Moonbi Flu Diary

Number 2. 3^rd September.

Horse Deals Brings Welcome Relief to Marooned at Moonbi.

“We were all most appreciative of the copies of Horse Deals which arrived”, commented Meg Drury, President of the Tamworth Dressage Club. Certainly the Volume 2 Stallion Edition offers plenty to keep the reluctant campers in reading material for some time.

Meg informed us that all the 38 horses in the Moonbi lockdown have contracted the Equine Influenza virus. “There are still some pretty sick horses on the ground, and some have had temperatures as high as 40°. We have been observing and noting the passage of the virus and monitoring the condition of our own animals. We then relay our findings to the vets on their daily visit. From our observation we have noted :-

Day 1 They are lethargic and off their food.

Day 2 A bit of a cough, nasal discharge and their temperature goes up.

Days 3 and 4. They plateau and maintain the symptoms and the temperature stays high for 2-3 days

Day 5 They start to get back on their feet (literally and metaphorically).

“This will vary of course and my horse was quite sick for about five days.

We are not using a lot of antibiotics, just good nursing, anti-inflammatories for the temperature and something for the cough. We have been advised to let the virus run its course. Rest and hydration are very important in recovery and also giving them long enough to recover is important. I will not be able to work my horse for about four weeks. Thee are still horses that are unwell, but that they are usually only off their feed and miserable for 3-4 days.

“We are certainly on the count down to taking the horses home, we think by the end of September. I only live 15 kilometers away and can go home and the ladies from Armidale and Scone have organised a roster system, and take turns about going home. There are 38 horses here and usually about 10 to 15 people to look after them. The Sportsground here has good toilet and shower facilities and the locals have donated five caravans for them to stay in which is a bit of a plus.

“Every day at 12 pm we have a briefing with the DPI and that can get a little tense, but at this stage we are all getting on well. There is plenty to do mucking out and looking after the horses to get bored. Each night there is a bit of a Barbie and a get together with a couple of drinks.

“We are all learning a lot about EI and the care of sick animals and the strict decontamination process, as well as keeping the peace with humans. It will all stand us in good stead in the future I’m sure”.

At this stage there has been no progress on the Moonbi Lockdown Recipes, but Meg assures us she will get on to it.

We will check on the Moonbi Marooned in a few days. Thankfully they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately there are daily outbreaks in NSW and it is vital that the utmost care is taken with not only the horses, but gear and clothes need to be properly decontaminated. Where were your horses in the last few weeks, could they be carrying the virus?

This Flu outbreak has been a real wake up call to us all.