Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Equine Community for Ontario

Information

Equine Community for Ontario

Horse lovers are invited to join and share and connect with the equine community in Ontario

Location: Ontario
Members: 12
Latest Activity: Dec 6, 2012

Discussion Forum

This group does not have any discussions yet.

Comment Wall

Comment

You need to be a member of Equine Community for Ontario to add comments!

Comment by Jennifer Garner on July 15, 2011 at 2:40am
I'm looking for 1977 - 1979 alumni of the Humber College Equine program.  Anyone out there?
Comment by Mackenna Roth on July 8, 2011 at 8:56am

Hi Cindy,

I would love to see some pictures of your horses!
My family farm is based on the Equine industry, we have horse shows, hunter paces and other horse related events and clinics. We also offer boarding and lessons. Where abouts are you located??
Mac

Comment by Cindy Filmore on July 6, 2011 at 1:33pm
Lovely, Mackenna! Very nice horse. Once I figure things out a little more, I will attempt to post our horses.
Do you ride for pleasure, or is part of your farm business?
We have 4 horses for our own riding, and offer "byoh" camping to others. Lots of local trails here!
Comment by Mackenna Roth on May 10, 2011 at 7:12am
My cute horse and I warming up in the arena
Comment by AgOntario on April 26, 2011 at 1:07am

Strangles Outbreak Northern Ontario

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs has recently been made aware of a number of premises in the Greater  Sudbury area and Manitoulin Island affected by Strangles.   Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial disease of horses characterized by abscesses in the lymphoid tissue of the upper respiratory tract. The causative organism, Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, is highly host-adapted and generally produces clinical disease only in horses, donkeys, and mules.

Strangles is an endemic disease in horses and circulates relatively commonly in the horse population.   A significant number of affected premises in a relatively confined geographical area is a good reminder to horse owners and veterinarians to  practise appropriate biosecurity procedures for horses and equipment coming on and off the farm AND infection control within the barn. 

Transmission occurs via fomites and direct contact with infectious exudates. Sharing of halters and brushes that may contact the fluid from draining abscesses can spread the disease. The source of Strangles on any of these premises could have been the entry of a new horse, contact with a carrier somewhere off the farm (e.g. at a show) or on the clothing, hands or equipment of a visitor (such as a feed supplier, farrier or veterinarian who had recent contact with an infected horse).   Survival of the organism in the environment is dependent on temperature and humidity.   Under ideal environmental circumstances, the organism can survive 7-9 weeks outside the host. Paddocks and barn facilities used by infected horses should be regarded as contaminated for about 2 months after resolution of an outbreak.

Carrier animals are important for maintenance of the bacteria between epizootics and initiation of outbreaks on premises previously free of disease. Horse owners need to be aware that clinically recovered animals should have three negative nasopharyngeal swabs to be determined “Strangles-free”. 

Recommendations regarding vaccination can be found in the disease factsheets from the sources listed below.  These sources also contain excellent information on basic biosecurity practices and infection control.

Strangles is a good opportunity to remind your clients that the best disease control is disease prevention.

RESOURCES
OMAFRA
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/03-037.htm
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/prot_str...
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/prev-dis...
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/news/jul02.htm

EQUINE GUELPH
http://www.equidblog.com
http://www.equineguelph.ca/education/equiplanner_guidelines_strangl...
http://www.equineguelph.ca/pdf/facts/vacc_guidelines_print_FINAL.pdf

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF EQUINE PRACTITIONERS
http://www.aaep.org/strangles.htm

The Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario
http://www.hbpa.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Strangles_Protocol...

Comment by OntAG Admin on February 20, 2011 at 11:33am
Comment by OntAG Admin on January 30, 2011 at 5:39am

Here is a video from SPARK on the Equine Industry in Ontario.

 

 

Members (11)

 
 
 

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Ag in the House: Dec. 1 – 5

A Liberal minister reminded the House the carbon tax doesn’t apply to farmer

Ontario Animal Health Network (OAHN) Swine Network Quarterly Industry Report

Starting in 2015, Senecavirus A (SVA) has caused intermittent complications with respect to the export of Canadian cull animals to the United States. This disease resembles reportable swine vesicular diseases. This is a national issue and since June 2025 has impacted Ontario cull sow movements. In July 2025, the APHIS and the USDA removed the export eligibility status for a cull sow assembly in Ontario due to SVA lesions being seen in cull sows sent to a USDA processing facility. These lesions initiated foreign animal disease investigations at this US processing plant. The suspect animal(s) were initially quarantined for individual inspection and further testing. Since the initial site, another 2 Ontario cull sow assembly sites have also had their export eligibility status revoked by APHIS and the USDA for similar reasons. The affected assembly sites accept cull sows from Quebec, the Maritimes and Ontario. Each affected assembly site must action the USDA requirements including emptyin

New restrictions placed on hunting, farming 'incredibly destructive' wild boars in Alberta

Wild boars have been declared "a pest in all circumstances" by the Alberta government effective Dec. 1, meaning new restrictions have been placed on keeping them in captivity and hunting them in the wild. It is now illegal to keep, buy, sell, obtain or transport wild boars in Alberta without a permit. That also means no new wild boar farms will be permitted in the province. The hunting and trapping of wild boars in Alberta is banned as well, with the exception of land owners or occupants killing the animals on their own land. Any person who kills a wild boar is now required to report the date, location and number of boars killed to the province as soon as possible. Hannah McKenzie, the province's wild boar specialist, says the changes were made due to the dangers posed by existing wild boar populations and the risks associated with more escaping from captivity. "In addition to damaging agriculture and the environment, wild boar pose a serious risk for the introduction and spread of

CUSMA Review Raises Concerns Over Potential U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Pork

As the first formal review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) approaches in July, pork producers across North America are bracing for potential impacts—especially the possibility of new U.S. tariffs on Canadian agriculture. Florian Possberg, Partner at Polar Pork Farms, says the U.S. political landscape is shaping expectations. He notes that U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed for a baseline 15% tariff on foreign goods in recent global trade discussions. If that approach carries into the CUSMA renegotiation, it could disrupt one of the pork sector’s most critical trade corridors. Free Trade Has Been Essential for Pork Movement Possberg emphasizes that under CUSMA, both live hogs and processed pork products have flowed freely across borders without tariffs. This freedom is especially important given the highly integrated nature of North America’s pork supply chain. The best-case scenario, he adds, is that tariff-free access continues unchanged. The wor

FCC report highlights productivity as key to Canada’s agricultural future

Canadian farmers could see significant income gains and new opportunities if agricultural productivity growth returns to historic highs. The Farm Credit Canada (FCC) report titled Reigniting agricultural productivity in Canada, estimates that boosting productivity growth to two per cent annually could unlock $30 billion in additional farm income, generate $31 billion in GDP, and create nearly 23,000 jobs across the country. Canada has long been a standout among global food producers. Over the past half-century, the agriculture industry has achieved significant productivity growth through better farm management, improved input efficiency and technological innovation. The report warns, however, that productivity growth has slowed in recent years, threatening the industry’s competitiveness and Canada’s ability to meet growing national and global food demand. “Canada’s agricultural productivity growth has consistently outpaced other G7 countries for more than three decades, showing the s

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service