even stood near someone who did — please take this seriously.
This Is How Easily It Spreads.
People are saying, “It will be fine”.
No. That’s not how viruses work.
Here’s the real scenario:
• You walk up to watch a friend .
• You are in a sale barn
• A horse nearby sneezes or blows.
• You don’t think anything of it — the horse looks perfectly healthy.
• The virus lands on your coat, boots, or gloves.
• You go back to your trailer or barn and handle your own horse…
• And now your horse is exposed.
They don’t have to touch noses.
They don’t need a fever.
They don’t even need symptoms.
EHV spreads through airborne droplets, contaminated clothing, pens, alleyways, trailers, and stalls — just like COVID, but for horses.
A perfectly normal-looking horse can shed the virus LONG before showing signs. That’s why outbreaks explode after large events.
Every State Is Now at Risk
Horses are leaving Texas, Oklahoma, and other major sales, shows right now and heading back to their home states. Nobody knows who walked past who, who shared an alleyway, who stood along a fence, or which farriers, vets, and trainers, traders, traveled between barns or states
This is exactly how multi-state outbreaks happen.
Please consider canceling or rescheduling events that were scheduled for the next couple of weeks.
It is not worth spreading this further and risking more horses’ lives.
No event is worth putting more horses at risk, OR the horses that stay home who could be exposed secondhand.
Why This Virus Is Terrifying
EHV can spread through:
• Nasal discharge & aerosol droplets
• Shared tack, brushes, buckets, stalls, or trailers
• HUMAN hands, coats, boots, gloves, hair
• Horses shedding virus before symptoms
• Stress from hauling, weather changes, training, or routine handling
Once infected, horses become lifelong carriers, and stress can trigger them to shed the virus again.
Symptoms You MUST Watch For
• Fever (normal is 99.5–101.5°F)
• Nasal discharge
• Coughing
• Lethargy
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Hind-end weakness or wobbliness
• Stumbling or incoordination
• Urine dribbling
• Inability to stand
• Pregnant mares may abort
If you see anything unusual — call your vet immediately.
Do NOT haul your horse in unless your vet instructs you to.
If Your Horse Has Traveled Recently
ANY recent travel to shows, jackpots, rodeos, sale barns means your horse needs strict quarantine for 14–21 days:
• No nose-to-nose contact
• Full separation from the herd
• Separate water buckets, brushes, hay nets, and feed pans
• Change clothes between horses
• Take temperatures twice a day
• Absolutely NO hauling during quarantine
And please — be honest with your trainer, barn owner, and vet.
Biosecurity Matters More Than Ever
• Disinfect trailers, stalls, buckets, tack
• Remove dirt first — disinfectant does not work on organic material
• Use a 1:10 bleach solution or a veterinarian-approved disinfectant
• Allow all surfaces to dry fully
• Ask your farrier where they’ve been
• Ask whether they’re disinfecting tools and changing clothes
It’s not just shows.
It’s the people coming in and out.
Vaccines
• Do NOT vaccinate a horse that may have been exposed.
• Horses with no exposure should get an EHV booster if it’s been over 90 days.
Please — GO HOME. STAY HOME.
Producers and Event Organizers:
I know rescheduling is difficult and cancellations mean losing money, but PLEASE consider postponing or canceling clinics, shows, rodeos, and barrel races until this settles.
Let’s shut this virus down before more horses are lost.
This isn’t about fear.
This is being responsible .
Stay safe, take precautions, and protect your horses. They depend on you. ♥️🐴
