22 August 2024
Discipline with quarantine – Sarah Ennis’ approach
Sarah Ennis, trainer, coach and established five-star event rider, follows a disciplined approach to quarantining her returning horses, as failing to do so could impact her string’s future plans and targets.
Featuring in the video titled: ‘Quarantine’, produced by Teagasc, The Irish Equine Centre and University College Dublin’s School of Veterinary Medicine as part of the 10 Practical Steps to Protect Equine Health video series, Sarah Ennis explained: “Quarantine for us is really important. We have a lot of horses travelling to competitions – both here and abroad – and they are staying in stables where you are not sure of their disinfection routines or how often they’re cleaned.”
When returning home from competitions, she added: “We just have to be so careful when we bring them home and just keep them separate from the others.”
Elsewhere in the video which is available to view below, Vivienne Duggan, Associate Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, UCD, highlighted the importance of quarantine procedures, noting: “Whenever equines leave the farm and mix with others, they are open to exposure to infectious diseases. Acquired diseases may travel home with them. Even outwardly healthy, newly-arriving equines may harbour infectious disease.”
Watch the full video below:
Equine Specialist at Teagasc, Wendy Conlon also delved into the stabling requirements for quarantined equines, focusing on the elements of airspace, cleaning and disinfection. She provided the following key tips to minimise the possibility of introducing a disease:
- Check the vaccination status of new arrivals;
- Separate returning and new arrivals for 14 days, and monitor regularly for signs of diseases;
- Limit visitor access with strict hygiene protocols in place for all personnel and equipment;
- Regularly clean and disinfect vehicles.
In addition, Alan Creighton, Head of Environment and Nutrition at the Irish Equine Centre, shared the importance of having a designated quarantine paddock – a functioning alternative to the use of stables. He also recommended the use of separate grooming and cleaning equipment, work wear, as well as tack.
Also read: ‘If we don’t achieve a good clean environment, we don’t train winners’
Also read: ‘10 Practical Steps to Protect Equine Health’ Video Series Launched
The full 10 videos in the series are available to view here.