New horses are a potential source of disease—even if they appear healthy. To reduce the risk:

• arrange a pre-purchase vet check — This helps identify any existing health issues. Depending on the horse’s origin, additional disease screening may be recommended
• isolate new arrivals for at least 14 days — Keep them separate from resident horses and monitor them daily for signs of illness
• conduct a Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) — This helps prevent the introduction of worm strains that are resistant to treatment. Speak with your vet for guidance.

Infectious diseases can spread rapidly when horses mix, especially at competitions or events. To reduce the risk:

• Do not attend events with sick or exposed horses.
• Bring your own gear — Always use your own feed bins, water buckets, tack, and grooming tools.
• Avoid communal troughs or feeders — These are common sources of infection.
• Separate event horses from others at home — This is particularly important if some horses rarely leave your property.
• Keep movement records — Accurate logs help with rapid disease tracing if an outbreak occurs.
• Prevent nose-to-nose contact across fences — Use double fencing or buffer zones (trees or shrubs are ideal) between neighbouring properties.

Contaminated gear can carry diseases like strangles and spread ticks across properties. To minimise this risk:

• Clean horse gear regularly — This includes rugs, halters, brushes, and tack.
• Inspect for ticks — Especially when moving horses across regions. Follow local tick control regulations.

Humans can transmit diseases between horses if hygiene isn’t maintained. To protect your property:

• Wash hands thoroughly after handling horses.
• Use gloves and protective clothing where possible.
• Disinfect boots and clothing before and after visiting other horse properties.
• Ask all visitors to follow your biosecurity protocols.

Maintaining good hygiene is key to preventing disease:

• Check horses daily for signs of illness or injury.
• Control insects — Ensure proper drainage and manure disposal to reduce mosquitoes and flies.
• Disinfect stables, equipment, and transport vehicles regularly.
• Clean and disinfect foaling boxes and shared equipment — Especially if exposed to body fluids.

Pregnant mares require special care to avoid the spread of infections that can cause abortion, such as equine herpes virus. Some causes of abortion in horses can also cause illness in humans. You should:

• Separate pregnant mares from other horses, particularly new arrivals
• Ask a veterinarian to investigate any abortion or sick foal as soon as possible
• Always wear gloves and a disposable face mask when handling aborted foetuses, fetal membranes associated abortions or weak/sickly foals.

Vaccination is an important way to prevent infectious diseases. You should:

• Consider vaccinating your horse to help prevent tetanus, Hendra virus, strangles and equine herpesvirus. There are a number of other vaccines also used in some specific situations
• Consult your veterinarian for advice on an appropriate vaccination program for your horses.

Hendra virus is a rare but often fatal disease of horses that can be spread from horses to humans where it is often fatal. Hendra virus infection can be passed through the virus’s normal wildlife host, the flying fox (fruit bat).

To help manage the Hendra virus disease:

• Consider vaccinating your horses. Vaccination is the most effective way to help manage Hendra virus disease.

Avoid contact between horses and flying foxes by:

• Preventing access to areas surrounding fruiting and flowering trees
• Feeding and stabling horses overnight
• Covering water sources overnight to prevent flying fox access.

Hendra virus causes vague symptoms early in infection such as restlessness, depression and fever. The virus can be spread by infected horses for up to three days before they show any clinical signs of infection.

If you are uncertain, but suspect your horse may be infected with Hendra virus, it is very important to:

• Seek veterinary advice early. If your vet is unavailable, you can call a District Veterinarian with the Local Land Services or the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888
• Minimize contact with horses that are not vaccinated until the infected horse can be examined by a veterinarian
• Avoid physical contact with the horse unless using full, correctly fitted PPE.

Hendra virus is a notifiable disease and the vet will notify Local Lands Services or NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development if they suspect Hendra virus immediately. For more information, visit our Hendra virus webpage.

Equine influenza is an acute, highly contagious, viral disease that can cause rapidly-spreading outbreaks of respiratory disease in susceptible populations of horses. Equine influenza is endemic in Europe (except Iceland) and in North and South America. In these countries most outbreaks are minor and sporadic due to the high level of vaccination.

NSW is free of Equine influenza, thanks to horse owners, industry and the public whose assistance during the 2007- 08 outbreak allowed the department to achieve a monumental victory over this disease.

Equine influenza  is a notifiable disease and the vet will notify Local Lands Services or NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development immediately if they suspect this disease.

For more information, visit our Equine influenza webpage.

Every property on which a horse is kept (even on agistment or a temporary basis) must have a PIC. A PIC is a unique eight-character number assigned by Local Land Services to properties with livestock. This property registration system allows for the tracing of livestock to assist with disease, chemical residue and emergency management. Visit Local Land Services for more information.

Horses can carry cattle ticks which can have a serious impact on beef and dairy industries. There are cattle tick infested zones in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland. The movement of horses into NSW from cattle tick infested zones is subject to very strict controls, usually including treatment before entering NSW.

To prevent the spread of cattle tick, you should:

• Check your horses and equipment for ticks and clean your gear regularly
• Ensure you adhere to tick treatment requirements and other controls when moving your horses. For more information, visit our Cattle tick webpage.

Transported Stock Statements (TSS) are required for horses travelling within NSW by vehicle (including those travelling into NSW). This assists the tracing of horses in the event of a disease outbreak. TSS are available individually or in booklets from Local Land Services and need to be kept for two years following the movement. Some exemptions apply.

Contact Local Land Services for more information.

Horses can only be led or ridden on public roads during daylight.

Sick horses should only be transported under the advice of your veterinarian or Local Land Services.

There are minimum animal welfare requirements for the transportation and movement of horses in NSW. Visit our animal welfare page for more information.

If you’re transporting horses into NSW and bringing plant-based feed or fodder, you must comply with NSW import requirements for plant material.

These requirements vary depending on the state or territory of origin, and are in place to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

For full details, visit our Feed and Fodder Import Requirements page.

The safety of your animals is your responsibility. It is important to act early and be prepared to increase the survival chances of your horse during an emergency.

You need to:

• Ensure PIC details are up-to-date. This fundamental tracing element underpins all others and is a requirement for all horse properties in NSW
• Ensure your horse has the appropriate form of identification where required.  Some form of identification is mandatory for most horse industry groups with member registration, e.g. microchipping for thoroughbreds and those registered with Equestrian Australia, freeze branding for standardbreds. However, there is no requirement for individual identification of horses not affiliated with any particular group or society. (This makes the requirement for a PIC to record where these horses are located particularly relevant.)
• Ensure insurance records are up-to-date
• Ensure animals vaccinations are up-to-date
• Ensure you have an emergency action plan for all animals. If you have animals agisted on your property, or your animals are agisted elsewhere, develop and agree on a plan with animal owners or landowners
• Determine how you will maintain containment (eg. fencing) and the provision of food, water and shelter for your animals after a natural disaster.

Get in touch with Local Land Services for more information.