Paige Backman
pbackman@uwyo.edu
Central Wyoming College Equine lifted a quarantine of two of its horses after treating them for Vesticular Stomatitis Virus (VSV), which is a concerning virus to UW equine owners.
Symptoms of the virus include sores around the horse’s mouth and hairline of the hooves, abnormal slobbering, fever and unwillingness to move.
The small community college in Riverton kept all livestock contained and was careful not to allow any other livestock near or in the center. The quarantine has since been lifted.
Equestrian teams and enthusiasts take potential virus threats very seriously, Mackenzie Holmberg, a member of the UW’s Ranch Horse Versatility Team, said.
“Any travel over state lines requires a Coggins test and a Health Certificate,” she said.
A Coggins test checks for Equine Infectious Anemia antibodies in the horse’s blood. Blood samples must be sent to a state approved laboratory and the Health Certificate states that at the time the veterinarian examined the horse, the horse was in good health and appeared free of infectious disease. These viruses and conditions are taken very seriously, Holmberg said.
“It can affect shows, especially our recent shows in Colorado,” she said.
Others in the Laramie equestrian community are keenly aware of the viral risks.
“Particularly the smaller 4H communities would probably be at more risk than larger companies like PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association),” Shannon Washburn, an Equine Science major at UW, said.
The restrictions for care are different depending on the scale of the organization, Washburn said.
Laramie has a unique risk of outbreaks of a virus because it is along Interstate 80. Horses traveling along the highway that are contagious can infect horses in the Laramie area if they have been let out while traveling, Washburn said.
“Viruses can manifest in feces of a horse or in VSV from insect bites that are contagious,” she said.
The virus, while serious, has been treated with professionalism and caution so for the most part the equestrian community of Laramie is confident that their horses are in good hands, Washburn said.
“The Coggins test helps control the viruses that come up, and it’s a good process,” she said.
