Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows to Continue as Scheduled

North Salem, NY – Management at Old Salem Farm announced on Saturday, May 4, that the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows, planned for May 7-12 and 14-19, will continue as scheduled.

Horse show management and the official horse show veterinarian, Dr. Kit Miller, have taken necessary, proactive precautions to isolate and remove a febrile horse from the Old Salem Farm property. The horse in question is in isolation and is being treated as a Strangles suspect, though it has not developed the nasal discharge or lymph node swelling that are characteristic of Strangles. In addition, any other potentially exposed horses have been removed from the Old Salem Farm premises.

Strangles is transmitted by direct contact between horses, and management has taken these extra safeguards to ensure that no other horses can be exposed.

What Biosecurity measures/precautions has the horse show taken?

• The single Strangles case has been placed in isolation pending additional testing.
• Horses that may have been in contact with the infected horse have been removed from Old Salem Farm.
• The barn where the infected horse was stabled has been sterilized and secured with no horse access throughout the duration of the horse show. All of the water buckets and feed tubs used in the barn have also been sterilized.

What Biosecurity measures/precautions should you be taking?
(These measures are easy and sensible precautions for everyone whose horses travel to horse shows.)

• Bring your own feed, buckets and equipment to the horse show.
• Minimize nose to nose contact with other horses.
• Take your horse’s temperature daily and report any suspected fevers (temp > 101.5) to your personal veterinarian or to the horse show veterinarian.

Old Salem Farm show management has been in direct contact with the veterinarians at Cornell University and with the New York State veterinarian and are confident that these measures have effectively minimized the risk to exhibitor horses coming to the Old Salem Farm property for the Spring Horse Shows.

While the Welcome Day Show on May 5 was cancelled out of an abundance of caution, the Spring Horse Shows will run as planned, starting on Tuesday, May 7.

If there are questions or concerns regarding the situation, please have your veterinarian contact the horse show veterinarian, Miller & Associates, at 914-276-1260.

Old Salem Farm and horse show management would like to reassure all exhibitors that all proper steps have been implemented and look forward to welcoming them to the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows.

For more information on Old Salem Farm and the Spring Horse Shows, please visit www.oldsalemfarm.net.