[Jerri1987]

Hey guys, my horse is 11 and has warts. The vet said they will go away over time so I'm not worried about the unsightly nature of them. I'm just trying to figure out how or when he even got them?? He isn't around younger horses that often at all and by younger I mean foals. I think the youngest he has met very quickly was 3 or 4.

They are spreading and the vet said being around other horses isn't going to be a problem. Does anyone know how their horses got the virus and maybe I can work backwards to figure it out. If we go anywhere we have always been with other horses from our agistment as I don't have a float and they are all wart free. It's very confusing. Thanks for any advice

 

[QtrBel]

That virus can be carried by biting insects. It can also be spread by sharing water/water buckets after a contaminated horse has been watered and feed buckets as horses rub their muzzles on the surface as they eat. Sharing bits and bridles. You can spread them by touching an infected horse then touching the mouth or muzzle of your own horse. Physical contact with an infected horse. When a young horse gets them it is because their immune systems haven't been exposed and the exposure results in warts. Not every horse exposed will get them. When an older horse gets them I'd suspect they are deficient in something that affects how effective their immune system is or some other cause for their immune system not to work as it should. There's also the very slight chance it was a strain he was never exposed to and he has no immunity for.

 

[Jerri1987]

That virus can be carried by biting insects. It can also be spread by sharing water/water buckets after a contaminated horse has been watered and feed buckets as horses rub their muzzles on the surface as they eat. Sharing bits and bridles. You can spread them by touching an infected horse then touching the mouth or muzzle of your own horse. Physical contact with an infected horse. When a young horse gets them it is because their immune systems haven't been exposed and the exposure results in warts. Not every horse exposed will get them. When an older horse gets them I'd suspect they are deficient in something that affects how effective their immune system is or some other cause for their immune system not to work as it should. There's also the very slight chance it was a strain he was never exposed to and he has no immunity for.

Thankyou, do you know a rough time from when catching the virus that the warts show up? No sharing of gear or buckets etc has occurred that I can remember apart from in my own paddock. But even then my 26 yr old has not shown signs. It's very frustrating, trying to figure out the cause.

 

[horselovinguy]

Incubation period is thought to be about 2 - 3 months from contact to "seeing"...
Takes about 9 months for them to resolve left to their body fighting them off unassisted.
There are things to do, from having the vet help you with procedure to adding vit/min supplements.

This is what the AAEP informs about these...

https://aaep.org/sites/default/files/issues/eve-19-8-Pilsworth.pdf

An article from a different source that may give you some things to do to speed along the resolution safely..

How serious are those warts on a horse's muzzle?

Just how serious are those small warts often seen on the muzzles of young horses? Dr Mac sets your mind at rest.

www.farmersweekly.co.za

Best of luck for a fast resolution to this.
🐴.....

 

[Jerri1987]

Incubation period is thought to be about 2 - 3 months from contact to "seeing"...
Takes about 9 months for them to resolve left to their body fighting them off unassisted.
There are things to do, from having the vet help you with procedure to adding vit/min supplements.

This is what the AAEP informs about these...

https://aaep.org/sites/default/files/issues/eve-19-8-Pilsworth.pdf

An article from a different source that may give you some things to do to speed along the resolution safely..

How serious are those warts on a horse's muzzle?

Just how serious are those small warts often seen on the muzzles of young horses? Dr Mac sets your mind at rest.

www.farmersweekly.co.za

Best of luck for a fast resolution to this.
🐴.....

Thanks. After looking at the article I beleive it may be grass warts. We went to endurance ride in may and stayed overnight. I started seeing the warts in July so I think that may have been the place of infection. Atleast the should go away by themselves. I do have some wart cream the vet recommended but it's hard to apply with its little paint brush and the smell being so strong he wants to get away from it. I appreciate all replies. Thankyou

 

[horselovinguy]

Thanks. After looking at the article I beleive it may be grass warts. We went to endurance ride in may and stayed overnight. I started seeing the warts in July so I think that may have been the place of infection.

This is one of the reasons my horses do not graze at "community" areas where you not know if a infected animal was...
No sharing of water buckets, not even a hose I carry my own and disconnect what is their, fill my buckets and remove mine reconnecting what was in place.

Many think I'm nuts and have said so for being how I am....
You are now proof that being fastidious about no grazing, no eating from the ground, no using communal water or hoses and no touching my horses is to protect my horses from things such as this...
In the future, hang a hay bag/net and lessen those chances of exposure..as long as the animal is eating they'll be content.
Its also why if you rent a stall at a show it is so important to disinfect, spray and wipe contact areas before the horse is housed in the stall...yes, transmission can be that easy to spread such as you've found out.
🐴... jmo...

 

[Jerri1987]

This is one of the reasons my horses do not graze at "community" areas where you not know if a infected animal was...
No sharing of water buckets, not even a hose I carry my own and disconnect what is their, fill my buckets and remove mine reconnecting what was in place.

Many think I'm nuts and have said so for being how I am....
You are now proof that being fastidious about no grazing, no eating from the ground, no using communal water or hoses and no touching my horses is to protect my horses from things such as this...
In the future, hang a hay bag/net and lessen those chances of exposure..as long as the animal is eating they'll be content.
Its also why if you rent a stall at a show it is so important to disinfect, spray and wipe contact areas before the horse is housed in the stall...yes, transmission can be that easy to spread such as you've found out.
🐴... jmo...

Yeah great information and there is nothing wrong with being fastidious. I may be the exact same after this. He ate hay from the ground as the setup for the overnight pen was just electric tape and it wouldn't hold a hay bag. Man I feel bad if he got it there