The Midwest Horse Fair Ppens Friday at the Alliance Energy Center in Madison During outbreak of the equine virus

MADISON, Wisconsin, Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) officials in Madison are warning of an outbreak of the equine virus in six Wisconsin counties, yet the Midwest Horse Fair is going on Friday at the Alliance Energy Center in Madison.

What You Need To Know

• Officials with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection are warning of an equine virus outbreak in six counties
• The six Wisconsin counties are: Clark, Columbia, Grant, Monroe, Sauk, and Vernon
• The virus known as equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM)
• It’s highly contagious among horses and can cause respiratory issues, neurological disease and even death
• Owners are taking precautions like plexiglass barriers over the stalls, panels to prevent horses from touching each other and signs warning people not to pet them

Lynn Beres and her team with the Wisconsin Walking Horse Association have been coming to the fair since its beginnings in 1979. Beres said she loves the interactions with both horses and people.

“I love meeting the people I love, and I love seeing all the extra horses that come,” she said. “Everybody has their favorite breed; everybody’s horse is the best.”

This year though, things look different, as concern over an outbreak of equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM). It’s highly contagious among horses and can cause respiratory issues, neurological disease and even death.

It was a source of concern for Ellie Jensen, one of the owners of Twin Artesian Stables in Suamico.

“People can transmit it in and not even know that they were,” she said.

Jensen and many others took precautions at the event, like plexiglass barriers over the stalls, panels to prevent horses from touching each other and signs warning people not to pet them.

“It is really important to me to take precautions,” Jensen said. “I wouldn’t have come unless my husband put up the plexiglass, so people don’t come in and touch him and then spread it to other horses or pet other horses and maybe spread it to him.”

While this might mean people can’t get up close and personal with the horses this year, Beres said she doesn’t think that will take away from the experience.

“They still can see the horses,” she said. “So, do you necessarily need to touch it? No, you can still see them do their demos, you can still see them around the grounds.”