Megan Navarro
DRIPPING SPRINGS — Following a recent outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1), Dripping Springs Ranch Park is closing its facility to horses until next year.
The Texas Animal Health Commission received confirmation that several horses contracted EHV-1 during an event that happened in Waco and, due to the close proximity of the area in Central Texas, DSRP will be closed to horses until Jan. 1, 2026.
“Just out of abundance of safety because of these cases and the aggressive strain and the way that this disease spreads, we just wanted to close our doors and make sure that our people were home, where they needed to be quarantining, and we were doing our due diligence to keep our riders safe throughout this next phase,” said Lily Sellers, DSRP manager.
The 120-acre park, located at 1042 Event Center Drive in Dripping Springs, has indoor, outdoor and homestead arenas, as well as multi-use trails that see horses come in year-round, but until the closure is lifted, horses will not be allowed on the property.
Equine herpesvirus (EHV) is a family of equine viruses named by numbers including EHV-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, with EHV-1,3,4 posing the most risk for domestic horses, according to the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC). EHV is a common DNA virus that occurs in horse populations worldwide and the two most common species are EHV-1 and EHV-4.
Specifically for EHV-1, clinical signs include fever, nasal discharge, lethargy or depression, neonatal death, late-term abortion and neurological disease, according to EDCC.
“It spreads through both direct contact and airborne. It can spread on contaminated surfaces, either direct contact of nose-to-nose with horses that are together or from respiratory droplets and contaminated surfaces — so, stalls, dirt, railings, stuff like that. It can spread on human clothes, on their shoes, from handling or being around infected horses,” Sellers explained.
Precautions that horse owners can take, Sellers said, include quarantining their barns, ensuring they are following good biosecurity and vaccination protocols and reporting any cases if they have any suspicion of an infection. Additionally, they should clean surfaces and be diligent about not taking contaminated items into clean pastures or stalls.
“We just are wishing everyone a healthy holiday season and we're excited to see all of our equine community back starting January 1,” Sellers said.
Learn more about EHV-1 at www.equinediseasecc.org/equine-herpesvirus. Stay up-to-date on DSRP news and announcements at www.drippingspringsranchpark.com.
