An equine veterinarian says a recent New Brunswick health advisory about a virus impacting horses underscores the need for publicly funded services for large animals.
The province’s chief veterinary officer issued a health advisory Sunday warning of a potential exposure to the Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 at a horse show in Sussex, N.B., last month.
Jordan Koivu, owner of Maritime Equine Veterinary Services, says some horse show operators have cancelled their events, and the virus appears to have been contained.
She says the situation shows horse owners need quick access to veterinary care.
Koivu says the New Brunswick government’s decision to privatize field veterinary services for large animals beginning March 31, 2027, will lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment.
The province’s Liberal government has said public tax dollars shouldn’t be used to subsidize hobby farms, non-commercial livestock and equine facilities.
Koivu, who practices in two Maritime provinces, says some New Brunswick veterinarians have already left for jobs in other jurisdictions, leaving rural horse owners worried about what comes next.
“If the horse is sick and they need to have a veterinarian see it, it might take three or four days to get a veterinarian out to see the horse,” she said by phone Tuesday.
“And, by then, it could have already got eight other horses sick.”
