Equine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease affecting horses worldwide. Outbreaks cause significant animal suffering and disrupt equine industries, while the welfare of affected horses depends on appropriate treatment and rest protocols.
Equine influenza causes acute respiratory suffering: the combination of fever, profound fatigue, nasal discharge, and painful dry cough makes affected horses genuinely miserable. The welfare cost extends beyond the acute illness: premature return to work - driven by economic pressure in racing and competitive equestrian contexts - causes secondary complications including permanent cardiac damage. The cultural pressure to 'tough out' illness affects horses as it does human athletes. Vaccination refusal in some sectors increases outbreak risk and the scale of collective suffering during epidemic events. The 2007 Australian outbreak demonstrated how rapidly influenza can spread and how significant the welfare burden of a large-scale outbreak can be.