We have recently diagnosed several cases of Equine Grass Sickness over the last couple of weeks.
We still don’t know the cause of this devastating disease, but there are several risk factors, in addition to grazing, that we know can predispose horses to developing Equine Grass Sickness.
The peak months for Equine Grass Sickness are April, May and June, and the recent spell of dry but cool and frosty weather may have created ideal conditions for the disease. Horses at particular risk include young adult equids (especially those aged 1-9 years), new arrivals and overweight animals; there is also a suspicion that native breed ponies may be at higher risk than other breeds. Whilst this spell of cool dry weather continues, we suggest that owners be cautious about turning out young adult horses onto new pastures.
If you have any concerns or would like further advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us (01622 813700). You can find more information about Equine Grass Sickness on our website’s useful info section.
Below are also some useful links to more information about the disease, including some information on the recently launched Moredun Foundation Equine Grass Sickness Fund, which Bell Equine are supporting:
https://www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/horse-health-and-sickness/grass-sickness
https://www.moredun.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/diseases/EGS_newssheet.pdf
https://www.petplanequine.co.uk/events/health-and-wellbeing/grass-sickness
