Lexington, Ky. – USEF supports the decision made by Desert International Horse Park management to close access to the horse park for next week and not allow any additional horses on the property. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution in consultation with the CDFA and USEF. The horse show is approved to run for the people and non-quarantined horses who are on the property already. Those individuals with horses currently in transit have been contacted, and management will accommodate those who are continuing to make their way to the horse park. Daily haul-in horses and riders are not permitted until further notice. It is preferential that non-quarantined horses stay on the property to limit potential spread of EHV-1 further. Anyone who decides to leave is strongly encouraged to follow the recommended biosecurity guidelines of USEF and CDFA, and segregate their horses for seven days and continue to do temperature checks twice a day during this period. Please read the full Desert International Horse Park release.
USEF acknowledges that management is taking every step to provide the safest environment possible for horses at the showgrounds and best manage the risks associated with the current EHV-1 cases.
USEF would also like to remind all participants of the importance of following biosecurity requirements and best practices:
- Avoid animal-to-animal contact
- Do not share equipment between horses. IF YOU MUST SHARE, scrub and clean equipment with detergent and dry completely between shared use.
- When filling water buckets, DO NOT dip the end of the hose in each bucket. Hold the hose above the water when filling.
- Wash/sanitize hands thoroughly before and after direct horse contact
- Limit human-horse contact
- Check and record temperatures twice daily
- Any suspicion of illness in horses, including a temperature over 101.5°F, be immediately reported to the show office or veterinarian
- Because humans can be a means of disease transmission, avoid moving between barns unless absolutely necessary
Non-compliance could result in the removal of individuals from competition grounds and further penalty from the Federation.
Comprehensive information on biosecurity protocols can be found here: