by Janice Byer

For many people, talking about mental illness can be uncomfortable and a stress ensuing experience. A lot of people don’t want to admit if they have been dealing with something or they don’t know how to help someone in their life who has been having difficulty.

Unfortunately, our Equestrian community is no different. When a rider has a physical problem, it is often visible to the world. Broken legs, sprained shoulders are discussed as people share their experiences and how they deal with the injury. Even concussions, which aren’t visible, are talked about freely.

However, mental illness is invisible. For many, it’s a case of, If you can’t see it then how can anything be wrong? For others it’s, No one can see it so they won’t believe me if I talk about it. We need to remove these statements from everyone’s minds and open up the conversation about mental illness. In doing so, we will not only help those who are suffering in silence, but also to stop the stigma that mental health shouldn’t be talked about.

Read more: You Are Not Alone: Mental Health in Our Equestrian Community

by David Nash, DVM

Horse owners worldwide were alarmed when reports of a new airborne Equine Influenza outbreak caused the British Horseracing Authority to suspend Thoroughbred racing in England on February 7, 2019.

Equine Influenza is a highly contagious disease that is spread between coughing infected horses, contaminated buckets, feed tubs, brushes, tack, etc. Symptoms include fever, coughing, and nasal discharge. Equine Influenza is caused by strains of the Influenza A virus, which is endemic in horses. The virus replicates inside of equine respiratory epithelial cells resulting in damage to tracheal and bronchial epithelial cells and respiratory cilia resulting in the respiratory symptoms seen in horses.

More alarming was the fact that previously vaccinated horses were not protected from the strain of Equine Influenza virus responsible for this outbreak. More than 2,000 horses were tested, 170 racing yards were placed under quarantine, biosecurity practices were now mandatory, and racing was allowed to resume under strict new guidelines issued by the British Horseracing Authority six days later. This disruption of racing cost millions of dollars in lost revenue, great cost to horse owners, and sent shivers down the spine of all horse owners wondering if they were next. But was this outbreak preventable?

Read more: Are Equine Infectious Disease Outbreaks Preventable? Are We Doing Enough?