Monitoring horses' health status at competitions is great, but ultimately not overly useful if event facilities don't have an area in which to quarantine horses showing signs of disease. Here are some points to consider when creating a quarantine area at an event facility.

Biosecurity Risk: Sick horses shedding infectious disease agents are a high risk to all equine event participants. Depending on the isolation facilities available, the biosecurity risk to your horse can range from minor to major, or might rest somewhere between:

• High Biosecurity Risk—A few stalls are available for sick horses at one end of barn housing competition horses.

• Medium Biosecurity Risk—One empty barn at the end of the competition barn area is available for sick horses.

• Minimal Biosecurity Risk—A designated, empty barn isolated away from all other event or portable stabling is available for immediate use with sick horse.

Biosecurity Fix: Ensure the event facility you're heading to offers adequate isolation stabling away from competition areas, and that they use them appropriately.

And as always, remember to provide a safe and healthy environment for your horse by practicing good biosecurity at your farm and while traveling