Carly Weilminster for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Wellington, FL – March 4, 2015 – The Adequan® Global Dressage Festival will host the Palm Beach Dressage Derby FEI CDI-W 1* competition this March 5-8, with Large Tour competition sponsored by Everglades Dressage and Small Tour classes sponsored by Peacock Ridge. The highlight class, the “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Musical Freestyle, presented by Everglades Dressage, is a FEI World Cup qualifier held on Friday, March 6, and gates open at 6 pm. There will also be a new Derby-style class held on Sunday, March 8, at 11 am, with details to follow.

A Perfect Match-Everglades Dressage Sponsors the Palm Beach Dressage Derby At The 2015 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival

Everglades Dressage is the title sponsor for this year’s Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W. For Bethany Peslar of Everglades Dressage, encouraging fellow equestrians and supporting the growth of the sport is a way of life. The Peslar family has had a tremendous influence on the growth of the dressage that dates back before the Global Dressage Festival was even an idea. The Peslars were the original supporters of the Dressage Division at The National Horse Show when it was hosted in Wellington over a decade ago.

Bethany Peslar and her mother, Rose Peslar never hesitated when Everglades Dressage was asked to be one of founding sponsors of the Global Dressage Festival. Given their long history of supporting dressage, it is fitting that they are the title sponsor’s of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby. The Derby, as it is affectionately called by competitors and spectators alike, was the first CDI to be held in Florida and has long been a favorite event for competitors.

Grand Prix rider and trainer Bethany Peslar of Everglades Dressage is proud to once again sponsor the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W.
Photo courtesy of Sharon Packer.

The Palm Beach Dressage Derby stands out on the list of competitions at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival. The Adequan® Global Dressage Festival has a total purse of over $650,000 for its seven CDIs, making it the richest non-championship dressage series in the world. The series is far from over, and two riders have already been awarded more than $50,000 in prize money each.

In addition to sponsoring the Derby, Everglades Dressage is supporting competitors by presenting the Everglades Dressage Rider Achievement Award at the 2015 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival to recognize and congratulate competitors’ talents and efforts. Winning riders will be those who demonstrate excellent rides in the show ring, improvements in their riding, or strong efforts and dedication to working well with their horses. Peslar and the entire team at Everglades Dressage hope that their Achievement Award will help competitors feel appreciated for their abilities and be encouraged to continue growing as successful equestrians.

For 2015, Everglades Dressage sponsors the historic and prestigious Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W that will run from March 5 to March 8 (Week 9 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival). As one of the most beloved dressage shows in the world and historically the first CDI to ever be held in Florida, the Palm Beach Derby is truly a remarkable event. Everglades Dressage is eager to present the celebrated competition in support of dressage and the Wellington equestrian community as a continuation of their contribution to the sport they love.

To learn more about Everglades Dressage and Grand Prix rider and trainer Bethany Peslar, visit www.evergladesdressage.com.

PJ Rizvi and Peacock Ridge Continue to Build Dressage in Wellington
and Support 2015 AGDF Competition

PJ Rizvi and Peacock Ridge are proud to continue sponsorship of the 2015 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) at the Week 9 Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W 1*. An active member in the dressage community, Rizvi is dedicated to ensuring the success of the sport in Wellington and is honored to support the growth of dressage at all levels.

Rizvi felt that before AGDF existed, dressage riders were on the outskirts of the Wellington equestrian community looking in. “We were all in Loxahatchee, and it just didn’t feel right. The rest of the equestrian world was in Wellington, and we couldn’t find a way to get there until Mark Bellissimo decided to create AGDF,” she said. “I had always wanted to bring dressage to Wellington. It needed accessibility and when the idea came forward, we decided it was an incredible opportunity and it needed support.”

All of Rizvi’s children are involved with horses and it was impossible for the mother of four to ride in Loxahatchee and watch her kids compete in Wellington. “There was a newfound sense of accessibility for my family when AGDF came to fruition. I could make it to my son’s polo games or watch my daughters’ jumper rounds. It was really a dream come true for so many in the dressage community,” she expressed.

PJ Rizvi (right) of Peacock Ridge in a presentation at the AGDF. Photo © SusanJStickle.com.

Not only has AGDF allowed Rizvi to spend time with her family, but it has also given an entirely new group of people access to the sport. “Having dressage down the street from WEF has given people something new, and it allows them to explore and experience it,” remarked Rizvi. “It’s great because dressage is a very important in all forms of riding, and it gives equestrians of any discipline exposure to something exciting and fun.”

Rizvi enjoys her involvement with the competition as not only a sponsor, but as a dressage enthusiast as well. “An amateur rider myself, I really want to bring more opportunities for amateurs to compete at the show, but especially with a focus on youth riders,” she explained. “I would love for some of the professionals in this amazing community to come together and invest in the next generation of riders. There is a lack of interest in dressage from kids, and I think it is really important to get them involved.”

The sense of community that AGDF has brought to Wellington is something Rizvi is tremendously proud of. “Everything is so intertwined now, and it has really brought people together. Whether you go left on Pierson Road or you go right, you’re going to see something amazing and to have a community that supports each other like this is something we could have never imagined.”

The Adequan® Global Dressage Festival welcomes our wonderful sponsors for week 9 and wish all of the competitors the best of luck. Please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com for more information.

About the Adequan Global Dressage Festival:
The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is one of the world’s largest international and national dressage circuits featuring 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.PBIEC.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Wellington, Florida (March 3, 2015)— For International dressage rider Arlene “Tuny” Page, horsemanship, sportsmanship, and performance go hand in hand. “You can’t have good scores (performance) without the other two,” she explained. “If you’re going to stay in the game for a very long time, the three are interlocked completely.” Such a balance is difficult to attain, but Page continues to live up to her beliefs inside and outside of the show ring— which is why she was selected for Ann-Louise Cook’s People’s Choice Award during the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida.

The People’s Choice Award, presented by Cook, gives dressage enthusiasts at the Wellington show circuit this season the chance to have a say in which riders deserve to be recognized. Cook, a successful Wellington-area realtor at Illustrated Properties— specializing in equestrian and luxury real estate— established the award as a way to give back to her dressage community. She presented Page, the most recent People’s Choice Award winner, with a ribbon sash and a beautifully engraved silver bowl.

Cook congratulated Page on her riding as well as on the performance of the two new horses she competed in the Grand Prix: twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Woodstock (Havel x Mirania) and seventeen-year-old Danish mare Alina. “You’re one of the people who has stuck with this sport and come out time after time with new horses and even better riding,” Cook told Page as she presented her with the award. “You and Alina were excellent to watch.”

Page was also pleased with Alina’s performance, despite the windy weather on the show grounds, which created a tense atmosphere for the horses. “I was actually really tickled with it. There were lots of good things,” she said. “I loved that my changes were just full of expression. Her changes are always good— they’re absolutely God-given— so I only have to point and shoot! I am chipping away at making the piaffe passage with more expression and better self-carriage, and I felt that was at least a point better than two weeks ago, so I am very happy with that progression. And she handled the atmosphere really, really well. It’s a hard day for that — my young horse Woodstock was kind of undone by the weather, but kept it together enough to be in the low running. I was proud of that.”

Page is the owner of Stillpoint Farm Dressage, and also serves her dressage community in ways such as volunteering at the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center in Loxahatchee, Florida. Page was recently Chairman of Vinceremos’s annual auction and charity dinner event for the tenth year in a row.

“I would love to be involved in a day-to-day basis at Vinceremos,” she said. “That’s not realistic for me because of running a business and having a family and a young daughter. But digging in and trying to create a successful fundraiser— this I can do, and that money will make all the difference to the people who can volunteer consistently.”

Page was pleased to accept the People’s Choice Award from Cook, who also benefits Vinceremos by donating a percentage of her real-estate sales to the non-profit organization. “I love that this award comes from Ann-Louise because she’s someone who is constantly giving into the community, and that means a lot to me,” Page said. “Even today, she is making a donation to Vinceremos every time she closes a deal, and just the fact that she does that can make other people think about contributing, as well. It’s very meaningful that this award comes from somebody like her.”

Having a social conscience and being involved in one’s community, Page believes, is not only important to personal growth but also to growth as a rider and athlete. “You see many people who are out there day in and day out — they try hard, they work hard, they give back to the sport, they are students of their sport,” she explained. “Those are the people who are in the game for a long time, contributing because of depth, and years, and evolution. They contribute. And if that is what this People’s Choice Award is about, then I am very happy to be considered.”

For more information about Ann-Louise Cook and her business at Illustrated Properties Real Estate, Inc., please visit www.annlouisecook.com.

Photo: Arlene “Tuny” Page (left), with Danish mare Alina, receive the People’s Choice Award from Ann-Louise Cook

Wellington, FL (March 3, 2015)— It was already a successful week for adult amateur dressage rider Barbara Denton at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, and then came the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Achievement Award presented by Dr. Cesar Parra of Piaffe Performance. Denton has now earned the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Achievement Award for two consecutive years, based on her high level of involvement and accomplishments in her division. The award is designed to recognize successful adult amateur riders and how much they contribute to the sport of dressage through participation, sportsmanship, and horsemanship.

Denton, who is a successful fixture in the adult amateur dressage ring, certainly fits the bill. Denton had multiple winning rounds on her 18-year-old Hannoverian gelding Winslow 15 (Weltmeyer x Anke, by Airport) in the Adult Amateur Grand Prix division. The German-born Winslow 15 was bred by Herman Kruehsel. Denton and Winslow 15 have been together for six years.

The pair’s hard work paid off when Denton and Winslow 15 won both of their FEI Grand Prix tests with scores of 62.6% and 60.7%. Denton’s next goal for she and Winslow 15 is to score a 65% during the world’s richest and most competitive dressage festival. Denton explained that she loves dressage “because it’s a challenge in which you never stop learning. Just when you think you’re grasping something, there’s more to it.”

Denton expressed her gratitude for the recognition to Dr. Parra, who sponsors the award on behalf of his training and showing program Piaffe Performance. “It’s wonderful to see somebody sponsoring the amateurs and encouraging them because it usually doesn’t go that way,” said Denton. “The amateurs are the backbone of the industry. The more encouragement we can all get, the more we’ll be out there.”

In addition to her success in the Grand Prix arena, Denton rode her second mount in the adult amateur division in FEI Intermediate I. She and the 17.1-hand Mt. Athos (Akriboci x Dancing Girl, by Donnerschlag), captured the blue on Sunday morning with a 63.289%. Denton and the 15-year-old black Rhinelander gelding improved on their third-place finish from Saturday afternoon when they scored a 62.105%. Denton’s second German-born gelding was bred by Jos Blonk, and she started him in Intermediate I.

It is the first year that the Adequan Global Dressage Festival has a CDI Amateur International division in every CDI (for those riders 26 years of age and older competing in the Small or Medium Tour level). Piaffe Performance will continue to present their Adult Amateur Achievement Award each week that has a CDI. Each award-winning rider receives a Piaffe Performance rosette as well as an engraved silver picture frame.

Dr. Parra has echoed Denton’s sentiment that the adult amateurs are the backbone of the sport. He hopes his award will continue to encourage the adult amateurs. He has also seen great success in the show ring, including winning a Gold medal at the Pan American Games. Piaffe Performance, which is based out of Jupiter, Florida, and Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, also sponsors the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

Piaffe Performance specializes in selecting, training, showing, and facilitates the sales of top dressage prospects for riders at every level. For more information on Piaffe Performance, visit www.piaffe-performance.com.

Photo: Dr. Cesar Parra (left) of Piaffe Performance presents the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Achievement Award to Barbara Denton (right) and Winslow 15 at the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival

Wellington, FL (March 3, 2015)— They’re an unforgettable pair whenever they enter a Grand Prix arena— and now Susanne Hamilton of Maine and the 16.1-hand grey stallion, Lord Locksley, have been named HORSE GYM USA® Top Equine Athlete Award winners at one of the richest and most celebrated shows in the world, the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

“This has been a fantastic show. We’re only in our second season at Grand Prix. He’s fourteen now. I started him. He was sitting in a pasture at seven-and-a-half years-old, then I got him as a coming eight year-old and did our debut at Training Level Test 2 with Tom Poulin at a 52 percent. Now, he’s at Grand Prix, CDI level. How far he’s come!” Hamilton told Mikala Gundersen of HORSE GYM USA®, fondly referring to the Trakhener (Unkenruf x Lida x Enrico Caruso) bred by Tylord Farm and owned by Margaret Stevens of Phippsburg, Maine.

“He’s a real lady’s horse. I don’t have to ride with a whip— he’s got so much engine. He comes into the ring and he’s sensitive. You just have to sit there pretty and think the thought, and he’s with you. He’s just amazing that way.” Hamilton told Gundersen that keeping her equine partner at the top of his game comes down to the basics: “I feed him really well, and turn out helps a lot, too. I do a lot of walking before and after our rides. He’s my ‘hack pony’.”

Walking is one of the best ways to build strength and endurance, and since 2004, HORSE GYM USA® has been a trusted name in equine treadmills and therapeutic equipment for horses and riders. Founders Henrik and Mikala Gundersen have been presenting HORSE GYM USA® Top Equine Athlete Awards during each CDI series through March 29 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida. The impressive award includes a HORSE GYM USA® jacket, saddle pad, cap, and commemorative ribbon.

HORSE GYM USA® Top Equine Athlete Awards go to horses whose prime condition and athletic ability embody fitness, strength, and endurance. HORSE GYM USA® is a leader in equine treadmills in America, with more than 500 equine gyms sold across all disciplines. The company’s innovations include a dry treadmill, the HORSE GYM USA® | WALK, that offers a generous trade-in on older treadmills; an all-in-one HORSE GYM USA® | WATER, which can fill with water up to a horse’s shoulder, or be used dry; HORSE GYM USA® | SPA, a cold, saltwater solution to soaking, icing, and bandaging legs while bubbles create therapeutic, wave-like action; and the new programmable vibration plate, the HORSE GYM USA® | RELAX, with separate solarium, SUN 15, to warm up, cool out, and offer zero-impact conditioning. Learn more about the trusted quality and reputation behind HORSE GYM USA® products by visiting www.horsegym.com or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/horsegym.

Photo 1: Susanne Hamilton and Lord Locksley win the HORSE GYM USA® Top Equine Athlete Award

Photo 2: Mikala Gundersen (left) of HORSE GYM USA® presents Susanne Hamilton (right) with the HORSE GYM USA® Top Equine Athlete Award

Jupiter, FL -March 3, 2015- Horse Radio Network’s once-a-month Para-Equestrian Show featured Todd Flettrich and Shannon Dueck with
hosts Lindsay McCall from the United States Para-Equestrian Association (USPEA) and co-host Regina Cristo. To listen to episode #300 please visit HERE

Todd Flettrich: From being an Olympic contender to coaching some of the best riders in the world to international success, Flettrich is a veteran of the competition arena and sought-after trainer and mentor.

A native of New Orleans, Flettrich began his dressage career at a young age and won individual gold and team silver in the 1991 North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC). He went on to coach Catherine Malone to the individual gold as a Junior and Young Rider

In addition to riding against the best in the world, he has helped other riders achieve success, and continues to train Margaret Duprey.

Todd Flettrich is a veteran competitor and trainer at the FEI levels of dressage. He began riding at the age of 12 and trained with such wellknown horsemen as Jessica Ransenhousen, Robert Dover, Odet Shimoni, Sue Malone Casey, Steffen Peters, Kathy Connelly, Christine Traurig and Hubertus Schmidt.

Flettrich served as Region 1 Coach and Chef d’Equipe at the NAYRC from 1988 through 1994. He earned his United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Silver and Gold Medals and is also a graduate of the USDF ‘L’ (Learner) Judge Program.

In 2010 he rode Otto, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm, during the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. In 2012 Todd qualified with Otto as the alternate of the United States Dressage Team for the London Olympic Games.

Shannon Dueck: Born in Austin, Texas, Shannon grew up outside of Vancouver Canada. Her mother Jacqueline Oldham was an “S” dressage judge in both Canada and the USA, and instilled in Shannon a love and knowledge of classical dressage from an early age. Shannon was lucky enough to grow up with horses in her backyard, and evented to Intermediate level as a teenager, as well as show jumped and worked on the Thoroughbred racetrack. She went through the Pony Club levels to attain her “A” status at the age of 18, and also got her Canadian Coaching Level 2 status.
After completing a Bachelors degree in Animal Science at the University of British Columbia and a Masters degree in Equine Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at Texas A&M University, she went on to become faculty at Lakeland College and Olds College in Alberta, Canada, and then moved to Massachusetts with her husband Lorne to take up a faculty position at Johnson & Wales University.

In 1994, Shannon spent many months training in Holland as a working student for Bert Rutten – this was when she decided to get serious about dressage. She rode in her first international competition in 1995 in California, and was long-listed for the Canadian Equestrian Team in 1996 with her mother’s Madison. In 1995 she sold her last event horse and bought her first real star, Korona, as a 3 year old from Bert Rutten.

Shannon trained Korona from the beginning. The partnership was very successful, beginning with an Individual Silver Medal at the Pan Am Games in 1999, they never looked back. Korona and Shannon represented Canada successfully at the Grand Prix level for many years. In 2002 at the World Championships in Spain they were the top Canadians, finishing 23rd in the Grand Prix and 25th in the Grand Prix Special. After winning the Canadian League World Cup Final in 2002, they represented Canada at the World Cup Final in Sweden in 2003. In 2003 they were also a part of the Canadian Team at the Open European Championships in England, which secured an Olympic berth for the Canadians at the 2004 Olympic Games. In 2004 they had a very successful training and competition tour in Holland, Germany and Austria, but did not get to represent Canada at the Olympics – Korona was ill during the Canadian Olympic Selection Trials.

Since those days, Shannon has been busy training other horses and riders from Training level to Grand Prix. The many horses she has trained to the FEI levels and competed successfully on include Leoliet, Pegasus, Amazing, Ringo Starr, Control IV, S Infinity, and Sentimiento II. She absolutely loves teaching her students both at home and at the shows, and many of her students have been with her for years.

It took her many years to find her next international superstar, but she bought Ayscha in Germany from a friend as a 6 year old. Ayscha was supposed to be sales project, but Shannon soon found out that she had talent for Grand Prix, and decided to keep her and develop her as far as possible. With very limited show experience, Ayscha began Grand Prix in 2010 as a 9 year old. Shannon and Ayscha were part of the Canadian Team which traveled to Europe with Robert Dover and they competed successfully in many international shows in Germany that summer. In 2011 Ayscha and Shannon headed to Great Britain to train with Carl Hester, where they competed at Hickstead and London Olympia as well.

Shannon has had wonderful coaching all her life, from the very beginning with Klaus Albin and Dietrich Von Hopfgarten in Langley British Columbia with her event horses. In her adult life she has had extensive help from Bert Rutten of the Netherlands, Lars Peterson of Denmark, Kathy Connelly, Robert Dover and Steffen Peters of the USA, Hubertus Schmidt and Wolfram Wittig of Germany, and most recently, Carl Hester of Great Britain.

March 3, 2015 (Minnesota) — North American Western Dressage (NAWD) is pleased to announce its third phase of its youth program. Phase I is about individual achievement and you can learn more HERE. When Youth become members of NAWD, they are eligible to earn points that accumulate to help them earn medals and embroidered Star patches. We have seen an increase in youth memberships so we know this program is resonating. ​ In Phase II, we collaborate with schools to help them form competitive equestrian teams based on the virtual show program. More details on the School partnership program can be found HERE. In our third phase, North American Western Dressage Professionals from California to Connecticut and all points in between will be offering free coaching in limited quantities to youth riders who volunteer at their local equine rescues.

A special shout-out to Coeli Netski, NAWD Professional from New Jersey, for the inspiration in creating this program.

NAWD Professionals will help youth who join this program in the following ways:

1. Offer 5 or more free lessons each year. These are five individual lessons to be given to multiple youth.
2. Offer a free mini-clinic to a local club, using a curriculum that is provided by NAWD​.

​Youth Riders qualify when they volunteer at a local equine rescue (confirmed by the rescue director/coordinator). Individuals will qualify for individual lessons, clubs and groups will qualify for mini-clinics​when they volunteer as a group. To participate, youth must be a NAWD member in good standing or a member of a NAWD School team. Each youth or group is eligible for one free lesson/coaching session or free clinic.

Here is a list of North American Western Dressage Professionals as of March 2, 2015, who have signed up to offer lessons or mini-clinics in support of this program. Click HERE for direct links to these NAWD Professionals.

Laura Baxter Padgett — KS
Cathy Drumm – MA
Cassie Springer — MN
Coeli Netsky — NJ
Gina DeSantis — PA
Katie Weagley – PA
Linda Lee-Bower — PA
Barbara Kranzel — WI
Bethany Tuskey – WI
Cathy Cline — WI
Kristina Ellis – WI
Wendy Konichek – WI
Patrick King – OH
Mike Marquez – CT
Michael Guerini – CA

When a North American Western Dressage Professional is not in the immediate area of a youth who chooses to participate in this program, NAWD Professionals who travel nationally teaching clinics will work with local groups and individuals to set up a lesson or mini-clinic. Additionally, NAWD has partnered with Coach’s Corral to provide virtual lessons for youth who do not have immediate access to a local NAWD Professional.

“Working with equine rescues is more than just a way for these young riders to give back to the community. It is a very eye-opening experience and we hope that it will give kids a lifelong awareness of the fact that there are far too many horses without homes and purpose in life. This experience will help youth become responsible members of the equine industry.” says Jen Johnson, President of NAWD. “I am extremely proud of our NAWD Professionals for the sheer number that stepped up to the plate to offer their services. This is a true testimony to their commitment to our children’s future.”

About North American Western Dressage – North American Western Dressage is a non-profit organization that offers casual, fun, and affordable ways to learn about Western Dressage in the form of clinics and virtual shows. We start from the ground up with our “Six Feet on the Ground” Groundwork program, continue with Western Dressage Tests, Western Dressage Freestyles, and Western Dressage Trail tests. Our judges are carefully chosen for their understanding that Western Dressage is not dressage in a western saddle and that the fundamentals of good riding are universal. We embrace and include equine enthusiasts from ALL walks of life.

By Horse Canada

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has been notified of a confirmed case of Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), caused by equine herpes virus 1 (EHV-1), in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.

The Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) has determined that this case does not involve a racehorse. However, due to the infectious nature of this virus, the ORC urges participants to take appropriate steps when such cases are reported. Outbreaks of neurological EHV-1 are contagious and have a significant risk of mortality. ANYTHING that touches an infected horse or carries secretions or manure from sick horses has the potential to transfer pathogens to other horses.

Veterinary Update

Animal Health and Welfare Branch/Office of the Chief Veterinarian for Ontario
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

February 23, 2015

Confirmed Case of Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has been notified of a confirmed case of Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), caused by equine herpes virus 1 (EHV-1), in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Brain tissue from a horse with severe neurological signs tested positive for EHV-1 neuropathogenic strain. The horse owner voluntarily placed the premises under a self-imposed quarantine to reduce the risk of viral spread. To date, there have been no further reports of equine illness on the farm.
In 2014, there was one laboratory-confirmed case of EHM in Ontario due to the non-neuropathogenic strain. This is the first case diagnosed in Ontario this year; however, cases of EHM have been diagnosed in Texas, Virginia, Minnesota and New Jersey this month.

EHV-1 infection in horses can cause respiratory disease, abortion, neonatal foal death, and/or neurological disease. EHV-1 is not a federally reportable disease but is immediately notifiable by laboratories under the reporting regulation of the provincial Animal Health Act. Attending veterinarians suspicious of EHM should contact OMAFRA as soon as possible.

Because infected horses may show no clinical signs, but still shed the virus, the temperature of suspect animals should be monitored twice daily for 14 -21 days and any abnormalities discussed with a veterinarian. Neurological signs, if they develop, may include loss or balance, hind-limb weakness, recumbency, difficulty urinating, decreased tail tone and depression. It is important that a veterinarian assess suspect cases of EHM since it can be difficult to distinguish this from other serious neurological diseases, such as rabies.

EHV-1 is easily spread by nose-to-nose or close contact with an infectious horse, by sharing contaminated equipment (bits, buckets, towels etc.) or by the clothing, hands or equipment of people who recently had contact with an infectious horse. This highlights the need for routine biosecurity measures (including hand hygiene and basic cleaning and disinfection practices) to be in place at all times to prevent a disease outbreak. Special attention should be given to cleaning and disinfecting trailers.
Current EHV-1 vaccines may reduce viral shedding but are not protective against the neurological form of the disease. Implementing routine biosecurity practices is the best way to minimize viral spread.

The best method of disease control is disease prevention.