Handy Hint 1 - Quarantine New Arrivals by Dr John Kohnke

Many horses, especially young horses in work or a newly introduced horse,
are at risk of harbouring or catching respiratory viral infections during the cold, wintery weather.
Equine Herpes Viruses (EHV-1, EHV-4), the common forms of the ‘stable virus’ in Australia, are spread and multiply under enclosed, humid and warm stable environments.
It is important to quarantine all new arrivals to your stable or isolated horse group, by confining them to a yard or a stable apart from other horses for a minimum of 5 days to observe if they have a cough, a nasal discharge, a depressed attitude or are off their feed. Monitor body temperature each morning for 3 - 5 days.
An early morning body temperature above 38.4°C should be treated as a possible underlying infective condition.
This procedure is important, especially for young horses, which have been transported long distances in an enclosed commercial float, where aerosol virus particles are likely to be spread by an infected or ‘carrier’ horse.
A high temperature, off feed and depressed attitude within 24-48 hours following long distance transport of more than 6 hours, can be early symptoms of ‘travel sickness’ in
susceptible horses. Consult your vet for advice.

Article courtesy of Dr John Kohnke BVSc. RDA - Talking Horses Newsletter