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RAYTOWN, Mo. — State agriculture officials have issued a quarantine order for the Raytown Equestrian Park.
A horse stabled at the facility in the 9400 block of Raytown Road was found to have a potentially fatal disease, officials said.
A 7-year-old quarter horse tested positive for equine piroplasmosis. The infected horse was admitted to a Kansas animal hospital earlier this month.
On June 6, the Raytown facility where the horse was stabled was quarantined. On June 9, other horses there were examined. One day later, the original horse was confirmed to have the disease.
Equine piroplasmosis is an infectious tick-borne disease that can cause fever, weight loss and even death in horses. It spreads mainly through ticks, but can also be spread if a trainer uses a dirty needle. It is of no danger to humans, officials said.
The Raytown facility holds more than 60 horses. All are being tested. Missouri state agriculture officials will visit Tuesday to investigate.
In the meantime, no horses may come or go from this facility.
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2 Sick Horses Stolen From Raytown

FBI Investigating Case Of Missing Horses

POSTED: 5:56 pm CDT June 18, 2009

UPDATED: 7:33 pm CDT June 19, 2009

RAYTOWN, Mo. – The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating who stole two horses with a rare disease. Five other horses with a disease called piroplasmosis were euthanized at the Raytown Equestrian Park before the thefts. One woman who keeps horses at the Raytown stable said it is a really sad day for the horse community. “There are no words to describe that people who have horses know they are members of your family, not just horses, so this is devastating,” she said. Investigators said someone broke in, cut the locks and stole two of the horses that tested positive for the disease to save them from being put down. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was shocked by the horse theft. “The owners would not have done it. They would not have risked it,” she said. But she said there are a lot of animal lovers who would do it to save two animals if they could. The Missouri Department of Agriculture is working with local authorities and the FBI to locate the missing horses. The disease does not affect humans, officials said. But they are concerned because it can affect the horse industry. The disease, which can make horses very weak, has no cure. The woman who stables her horses at the park said she worries that the two stolen horses are now putting others in jeopordy. She said she doesn’t want the disease to be spread further. The disease can be passed through needles and ticks, officials said. Anyone with information about the horses’ whereabouts are asked to call police.

December 10, 2008
I can’t think of a better time to share a heartwarming, amazing story than during this Season of Love.

I read a posting earlier about a woman, her dog, and the dog’s reaction to a beloved horse whose mane and shoe was hanging on a wall. The horse had died, and the mane hair and shoe were lasting tributes to a very beloved partner.  The dog hadn’t known the horse, but I was moved with her story of how the dog reacted to the hair/shoe with a unique, almost uncanny kind of reverence.

This story was moving to me, and struck a chord in my heart, prompting me to share my own experience.   I am not a superstitious person, nor am I the sort who will necessarily believe a lot of sensationalistic stories, but what I am about to say, I swear, is unembellished and changed me forever.

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