So, here’s the thing. WHAT constitutes actual QT? How clean does that stall need to be (prior to a new horse moving in) What kind of contact/distance do horses need to have from one another to ensure that no diseases can be contracted? How long is long enough? How do you make sure that the horse you bring home is healthy?
We do minimum two weeks quarantine in a small paddock that is on the opposite side of 12 acres from where the main herd is kept.
4 horses were saved from the meat auction in Nov and we kept them separate for 6 weeks. Just in case of something like strangles etc.
The main thing is no contact between animals. So no touching noses etc.
The one time I had to do it the horse needed to be on stall rest. I was able to put him in a stall away from my other two. Poor guy hobbled off the trailer. Vet came out the next day and set the protocol. I want to say it was about two-three weeks.
Ok. So for facilities who are constantly doing QT, what would you expect in terms of actually having safe results. Please understand, in my area we have sales that are direct ship auctions. And there are angels who go out and save those horses from that bad trip. However, my question is how do you make Sure That horses that you purchase from these situations are not able to communicate any disease to the facilities that they go to from QT
A couple of times when we’ve had to keep a new horse separate because we didn’t know if there were a problem but were being careful we’d set up some corral panels away from the general working area, put out some feed and water buckets, and let the new on live there for an appropriate period. Our weather is pretty temperate even in high summer or deep winter so we can do that. It’s quick, easy, and requires little extra labor.
G.
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Real quarantine, an ill horse, needs bleach for the surrounds between occupants, no sharing of any grooming tools, feed buckets and possibly manure handling equipment, and a thorough bleaching if used on another horse, as well as a sufficient distance between individuals which I think means a quarantine " barn" can be an oxymoron depending on how it is set up. A QT period for a new horse needs separation, no sharing for a period
I think I know of the situation you speak of and a horse known to me passed through there last year or the year before, but I was in doubt about the actual value of the quarantine as there were photos taken of the horse in a shedrow, head poking out, with at least two stalls. The shedrow was a distance from the rest of the barn but the question in my mind was whether the other stall was used for storage or another horse. It could have been safe for two if there were three stalls with the center used for storage. Solid sealed walls, etc.
IIRC the horse was there for at least a month and was cleared as being disease free. So after QT there isn’t supposed to be the need for an additional QT period. Of course if they are lax then there is the opportunity for the animal to be infected by a new bug particular to that stable, and carry it to you. Id guess that strangles is the big one, here’s a pretty comprehensive link. https://www.millhouseveterinary.com/strangles
IMO any quarantine should be at the final destination or as determined by the buyer rather than a mandatory, seller selected third party location.
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I am not speaking of a particular facility- there are several that seem to function in a similar way. They do the best that they can, under the circumstances, but still, I think that it is a stretch to call it QT. More like Rest and eat up!
My understanding of QT has always been the stall being as close to sterile as possible, between occupants. No contact with another horse, and limiting the flies, as an example, because if one bites horse A, and then horse B, you may have an issue- but it sure would be an ideal QT situation.
The description mentioned above by G also isn’t QT. It isolates the horse, sort of, from physical contact. However, the flies are another issue, and if you touch horse A, without gloves, etc, and then touch horse B…
You’re correct, I’m describing “isolation” (maybe even just “separation”) not “quarantine.” That last item is probably a “term of art” and needs to be clearly defined. For most purposes this type of maintaining a distance between incoming and regular stock is going to be OK. If I were concerned about genuine, serious, communicable disease being carried I’d not allow the horse on the place. They’d go to UTVet and on the seller’s nickle (either directly or by price modification).
For me having a pretty strict “entry” rule is reasonable. For places like “rescues” it’s not. Indeed, in those places are very likely to be risking infection with something every time an animal arrives. The professional ones know this and act accordingly. The amateurs may or may not.
G.
Generally speaking, the Rescues send the horses that they bail out to QT facilities- they do not do direct intake, usually. There is one in New Jersey that may still do their own QT- however, if so, their circumstances would be much as above.
In all cases, these are “professional” facilities; they are paid for their services. Now, you may quibble about the connotation thereof, however, what I am discussing is where the line is between doing it right, and risking it all. And, I think that however well intended these QT facilities may be, you are still rolling the dice. I am on their side- because I choose to be on the side of saving a horse. But this has been playing at my mind for awhile.
The line. I think I understand and I would much prefer to have the horse at the vet, at my vet, or segregated at my own farm, if I had a question about it. TBH I’ve often thought that there were kickback arrangements going on wrt the refusal to release without quarantine at the approved barn after rescue.
There are protocols at hospitals for anybody with an infectious disease as they call it. They test for them. Gowns, gloves, masks, wash up. And they also have your question as I was moved from to hospital and it reset the clock at one, so I was said to be free of the illness at hospital #1, passed through #2 where I was not considered infectious, and to #3 where I hadn’t been clear at their facility for the term required so back we went to gowns etc, and I was visited daily by Doogie Howser the infectious disease specialist, asking about my stools. Poor guy, I can’t even recall his real name. When I went back to #2 there was actually quite a bit of discussion about the level of bio security necessary at this time, since I was reported as still in the infectious period coming in from hospital #3. Confused yet? They were too.
I have never asked my friends in the TB industry specifically regarding segregation of broodmares or new animals in for training. I think it’s all done in house by the receiving barn, I’m not certain. But, Silver Charm had just arrived at old friends and I asked if I might come to see him and was told he could have no visitors for his first month.
My point, perhaps poorly made, is that “rescue” horses are the THE most problematical when talking about introduction into a facility. They almost always have lacked basic care and often have been exposed, themselves, to conditions that are a set-up for disease transmission. Think low end auction houses where rules on anything are purely advisory. People who consign to these facilities often lack the funds, time, or motivation to provide the most basic of care (and that includes vaccinations, deworming, etc).
As I noted if I were concerned that I had some health issues that needed to be addressed by separation from the general herd I would do so. It might mean going to so far as a full blown quarantine facility or perhaps something less intensive. Much would depend on where the horse came from and how in came from there.
G.
I brought horses straight from several of the kill buyers locations to my farm over the years. I have no had any issues With kickbacks, at least in that regard. However, to be clear, it’s a tough, tough world out there in the kill buyer/rescue world. I absolutely believe the different relationships along the way I have developed, and sometimes that’s for better, and sometimes for worse.
I am fortunate to have a second farm where I can keep horses in different situations. Having said that, the stalls are still made of wood. You can spray that all day long with any kind of disinfectant including bleach and you’re not going to make an absolutely sanitized environment.
I think people do the best that they can in the situations. Everybody has to make a living and time is long past where I had the guts to go into kill pens. Bless those who can. But this situation with QT is still troubling
You do what you can to limit the possibility of any illness spreading. But there is only so much you can do to sanitize a barn. Better to have a quarantine paddock set up for any new horses that come to the farm.
It’s also important to pick up the manure daily if possible. That is the only way to keep the flys at bay.
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Tough to use paddocks year round. How are you going to sterilize all that Fenceline? How are you going to make sure that no virus is left in the grass?
My Vet informed me that flies can reach a mile out from their starting point. And, manure or not, biting flies can spread disease.
There is plenty of guidance on biosecurity and quarantine available at reputable online sites such as the American Association of Equine Practitioners: https://aaep.org/guidelines/infectious-disease-control/biosecurity-guidelines-control-venereally-transmitted-diseases/recommendations-biosecurity-program
you cannot sterilize organic matter. walls and floors of a typical stall can only be cleaned, if it is a purpose built isolation unit, with non porous walls and floor you can sanitize. The best thing is excellent ventilation and sunlight or UV exposure
for a functional isolation or “Q” of a horse on your farm
dedicated equipment and feed supply
the area is served last in the rotation fed last, cleaned last. Preferably by only one person
dedicated boots and coveralls which are left behind.
if you are really doing it right, you take a shower after servicing the isolated horse.
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Fenceline made of pipe panels or vinyl or even well painted wood can be sprayed with bleach. There’s something akin to Formica used in food service facilities on walls that is impervious, bleachable and scrubbable. Painted or varnished plywood can be used to Line stalls and is bleachable and if the paint is in good shape, scrubbable. Sacrifice paddock so no grass, UV from the sun helps a little maybe?
The big equine practice that took care of the old guy had more than one campus, one of which offered isolation. I presume it had an asphalt floor with mats, sealed walls and if there were shavings they got vacuumed up and bagged to go to the incinerator, the mats got hauled out and bleached, the floor got washed down and bleached, and the walls bleached or washed down and bleached in between residents.
I dimly recall my College roomie performing similar tasks at the vet school’s equine post surgery barn when the horses left.
Unless you DO and full quarantine with a dedicated facility with veterinary-grade facilities you’re not going to get “everything.” But you can get a lot. You can be excellent, even if you can’t be perfect! 
Still, for the average owner, a “separation” facility would not be all that hard to set up and maintain.
G.
We use a pen or dry lot on the other side of the farm for any new horse (even if they are vaccinated) until our vet sees them and clears them to go in the barn. Portable corral panels could work for you.
The times I have taken in a rescue, we made it 30 days. It paid off in one, very memorable, occasion. Auction donkey had LICE! That was not amusing. No one else got it because he was properly quarantined. We probably went a bit overboard because healthy horses don’t typically get lice, but it was still a great reason to keep him separate for 30 days with two treatments. Plus the ick factor. Made me scratch while bathing him because of the THOUGHT of lice (they are species specific, thank goodness). He turned out to be a very nice donkey to train and he went to a lovely home.
I think that the essential issue for QT is that the animals be evaluated to be sure that they aren’t sick, and that they aren’t exposed to anything during the period of time that they are in QT.
That’s a sticky wicket for many of the facilities that I am aware of.
