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Borrelia is a disease that can be difficult to identify. Often, it may be unclear what is ailing a horse, but there can be a sense that something is wrong. There are many different symptoms of borrelia in horses, which can resemble symptoms of other disorders.
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A trip to the forest can be a lovely break from daily training in the riding hall or on the riding track, but unfortunately, you might risk bringing back unwanted guests – and diseases – after a good trip in the woods. Spring and summer are not only the season for riding tours in the open. It is also the season for ticks and potentially borrelia.
Despite their small size, ticks can cause significant harm to horses as well as humans. Ticks thrive particularly well in slightly moist environments where it's mild and shady – like a forest, but scrublands, swamps, and their own areas also provide good living conditions for ticks. They often live in tall grass, feeding off the blood of other animals – including, unfortunately, humans and horses.
Once a tick carries the borrelia bacteria, it can easily pass it onto animals as well as humans. It sucks blood from its host animal and can potentially transmit the disease from there. In this context, it is important to emphasize that a tick bite itself is rarely a problem, as there's no guarantee the tick carries borrelia. Many tick bites may be required before it can affect a horse in any other way, provided the tick does not carry borrelia.
Did you know? The typical high season for ticks is April to October, but of course, it depends on the temperatures and general weather conditions in Denmark.
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Symptoms of borrelia can be difficult to decode. Often, they can be symptoms that may also suggest other things, and therefore, it is not easy to determine if your horse has been exposed to borrelia in connection with a tick bite. Moreover, the tick bite itself rarely hurts.
Symptoms of a tick bite often begin with redness and swelling where the tick has attached itself, and this can spread to other places on the horse. This will occur in the days and weeks after a bite.
• Reduced appetite and possibly weight loss
• A mild lameness, which shifts from leg to leg
• Fever and general lethargy
• Unwillingness to move
• High sensitivity
• Stiffness in the muscles - particularly during riding
• Poorer balance and possible neurological disturbances
• Borrelia can also develop into eye inflammation
Borrelia, also referred to as borreliosis, is an infection carried by ticks - though not all ticks are carriers of the infection. The infection is caused by the bacteria borrelia burgdorferi. It's a highly severe and chronic inflammatory disease that can affect multiple organs of a horse and its overall well-being. Borrelia travels through the horse's bloodstream, causing local inflammatory reactions throughout the body. Therefore, it can be difficult for a vet to determine if your horse has contracted borrelia. It's the tick that carries the infection, which can then be passed on to the horse. Infection with borrelia typically occurs if a tick has been on your horse for about a day.
It's important to clarify that ticks and mites are not the same. Mites are harmless, plant-eating insects, whereas a tick is a small black or red-brown arthropod. It is related to both mites and spiders and belongs to the arachnids. While a mite resembles a beetle and has six legs, a tick has eight legs.
A tick lives between two and three years, developing from a larva the size of a tenth of a millimeter to about three millimeters as an adult. It may seem inconceivable that such a small creature can cause significant harm to a large animal like a horse, but this tiny arachnid must be taken very seriously - in both horses and humans.
A tick cannot jump or fly, instead, it crawls from one animal - or person - to another. After they have fed on blood, they will fall to the ground where they either lay eggs or find a new place to suck blood.
You will most likely not feel it when a tick attaches itself. This is because the tick's saliva contains an anaesthetic, which means the bite does not hurt. It may itch slightly, so it's not always noticeable immediately. However, if an infected tick is allowed to remain on humans or animals, its bite can develop into borrelia.
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As a horse owner, you know that there can be many reasons for your horse changing behaviour or becoming lame, which are some of the well-known symptoms of borrelia. Therefore, it can be difficult to assess what causes the behavioural changes.
A blood test can show if your horse has been exposed to borrelia, but it won't be able to confirm an active infection. Hence, the method of exclusion can also be a help in determining if it's borrelia or another disease.
You know your horse best, so you should always take it seriously if your horse suddenly changes behaviour. If the change occurs during the tick season, it would be wise to check your horse for ticks.
Unfortunately, there isn't a vaccine or magic remedy that can keep ticks away and thereby prevent tick bites. The best advice is, therefore, to regularly inspect your horse for ticks when these are in season - and remove ticks as quickly as possible if you find one on your horse. Ticks will typically seek out warm, dark, and humid places on your horse. That means you can often find them in the ears, under the jaw, under the mane, or between the legs. These are all places where the horse's skin is relatively thin, making it easier for the tick to attach itself.
Because a tick is relatively small, the best advice is to feel your way through as it can be hard to spot with the naked eye. Feel for small bumps or irregularities in your horse's fur, as these can indicate a tick that hasn't yet engorged itself on blood.
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To avoid ticks, it would be prudent to consider where your horse spends its time. You can avoid riding in wooded areas and the like in spring and autumn, which are peak seasons for ticks. Additionally, you can purchase various insect repellents which can at least help keep the ticks at bay. These should ideally be sprayed or applied to the areas that are particularly vulnerable – such as the belly and legs which are in close contact with tall grass and the like. Reapply the insect repellent regularly to ensure it works optimally.
Also, consider where your horse's paddock is located. Damp meadow areas with many trees and shrubs are ideal conditions for ticks. Therefore, try to fence off damp areas and remove larger plants from the paddock. If possible, try to keep animals like deer away from the paddock, as they can carry ticks.
If you are unfortunate enough to find a tick on your horse, you should ideally use a tick remover as this ensures the tick is removed correctly. You should never just pull a tick out of horses or humans. When a tick attaches itself, it burrows its mouthparts through the skin, and therefore the tick should be twisted out. If you are completely sure that the tick has been properly removed, you can put some antibacterial ointment on the bite and keep an eye on the area in the following period.
Did you know? You should never try to rub out a tick with oil, vaseline, or margarine. This can cause the tick to empty its stomach contents, increasing the risk of transmitting borrelia and other tick-borne diseases. You should also never attempt to freeze or burn off a tick, as it will have the same effect.
If your horse has been bitten by a tick, you should remove it as quickly as possible and thereafter monitor for inflammation-like conditions around the bite area. It can take several weeks before this inflammation fully subsides. If your horse has contracted borrelia from the tick bite, the treatment will consist of a course of antibiotics, and the horse should be closely monitored by a vet.
If your horse receives the right treatment in time, it can recover well from borrelia infection, although there is always a risk that the clinical symptoms may return despite good response to treatment. Therefore, you should always consult with your vet if you suspect your horse has borrelia – the vet can provide guidance during and after the treatment.
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