Veterinary Services 

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health November 2006

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Equine Biosecurity and 

Biocontainment Practices on 

U.S. Equine Operations 

With the globalization of animal industries, biosecurity 

and biocontainment practices play a vital role in the 

health of domestic animals. Biosecurity practices include 

measures that reduce the risk of disease introduction on

an operation. Biocontainment practices include 

measures that reduce the spread of disease on an 

operation and from one operation to another. 

Vaccination, another important aid in infection control,

will be addressed in a separate information sheet. 

Equine diseases are spread in a variety of ways, 

including direct contact between equids and contact with 

feces, insect or animal vectors, aerosol particles, and

contaminated needles. Often overlooked but equally 

important modes of disease transmission include contact 

with contaminated equipment, tack, transport vehicles,

clothing, boots, or hands. Apart from contaminated 

apparel or hands, humans themselves also can be a 

source of infection. 

For the Equine 2005 study, the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture’s National Animal Health Monitoring System 

collected data on equine health and management 

practices from a representative sample of operations

with 5 or more equids in 28 States divided into 4 

regions.* The 28-State target population represented

78.0 percent of equids and 78.6 percent of operations 

with 5 or more equids in the United States. Interviews 

were conducted from July 18 through August 12, 2005, 

and 2,893 equine operations provided data on equine

health and management. 

Of operations participating in the study, 40.3 percent 

identified their primary function as “farm/ranch” and 37.0 

percent identified their primary function as “residence 

with equids for personal use.” Over 95 percent of 

operations had horses and 34.8 percent had equids

other than horses, e.g., donkeys, burros, mules, ponies, 

and miniature horses. 

____________________________________ 

*Regions: 

West: California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, 

Washington, and Wyoming

Northeast: New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania

South: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, 

Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia 

Central: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, 

and Wisconsin. 

General Practices 

General biosecurity measures taken on equine 

operations include isolation protocols, infection-control 

precautions for visitors, and use of separate or 

disinfected equipment. Other general management 

practices address contact with other animals, potential 

contamination of feed and water, insect control, and 

manure management. 

Separation for isolation or infection control 

Overall, 65.1 percent of operations separated 

animals for isolation or infection control. For this study, 

isolation was defined as prevention of nose-to-nose 

contact with other equids and of shared feed, water, and 

equipment. 

Large operations (20 or more equids) separated 

animals for isolation or infection control more often than 

medium operations (10-19 equids) and small operations 

(5-9 equids). Large operations also were more likely 

than small operations to restrict the movement of 

personnel working with isolated animals. Of operations

that isolated animals, 27.8 percent restricted movement 

of personnel working with isolated animals. 

Biosecurity measures for visitors 

Nearly one-fourth of operations required people 

coming onto the facility to practice at least some form of 

infection control. Hand washing is an easy and effective 

method of preventing disease transmission and was the 

most common control measure used (15.9 percent of 

operations). In addition, 14.0 percent of operations

required the use of separate or disinfected equipment

and 11.7 percent required visitors to park vehicles away

from animal areas (figure 1). 

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 
0 10 20 30

Percent

Use separate or disinfected

equipment

Change clothes or wear

clean coveralls

Disinfect or

change boots

Clean and

disinfect hands

Park vehicles

away from

animal area

Other

Any of the above

Figure 1. Percentage of Operations that Ever Required People 

(Visitor, Veterinarian, Farrier, etc.) Coming Onto the Equine 

Facility to Take the Following Infection-Control Precautions

14.0

6.7

9.2

15.9

11.7

1.1

23.3

Precaution

Contact with other animals 

A few diseases are transmitted to equids via other 

animal species. For example, the parasite that causes

equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is acquired from the 

feces of opossums. Awareness of contact between 

equids and other animal species can lead to a more 

timely response to a disease outbreak. During the 12

months preceding the study, dogs and cats had direct 

contact with resident equids or their feed on 76.9 and 

66.4 percent of operations, respectively. For this study, a 

resident equid was defined as an equid that spent or 

was expected to spend more time at the operation than

at any other operation, whether or not it was present at 

the time of the interview. The operation was its home 

base. 

Other domestic species that had direct contact with 

resident equids or their feed included cattle (43.2 

percent of operations) and poultry (18.6 percent of 

operations). Skunks, opossums, raccoons, and bats had 

contact with equids or their feed on 25 to 50 percent of 

operations, indicating that wildlife can be an important 

potential source of disease. 

Feed and water management 

Contamination of feed and water by outside sources 

is another potential route of infection for equids. 

Approximately 90 percent of operations fed equids

grain/concentrate or an energy source other than hay 

during the 12 months preceding the study. For 

operations that fed grain/concentrate, the majority (79.1 

percent) of the grain/concentrate was purchased in bags 

from a retail source. Intact bags should provide a layer of 

protection against possible contamination by outside 

sources. Most operations (over 85.0 percent) stored 

grain/concentrate in a manner that prevented fecal 

contamination by mice, rats, domestic and wild birds, 

livestock, dogs, cats, and other wildlife. 

Also during the previous 12 months, the majority of 

operations (57.5 percent) used a well as the main water 

supply for equids, while 18.9 percent used a municipal 

water supply. Among the various water sources used on 

animal facilities, surface water—such as a pond, river, 

stream, or cistern—presents the greatest concern of 

disease exposure because it is difficult to control water 

quality; 18.1 percent of operations used surface water as 

the primary water source for equids. 

Insect control 

During the insect season of 2005, 88.9 percent of 

operations practiced some form of insect control. Insect 

control is vital to the health of equids. Insects transmit 

disease agents, and large infestations of insects can 

weaken an equid’s immune system. The most commonly 

used methods of insect control were repellents applied 

to equids (73.1 percent of operations), water container 

emptied and refilled with fresh water at least weekly 

(58.5 percent of operations), and frequent removal of 

manure and weeds from operation (51.3 percent of 

operations. In 2005, insecticides were applied in or near 

equine housing areas on 36.0 percent of operations, and 

equine face masks were used on 27.2 percent of 

operations. 

Manure management 

Effective manure management can limit fecal-oral 

contact among equids and other animals. During the 12

months preceding the study, the highest percentage of

operations (42.0 percent) disposed of manure by 

spreading it over land on the operation where no

livestock graze. A slightly lower percentage of operations 

(37.2 percent) applied manure where livestock graze.

Categories were not mutually exclusive, and some 

operations used more than one method of manure 

disposal. Another common practice for manure 

management was to allow manure to accumulate or let 

nature take care of it (32.4 percent of operations). This 

option for manure management can be viable if an 

operation has sufficient acreage. Other practices such 

as selling/giving away manure or hauling it somewhere 

other than a landfill were more commonly used by large 

operations than small operations. 

Practices Related to Introduction of Equids on 

the Operation 

Contact between resident and other equids is one 

means of disease transmission. A total of 33.6 percent of 

operations introduced a new animal—either a 

nonresident and/or new resident —during the previous

12 months. A nonresident equid was defined as an equid 

that visited the operation for fewer than 30 consecutive

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 
days during the previous 12 months. A new resident 

equid was defined as a purchased animal, a new 

boarder, or other acquired equid considered from that

point on to be a resident. For operations that introduced 

equids, approximately one (0.95) nonresident or new 

resident equid was introduced for each resident equid.

Nonresident equids 

Overall, 19.0 percent of operations had one or more 

nonresident equids during the previous 12 months. 

There was little variation in the number of nonresident 

equids across operations by region. For operations that 

had nonresident equids, the majority had fewer than 10 

nonresident equids visit during the previous 12 months 

(figure 2). 

0

10

20

30

10 or more

1 to 9

South Northeast West Central

13.3

3.2

16.1

8.2

17.7

3.9

14.0

4.5

Percent

Region

Figure 2. Percentage of Operations by Number of Nonresident 

Equids During the Previous 12 Months and by Region

Number 

Nonresident Equids

Methods that reduce the risk of nonresident equids

introducing disease agents to an operation include 

evaluation of the health status of nonresidents (e.g., 

through exams, preventive treatments, and/or testing 

requirements), vaccination and deworming 

requirements, and quarantine or isolation prior to contact 

with resident equids. For operations with nonresident

equids, the most common health requirements 

implemented at least some of the time for nonresident 

equids were a Coggins test for equine infectious anemia 

(EIA), vaccination, and deworming within the past year 

(45.3, 36.3, and 33.6 percent of operations, 

respectively). Approximately one-fourth of operations 

with nonresident equids (24.8 percent) required a 

Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI)—also known 

as an official health certificate—and 18.4 percent 

required a veterinary examination other than a CVI 

(figure 3). Quarantine prior to contact with resident 

equids and screening test for strangles or history of no 

occurrence in the previous 6 months were not often 

required. 

0 10 20 30 40 50

CVI

Veterinary exam

other than CVI

Coggins test

for EIA

Vaccination

within past year

Deworming within past year

Screening test

for strangles

Other past medical history

Quarantine prior

to contact with

resident equids

Other

Health

Requirement

Percent

Figure 3. For Operations with Nonresident Equids that Stayed for Fewer 

than 30 Consecutive Days During the Previous 12 Months, Percentage 

of Operations that Always or Sometimes Implemented the Following 

Health Requirements for the Majority of Nonresident Equids

24.8

18.4

45.3

36.3

33.6

9.7

21.8

17.2

3.8

New resident equids 

Overall, 21.5 percent of operations added new 

resident equids during the previous 12 months, and 

these equids accounted for 6.3 percent of the total 

number of resident equids (figure 4). Of new resident

equids, 70.7 percent were obtained within the same 

State.

0

2

4

6

8

10

South Northeast West Central All Operations

6.4

8.1

4.7

6.5 6.3

Percent

Region

Figure 4. New Resident Equids Added During the Previous 12 

Months as a Percentage of All Resident Equids, by Region 

For operations that added new resident equids

during the previous 12 months, the most common health 

requirements implemented at least some of the time for 

new additions were a Coggins test for EIA, vaccination, 

and deworming within the past year (61.8, 49.2, and 

48.9 percent of operations, respectively) (figure 5). 

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 
Practices Related to Contact with Equids Off 

the Operation 

Overall, 75.1 percent of operations had resident 

equids that left the home operation and returned after 

direct contact with outside equids. Equids that leave the 

home operation and have contact with outside equids

may be exposed to disease agents, and these agents 

may be introduced to the home operation when the 

equids return. Isolating returning equids is one way to 

prevent this type of disease introduction. 

Of operations that had resident equids that left the 

operation and returned after contact with outside equids, 

the majority (60.6 percent) never isolated returning 

equids. Just 10.6 percent of operations routinely isolated 

returning equids at the home operation, and 26.0 

percent only isolated returning equids for a cause such 

as disease or disease exposure. A small percentage of 

operations (2.8 percent) routinely isolated returning 

equids before arrival at the home facility. 

Conclusion 

Biosecurity and biocontainment control practices can

reduce the risk of exposure to disease agents. Key 

points of a biosecurity plan are ascertaining the health 

status of new or returning equids, isolating new animals 

or returning animals at the home facility, supplying clean 

feed and water, controlling insects, limiting contact 

between equids and other animals, and implementing

infection-control practices for visitors and personnel. 

Effective biosecurity practices lead to fewer health 

problems for animals, contribute to a longer and betterquality life, and increase overall productivity by avoiding 

____________________ 

For more information, contact:

movement restrictions and reduced use of animals 

during disease occurrences. 

___________________________________ 

artment of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 

activities on the basis of 

,

n of 

.)

600

r

0 20 40 60 80

Percent

Health

Requirement

Figure 5. For Operations that Added New Resident Equids During 

the Previous 12 Months, Percentage of Operations that Always or 

Sometimes Implemented the Following Health Requirements for 

New Additions

CVI

Veterinary exam

other than CVI

Coggins test for EIA

Vaccination 

within past year

Deworming within past year

Screening test

for strangles

Other past medical history from owner

Quarantine prior

to contact with

resident equids

Other

34.6

29.2

61.8

49.2

48.9

14.2

36.3

32.0

5.0

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