British Horse Racing on Hold Until Feb. 13 at Earliest

The British Horseracing Authority decided Feb. 7 that racing will not resume in Great Britain until Feb. 13 at the earliest due to a recent outbreak of equine influenza. The ban includes fixtures programmed by the Point-to-Point Authority.

BHA said its veterinary team has been in contact Feb. 6 with more than 50 trainers and veterinarians to assess the risk of equine influenza spreading. While no further positive tests have been received, at least three more days are required before a decision can be made about whether it is safe to resume racing.

The disease can take up to three days before symptoms are visible, meaning it will be Sunday at the earliest before the BHA can gather all the information required. This approach will allow samples to be collected and assessed by the Animal Health Trust in order that a fully informed decision can be made Monday. This may then allow declarations to take place Tuesday in time for racing on Wednesday, with 24 hour declarations for all fixtures on this day, should racing resume. Declarations for Thursday would revert to the usual procedures.

"We are grateful to trainers and veterinarians for the rapid flow of information and feedback we have received today. Because of this, we have been able to make an informed decision earlier than we expected and before we have any test results back from horses from the affected yards that travelled to the three meetings," the BHA stated in a release.

"Trainers support a precautionary approach and we thank them for the collaborative manner in which they have worked with us to address this unfolding situation," the statement continued. "This precautionary approach is intended to ensure we put the health of the horse population and control of the virus first, and avoid any unnecessary risk that might come from returning to racing too quickly. We appreciate the impact that this may have on the sport commercially, but disease control in order to mitigate the risk of further disruption to the sport—and safeguard the health and welfare of our horses—must be a priority."

The BHA said it is working on a plan to reschedule key races that are lost during this period.

Also, as a precaution, all trainers who had runners at the fixtures at Wolverhampton, Ludlow, and Ayr this week have been informed that their yards have been placed under a temporary hold, which means they will not be able to make any declarations until their horses have been tested and cleared.

Anyone visiting a racing yard should exercise appropriate caution and check with a trainer before visiting, and trainers are advised to limit, where possible, the movement of people to and from their yard, and put in place appropriate biosecurity measures. There is a Code of Practice for dealing with infectious diseases on the website of the National Trainers Federation.

Code of Practice for Infectious Diseases

All British Thoroughbreds are vaccinated against equine influenza, however, cases have been seen in vaccinated horses. The disease may be serious in unvaccinated horses, although symptoms in vaccinated horses are usually mild and transient. Symptoms may include a raised temperature, a cough and nasal discharge. It is highly contagious. Humans are not at risk from the virus, though the virus can spread on clothes and equipment.

This is a wider horse health issue that is not confined to horse racing. Unlike Thoroughbreds in Britain, it is not compulsory for the wider horse population to be vaccinated against equine flu. While the BHA is not specifically responsible for non-racehorses, the organization is urging all horse owners to contact their vets if they have concerns.