The FLU Strikes

We had a fun morning at the Berean office and I was thankful I didn't know how bad the day was going to be back at the farm later.  IF interested in reading about our morning there click HERE.
We had a hard afternoon here today.  Lisa the new mare came down with the flu on Monday a week ago and this is a strain our horses have not been exposed to.  I thought I was being so careful of keeping her in quarantine except forgot about that very first night she stayed here. We put her in a stall then put her in a paddock away from all of our horses. That was the right thing to do but what I forgot was that we had her in a stall that first night.  A couple days later we used the stall for Oksana and 2 days later Oksana developed a runny nose and a cough. She was never off her feed and never had a fever but 2 days later Tory and Anna started coughing.  From there they exposed the foals as the pond pasture backs up to the foal paddock. Yesterday the foals all had a runny nose and today I heard some coughing. Dr. Hoerr came out for Lisa and to check the foals and gave me the bad news. There is NOTHING to be done except give them time. None of them have a fever, all have good appetites but ALL have been exposed.  He said once the symptoms are gone, the lining of the lungs still need to heal and that can take a month.  They need to be kept comfortable, given plenty of food and water and no stress.  The good news is once they are better, they can travel to their new homes and be well protected from the flu virus.  I have 4 foals that were suppose to leave for their homes next week and all of those owners were called.
Dr. Hoerr gave Lisa a check over, took a few sharp edges off her teeth and pulled her wolf teeth.

He feels she is a very nice 2 year old and should fit well with our herd once she is better.  Of course right now I'm regretting buying her and exposing our horses to this flu but as Dr. Hoerr said, it might just save the life of one of your foals, giving them time for their bodies to develop antibodies to something they may be exposed to at a different barn.
By the way, this is the first time ever we have had this happen and we have been in business for 16 years.
Dr. Hoerr did bring some good news with him. He collected Valiant on June 11th, this year for a mare at his clinic but by the time he got home that mare had already ovulated. Two days later he had a Saddlebred mare in season so asked if he could use the rest of the collection on her and then stuck the remaining semen in her. He finally got around to checking her and she is pregnant. That mare is due May 23rd, 2019.