Deadly Disease

The recent outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus in the Maryland region has forced trainers at Fair Hill to impose a self-regulated quarantine on all horses stabled here.

This respiratory disease causes infected horses to show neurological symptoms and ultimately, in some cases, leads to euthanization.

Like any equine airborne virus, the less exposure to other horses the less likely you are of contracting the virus. Therefore all tracks in the region, bar one, have closed their gates to horses shipping in or out.

The one facility that seems to be downplaying this health scare is Laurel Park. By allowing horses to continue to flow in and out of their gates they are jeopardizing the health of hundreds of horses. A disease that was allowed to mutate at their sister track, Pimlico, has resulted in six horses in recent weeks to be put down after exposure to the virus.

The quarantine at Fair Hill is unpleasant for the fact that several of our horses have been racing and a couple more are ready to run and have nowhere to go. However it is better to have a healthy horse waiting to run than no horse at all.

With no set date for the restrictions to be lifted our concentration is shifted slightly to the newly arrived two year olds. With fear in their eyes and ever twitching ears their natural flight instincts are very present. Patience can be tested to the limit but what must be going through their minds is anyone's guess as they take their first trips around the busy racetrack. Sweat and fear go hand in had and that's just the riders!

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