Equine flu update 15.2.19
As a result of the current Equine Flu situation, a number of BE event venues have made the decision to put in extra precautionary measures and protocols with regards to flu vaccinations. British Eventing members will therefore need to ensure that they are abiding with these extra protocols if they are planning on competing at these venues.
Where a venue has enhanced the conditions of vaccinations above those required under rule 10.2 of the BE Rules and Members’ Handbook, any horse competing at a BE fixture will need to abide by the vaccination requirements of that venue.
British Eventing is in the process of gathering information from individual events and will release this as soon as possible. This information will be kept as up to date as possible, but competitors should also check communications from the venue directly as they are subject to change.
British Eventing also requires that horses are not travelled if they are showing any signs of being unwell, and to seek immediate advice from a veterinary surgeon.
Latest update from the BEF
The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) notes the latest update (14.02.19) from the Animal Health Trust of more positive tests for equine flu in Worcestershire, central Scotland, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. For the latest information follow @equiflunet on Twitter.
The BEF is urging all competition and training event organisers to check the equine ID passports of all horses attending their event to ensure that they comply with vaccination rules. We remind all participants to check the requirements of venues before they set out.
The BEF continues to urge all owners to be vigilant for the symptoms of equine flu and to alert their vet if they think their horses are showing signs.
All owners MUST ensure their vaccination records are up to date, and if it has been longer than 6 months since the last vaccination, we strongly recommend discussing a booster with their veterinary surgeon.
We also remind owners that any contact with recently imported horses represents an increased risk so owners should follow veterinary advice by isolating any recently imported horse for a period of at least 21 days.
BEF Equine Flu update: 13.02.2019
The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) notes the latest update from the Animal Health Trust (AHT) that there have been three further positive tests for equine flu in Kent, Derbyshire and central Scotland.
Although there have been a relatively small number of positive tests from the thousands of samples taken by the AHT, the BEF continues to urge horse owners to be vigilant for symptoms of equine flu and to call their vet if they think their horses are showing signs.
Vaccinations are vital in tackling the spread of the disease so all owners must ensure that their vaccination records are up to date, and if it’s been longer than six months since the last vaccination we recommend discussing a booster with their veterinary surgeon.
The BEF also notes that the AHT reports that in all three cases, the horses that tested positive were recently imported from Ireland or had had contact with other recently imported horses. Therefore the BEF asks owners to consider that any contact with recently imported horses represents increased risk as there have also been outbreaks of equine flu in other member states including France and Germany. All owners should follow veterinary advice by isolating any recently imported horses for a period of at least 21 days.
BEF Equine Flu update: 8.02.2019
Further to the announcement by the British Horseracing Authority that horseracing will continue to be suspended until Wednesday February 13th, the British Equestrian Federation can confirm that our veterinary advice remains that it is not necessary to cancel other equine events at this time.
However we will continue to monitor the situation closely and will issue further updates once the full extent of this outbreak is known.
We again urge all owners to be vigilant and follow the guidelines set out in our previous statement as a precaution. We recommend owners seek veterinary advice if necessary and ensure that all vaccinations are up to date.
Further information
Follow @equiflunet