First of all, there’s no need to panic. Be smart? Yes. Be aware? Yes. Panic? An emphatic “no.”

Pockets of the horse industry have wrestled with a neurologic equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak before, and they have recovered and gone back to business as usual. The current state of quarantined barns and hospitals and smattering of canceled shows is inconvenient, expensive, and frustrating, but these preventive measures are necessary and will be worth the trouble in the long run. We don’t want to see more horses in additional states affected.

This outbreak can cause our hearts to palpitate because neurologic illness in a horse is ugly, and how these viruses work and are spread can be confusing and seemingly unpredictable. However, there is good news: There are some very smart/savvy veterinarians treating neurologic horses and catching cases early. Also, if owners with horses that attended the Ogden show monitor these animals (and any in-contact horses) vigilantly for fever and other signs of illness; if they work closely with their veterinarians; and if they stay put on their farms, the situation will become a nonissue.

This particular neurologic EHV-1 outbreak is interesting to me because it’s much more high-profile than the others I’ve followed in the 12 years I’ve been at The Horse. I find myself asking why