Equine Grass Sickness outbreak confirmed in Galloway

Scotland’s first case of grass sickness was recorded in 1907 in Dundee, before radiating to further locations in central and eastern areas.

Despite almost 100 years of research and investigations, the cause is relatively unknown, but recent studies have found a direct link with weather patterns.

The Equine Grass Sickness Fund, external is the only dedicated UK charity specifically researching the causes of the disease.

Dr Beth Wells, an animal science consultant with the Moredun Research Institute, is part of a team looking at identifying periods of high-risk weather.

”It’s very interesting because in unusual weather conditions like we’ve been having, we do see it much further west, not just in Scotland but in England and Wales,” she said.

”A prolonged period of dry weather with a fluctuation in temperatures, followed by a break of drought with reasonably heavy rain, is what we would consider high-risk weather.”

The fund has now created a weather alert system, where horse owners can sign up to the service and be notified of potentially dangerous upcoming weather patterns.