The coronavirus and your horse

If you have to self – isolate, you have to think about how you will take care of your horse. The most obvious way to do so is looking for help from another horse-owner since the community is very supportive for each other. Horse owners can talk with each other about it and make plans in case someone of them becomes ill or has to isolate himself.

As far as the horse itself is concerned, there is no current evidence that animals can carry Covid-19 or can become ill from it themselves. That’s the good news.

What else can you do ?

If you haven’t tested positive or been asked to self – isolate, keep interacting with your horse, but of course do it keeping in mind good hygiene practices, like in particular washing hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after touching the horse or any shared items like wheelbarrows, brooms and forks.

Make sure you have enough feed and any medication needed. Try to keep the horse happy with enough exercise and stimulation. Keep the mind of the horse occupied as much as possible. A great help with that can be the toys from Likit, that keep the horse busy in an pleasant and stimulating way, even when you are not around.

Ensure your Yard Manager or your collegues know what to do in the case of an emergency for your horse. Have your vet’s contact details clearly available. This is good routine practice to have in place, in the event that you can’t be reached, and a serious decision needs to be made for your horse such as referral to an equine hospital for potential colic surgery.

Also speak to your vet for extra advice.

We want to add this sidenote : There are many different types of coronavirus. Some can cause disease in different species of animals. Often these types give gastrointestinal signs, that can be healed with a good supportive treatment. These types are not the same as Covid 19 and do not spread to people or cause disease to them.

Stay safe and keep your horse safe too !