Horses can be infected with the Zika and Dengue viruses, researchers who carried out a study in the South Pacific report. A significant proportion of horses in New Caledonia and French Polynesia tested in the research were found to have mounted an immune response against the viruses.

The immune response to the Zika virus was found in 4.3% of the horses tested in New Caledonia and 15.4% of those tested in French Polynesia. Blood from 163 horses in New Caledonia was tested. Seven of those had mounted an immune response to Zika, and 130 had been tested from French Polynesia, 20 of which had delivered a positive result.

Read more: Horses can be affected by Zika virus, study shows

by Janice Byer

For many people, talking about mental illness can be uncomfortable and a stress ensuing experience. A lot of people don’t want to admit if they have been dealing with something or they don’t know how to help someone in their life who has been having difficulty.

Unfortunately, our Equestrian community is no different. When a rider has a physical problem, it is often visible to the world. Broken legs, sprained shoulders are discussed as people share their experiences and how they deal with the injury. Even concussions, which aren’t visible, are talked about freely.

However, mental illness is invisible. For many, it’s a case of, If you can’t see it then how can anything be wrong? For others it’s, No one can see it so they won’t believe me if I talk about it. We need to remove these statements from everyone’s minds and open up the conversation about mental illness. In doing so, we will not only help those who are suffering in silence, but also to stop the stigma that mental health shouldn’t be talked about.

Read more: You Are Not Alone: Mental Health in Our Equestrian Community