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The Three Questions You Must Ask When Deciding Where to Board Your Horse
It’s not just about how nice the barn looks. It’s about how well they care for the horses.
1. DO YOU REQUIRE A CURRENT COGGINS TEST BEFORE ACCEPTING A HORSE, AND DO YOU REQUIRE ANNUAL COGGINS TESTS?Coggins test is a test for equine infectious anemia, an incurable and highly contagious equine disease. The infection is usually transferred among horses through insect bites (e.g., horse flies). Once infected, the only usual recourse is quarantine or euthanasia. If your horse training and boarding facility is lax about requiring current Coggins test (less than one year old), your horse is at risk. In our experience, new boarders sometimes show up without a Coggins and then demand that the horse be accepted anyway. The usual excuse is that they have it somewhere, they just don’t happen to have it on them but they will get it for you “right away”. The best thing a facility owner can do at that point is refuse to accept the horse. That is the only way the owner can ensure that the horses already in the barn are safeguarded. Coggins tests should be repeated annually, particularly for horses that travel to shows. Even if your horse doesn’t, other horses in the barn might.
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2. DO YOU REQUIRE A VACCINATION RECORD (OR HEALTH CERTIFICATE SIGNED BY A VETERINARIAN) FOR NEW HORSES, AND VACCINATIONS FOR BOARDED HORSES?Vaccination protocols for horses can be found at the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Vaccinations are especially important for diseases that are easily communicated among horses, such as Equine Herpes Virus (EV4/1) and West Nile disease. As many of you may knows, the show season in Florida was cancelled a few years ago due to an outbreak of EHV. Some horses died as a result of this outbreak, including a Grand Prix horse. If you want to give your horse the best horse care, be sure to stay current on vaccinations and that the horses at your horse boarding facility do the same.
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3. DO YOU REQUIRE THAT BOARDED HORSES SHOW EVIDENCE OF FECAL EGG COUNT TESTS AND RECOMMENDED DEWORMING?It is best if new horses have had a fecal egg count a week before arriving at the barn. This is a test where a veterinarian or laboratory examines a horse’s manure to count and identify the eggs of various parasites occupying the horse’s gastrointestinal tract. If the count is very high, the horse should be dewormed.
The reason for this is that if a horse is infected with parasites, the horse may shed the parasites and pass them on to other horses while grazing. Horses with high fecal egg counts should be dewormed. If a horse is away for a period of time (e.g., for training, or vacation with its owner), it is a good idea to ensure that the horse has an acceptable fecal egg count prior to returning to the barn. You can read more about deworming protocols here: Deworming |
Copyright Denise Cummins, PhD | March 2016; Updated June 20, 2018; updated June 3, 2024
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As long as you’re here, check these out!
Equestrian Products That Make Your Riding and Horse Care Easier and Better!
Common Horse Ailments and How to Treat Them
Six Vital Horse Facts That Every Horseowner Needs to Know
How Much Does It Cost To Keep A Horse?
Are You Unintentionally Scaring Your Horse?