Equine Quarantine at Ossian Ventures

As the largest CEM quarantine in the State of Florida and one of the largest stakeholders in FDACS I find it troubling that our current Commissioner of Agriculture has BLOCKED us from his page. That’s right. For fighting for what’s right in what we do. So when you see additional charges to your bill, please know it’s due to the FDACS not being able to process our needs and forces is to use out of State laboratories.

Thanks The Plaid Horse for such a great article. Dr Lewis is the best!

Whether returning home after a thrilling summer competing on the European circuits, traveling from a home base abroad, or importing a newly purchased equine, every horse entering the United States must follow specific guidelines based on the country of origin. Once the horse “clears customs” at the airport, satisfying United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) import requirements, there’s one more thing owners must consider before their horse reaches its final destination.

Mares and stallions remaining in the U.S. beyond the temporary stay period must undergo additional quarantine for Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM). This sexually transmitted bacterial infection can cause infertility in mares and is carried by stallions. While endemic in Europe, the disease is not currently in the U.S., so testing and quarantine for horses entering the country from areas with confirmed cases are essential to maintain that disease-free status.

Fortunately for horses traveling to Florida, Palm Beach Equine Clinic’s Jordan Lewis, DVM, works closely with Richard Faver at Ossian Ventures, one of the largest commercial CEM quarantine facilities in Florida, to oversee and conduct the rigorous testing process, which differs based on whether the animal is a mare or stallion.

“Mares are usually with us for about 15 days. They need three sets of negative cultures, 72 hours apart, and then five days of washing with chlorhexidine and applying silver sulfadiazine as a topical treatment, which we call ‘clean and pack,’ ” says Dr. Lewis, adding that they take samples from three areas of the mare and also pull a blood test, called a complement fixation (CF). The CF results and each set of cultures must be sent by mail to a lab for testing, and turnaround times are about a week for the cultures and a few days for the blood.

For stallions, the process takes about 35 days. Within the first few days, a culture is taken from the stallion and sent for testing.

“When the culture comes back negative, we have a set of mares called test mares that are cycled and ready to breed,” she said. “Those stallions live cover two test mares, which then start getting cultured on day three post-breeding. They go through the same process as the other mares: three sets of cultures, 72 hours apart. Twenty-one days after breeding, they do the CF test on those mares.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/04/02/the-last-leg-of-international-travel-cem-quarantine/
📸 Courtesy of Dr. Jordan Davis

We feed it to all our mares!

NEW: Purina® Chestnut Mare Supplement!

Through extensive research on ginger horse behavior, we’ve found this supplement helps alleviate symptoms such as:
· The mare stare
· Pinning ears at barn mates
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Available today only!

Pardon our dust!

We are taking the opportunity of our slow season to complete some capital improvements on the barn. None of the amenities will be affected, just portions of the barn shut off. We are still open and accepting horses.

HELP WANTED

Seeking to add 1 additional person to our team. Fulltime, year round. Not a traditional "groom" job and perfect for someone looking for a "change". Experience a must and OCD a plus.

Emil me for you or someone you may know would be interested. [email protected]

Amazing group of stallions!

What a lineup 🔥🤩

Several of our exceptional stallions are offered in limited quantities of frozen semen, available exclusively through Hilltop Farm, Inc.

Contact [email protected] or visit hilltopfarminc.com to learn more and view their profiles! 📲

Good luck with this amazing stallion!

A significant loss for 🇳🇱 Willem Greve and his team; a major addition for 🇺🇸 Lillie Keenan.
Highway*TN, winner of three five-star grand prix over the past three seasons, has crossed the Atlantic. After completing quarantine, the 14-year-old stallion is expected to make his competition debut with Keenan.
With the Dutch program focusing on other horses ahead of the FEI World Championships, his owners elected to lease Highway*TN through at least 2026, strengthening Keenan’s string.

Read the full story via the link in comments 👇

📸 Dirk Caremans / HippoFoto

The boys checking out the ducks!