At the end of last year, many of us found ourselves tracking an equine disease outbreak in real time—refreshing our phones a little more often than usual.
When reports of an EHV-1 outbreak began circulating, questions followed quickly. I received text messages
from fellow barn members, and screenshots from friends getting ready to compete at major events.
Social media posts were spreading like wildfire. In a matter of hours, it felt like everyone had heard something—but not everyone was sure which details checked out or what was actually happening.
In a world full of social media, it’s easy to alert a lot of people at once when there’s an outbreak. That part is powerful. But it also comes with a lot of noise, and not all of it is accurate. People panic. They hear something from a friend of a friend, share it online, and before long, it turns into a game of telephone.
Moments like that reinforce two things: biosecurity matters, and so does access to verified information.
That’s why, when an equine disease outbreak occurs, we share confirmed disease reports through EDCC Health Watch sourcing directly from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC), an independent nonprofit dedicated to open-access infectious disease reporting.
The Responsibility of Sharing
But there’s another piece of the puzzle that’s just as important: how we handle all information.
It’s easy to react, repost, or forward something with a quick “Have you seen this?” But in moments like that, pushing pause can be one of the most responsible things we do as horse owners.
One of the features in this issue picks up exactly that thread. In “Fact, Fiction, or Somewhere in Between” Dr. Barb Crabbe walks us through seven practical steps for evaluating horse health claims and separating science-backed information from stall-side speculation. It’s not about doubting everything you hear. It’s about slowing down long enough to make sure it’s true.
And the same principle extends well beyond outbreaks. The same discipline applies when the latest health trend or supplement promises quick results.
When It Gets Personal
That lesson became deeply personal for me after my own mare went through multiple colic surgeries and a colon resection.
In those first days after bringing her home, I paid attention to everything—what she ate, how she acted, what her temperature was morning and night. At the same time, my phone was full of well-meaning advice: supplements to add, feeds to try, recovery shortcuts that had worked for someone else.
I knew it was coming from a good place. Everyone was trying to help. But instead of doing anything drastic, I went to my vet, and we built a plan. When I came across a product claiming to help horses with chronic colic, I took the time to research it and decide whether it was truly the right fit for my mare.
Choosing Credible Sources
Whether it’s an equine disease outbreak affecting the industry or a health crisis affecting one horse, the principle is the same.
Responsible ownership isn’t just about the protocols we follow. It’s about asking good questions, slowing down when emotions run high, and making decisions based on credible information instead of reacting in the moment.