Horse at sunset - peak risk time for AHS

IMPROVED DETECTION OF AHS

How faster diagnosis protects South African horses Researchers at Onderstepoort have refined the PCR assays used to detect African Horse Sickness virus, improving diagnostic sensitivity and speed. For South African breeders and equestrians in endemic and control zones, faster confirmation of AHS status means quicker decisions about movement, treatment and herd management. African Horse Sickness remains…

BylizzieJuly 8, 20260Comments

TRANSITIONING YOUR OTTB

To a more natural life Text: Christine Pinna Thoroughbreds are notorious for having hoof issues, requiring stables, blankets and plenty of concentrates to maintain their condition. But is this really the way it has to be? Background It is important to understand the lifestyle your newly purchased Thoroughbred has lived up until the point that he became…

BylizzieJanuary 28, 20250Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health Know How

SWEET ITCH

Sweet itch is caused by an allergic reaction to the saliva of the Cullicoides midge (the same midge involved in the transmission of the dreaded African Horse Sickness). The midges bite the horse, and in horses with allergic sensitivity they develop itching of the mane and tail and, in some cases, the face and the…

BylizzieAugust 28, 20190Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health Know How News Updates

MIDFEEDS’ AHS TALK WITH DR OCKERT BOTHA

A huge thank you has to go to Simon Burn and the Midfeeds' team for organising last night's excellent talk with Dr Ockert Botha on the topic concerning all horse owners across the country at the moment - African Horse Sickness. The talk had a full house with grooms, stable managers and interested horse owners…

BylizzieApril 3, 20190Comments

Horse Health Know How Lifestyle

Exporting a horse

The only option at this point is to export horses via Mauritius [dropcap]M[/dropcap]any of our top riders source horses overseas and import them to South Africa to compete at the top level of local equestrian sport. While bringing horses in is fairly painless, exporting a horse is an entirely different story with a far more delicate…

BylizzieJuly 31, 20170Comments

Horse Channel News Updates

New horse movement restriction effective this month

A ban on the direct movement of horses into the Western Cape’s African Horse Sickness (AHS) Controlled Area zones comes into effect on Monday (1 February 2016). Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, said the movement restrictions meant that all horses entering the province’s AHS Controlled Area would spend 14 days at a stop-quarantine facility. "We need…

BylizzieFebruary 3, 20160Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

African Horse Sickness vaccine update

The AHS vaccination is your horse's primary protection against African Horse Sickness [dropcap]A[/dropcap]s horse owners, it is our responsibility to ensure that horses are vaccinated every year and that any movement of horses into the Western Cape African Horse Sickness (AHS) controlled area complies with policy requirements. Apart from mitigating the risks of horses getting the…

BylizzieNovember 27, 20150Comments

Horse Health News Updates

AHS Update: Genome studies

Researchers in Pretoria have conducted a study of the complete genome sequences of plaque selected isolates of each of the 3 virus strains included in a South African commercial trivalent African horse sickness attenuated live virus vaccine.

BylizzieNovember 17, 20150Comments

HQ Newsletter