The stables at Rockwood Park are closed for the time being with one horse having a confirmed case of a highly contagious respiratory tract infection called strangles.
Lees Doley is the owner-operator of the stables and tells CHSJ News there are also five others horses that have been quarantined.
“The horses that weren’t well they’ll all be swabbed, a nasal swab, and the swabs will go to Fredericton,” says Doley.
“As long as the swabs come back clear, and then we know that they’re not still harbouring any of the bacteria and there’s no chance that it would go through to the rest of our horses then we’ll open back up again.”
The horse with the confirmed case of strangles is a female and after about 12 days of her arriving at the stables, Doley says they noticed she had a runny nose which ultimately led to the diagnosis.
Doley says all of the horses are recovering quite quickly.
“They’re all doing much better, no signs of anything at this point. Everybody’s appetite is back, fevers are gone and literally, they’re like kids on too much sugar. They just want to be out.”
There are three laboratory-confirmed cases of the horse infection in southern New Brunswick as of May 31 according to the manager of the provincial Veterinary Services Nicole Wanamaker.
Wanamaker tells CHSJ News strangles can cause horses to have a fever, cough, reduced appetites, lethargy, a thick nasal discharge, along with abscesses that happen under the lower jaw and throatlatch.
