HENDERSON (KTNV) — It’s not a situation any horse owner wants to find themselves in.
Hundreds of horses in a Henderson facility are now under quarantine after a notice from the Nevada Department of Agriculture announced a horse tested positive for “infectious anemia.”
The Henderson Saddle Association is a members-only facility, and horse owners say all they can do now is wait outside as horses are not allowed “in or out.”
A local horse owner, Clayton Lutes, became worried about the horse he was boarding at the association after this livestock quarantine notice was posted. Clayton says he was first notified by a text from one of the members.
On Tuesday, the Nevada Department of Agriculture notified the facility’s board that a horse there tested positive for equine infectious anemia, also called “EIA.”
EIA is a viral disease that only affects horses and mules, can spread through horse flies or mosquitos and it is discovered through a Coggins test.
“They are going to test every horse here for Coggins, and hopefully, no one will be positive,” Lutes said.
On Friday, several vets were on the property starting a round of tests on all the horses. A horse with EIA could show no symptoms, though some signs of the disease are rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, swelling of limbs or bleeding from the nose, according to the DOA.
Lutes says if a horse tests positive, they either have to be euthanized or live in isolation. The horse that tested positive was removed from the facility.
The HSA board president, Dino Audino said, "Our members care deeply about their horses and the entire equine community near and far. Their cooperation has been what we would expect from our HSA community."
Kimberly Fox trains horses and says she has never experienced the problem firsthand.
“Hopefully we don't have to do another 60 days because if they find another positive case the quarantine starts over,” Fox said.
