Arqana has moved to allay concerns ahead of its Breeding Stock Sale following a reported outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) in two sport horses near Paris.
A statement released by the sales company on Tuesday read, “With just a few days to go before the Vente d'Elevage, Arqana has sent all vendors a specific equine health protocol to follow as a result of a call for vigilance by the RESPE (equine infectious disease surveillance) after two cases of EHV-1 were reported in mid-November in sport horses located in the Paris region.
“To date, the crisis unit in place has not reported any significant change in the number of positive cases. Furthermore, no cases have been recorded among racehorses or bloodstock. However, Arqana has decided to be proactive and, in conjunction with France Galop, has put in place measures to ensure the health of the lots offered for sale. All horses will have been tested before arriving at the Deauville establishment and regular temperature readings will be taken (before and during the sale) to prevent any potential cases. The veterinary resources deployed by Arqana have been reinforced to ensure the best possible monitoring of the health of the horses at the Deauville sales.”
The Arqana Breeding Stock Sale begins its four-day run on Saturday, December 7.
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