Citing the outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1), the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown will be closed to horses for two weeks. That means cancellation of the Reindeer Run Dec. 7, barrel racing Dec. 6 and open schooling Dec. 2 and 9.
“While we are disappointed to be canceling our events, we want to ensure we are doing our best to keep everyone safe during these times,” said a Horse Park statement.
According to the Equine Disease Communication Center, as of Dec. 5, there were 46 EHV-1 neurologic cases, up from 3 on Dec. 1. They have been reported primarily in western states and Louisiana. The most cases, 30, are in Texas, where the outbreak began at a barrel racing championship. Other states with neurologic cases as of Dec. 5 are South Dakota, Colorado, Oklahoma and New Mexico. In the East, cases also have been reported in Maryland and Pennsylvania (Lancaster County), but they are not associated with the outbreak at the barrel racing championship.
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