Coronavirus (and more specifically, Covid-19, which is the name for the illness caused in humans by the current novel Coronavirus pandemic) is a topic on everyone’s mind today . . . and horse owners are no exception. After all, there have been stories in the news suggesting that dogs and cats can be infected by the virus, so it’s not silly to wonder whether horses can catch (and pass on) Coronavirus, too.
Well, it turns out that there’s good news and bad news when it comes to Coronavirus and horses.
Yes, horses CAN get sick from something called Equine Coronavirus . . . but that virus was first identified in the United States back in 2010. It causes mild diarrhea, lethargy and other non-deadly symptoms in horses, but almost all horses who contract the virus recover from it without any long-term effects.
There have been no recorded instances of Equine Coronavirus jumping from horse to humans (or to other species). There’s also currently no evidence that the human Coronavirus strains (like Covid-19) can be transmitted to horses.
So yes, a type of Coronavirus can be caught by horses, but it’s not a virus that is likely give your horse a serious illness, and it is almost certainly not something that humans can catch from horses.
That’s NOT to say, however, that equestrians and horse owners have nothing to fear from the Coronavirus or Covid-19! Horse shows and equestrian events, like all other large gatherings of people, could potentially spread the virus to many people if any infected individuals attend. Please be sure to listen to the warnings of local officials and health organizations if it’s suggested to stay away from large crowds (whether the event is horse related or not).
Equestrians are generally a pretty healthy, in-shape group of individuals, but we will all need to change our usual habits for a while in order to prevent the Coronavirus from spreading to other members of the population who might be seriously threatened by catching it.