Ah, summer! The weather is blissfully hot in the day, and gently warm at night. Our horses lay in the sunshine, baking away aches and slowing into summertime mode. The insects whiz by our heads anytime we are outdoors. The infrequent rains seem to wash the air clear and leave small puddles in unexpected places, like that old, cracked flower pot by the back porch.

Summer also means insect season. And while in the past that might have been seen as an annoyance, today it can mean much more, and much worse. Today, it can mean life-threatening illness, and even death.

Those insects can carry a growing host of problems for us and our horses if they stop in for a meal. Those summer showers replenish breeding grounds–including that old flower pot–for some pests.

Because we are transporting our horses all over the country, and the world, we must expect to transport some of the problems that go along with them