With a spate of recent cases of equine grass sickness (EGS), horse owners are being encouraged to read up on the often fatal disease and its signs, as well as consider signing up for risk alerts in their area.In addition, those who have been affected by EGS are urged to anonymously report their case(s) as well as consider donating samples to help advance understanding and protect future horses.There is currently no cure for grass sickness, with only 20% of horses contracting it in Britain surviving. In December 2024, Your Horse reported that researchers believed they had identified the cause to be a neurotoxin produced by pasture microbe.An anti snake venom drug was then set to be trialled on a small group of horses last year in an attempt to find a cure.The Moredun Foundation Equine Grass Sickness Fund (EGSF) is working to shed more light on the complex disease by advancing research and improving treatment.This year, the team have witnessed cases cropping up in areas they wouldnt normally expect, as well as more fatalities among the horses who contract the disease.New warning systemDr Beth Wells, EGS project lead at the Moredun Research Institute, which works in partnership with the EGSFto fund, manage, and conduct scientific research into the disease, told Your Horse about the new alert system, which warns owners when conditions could make cases more likely.Certain patterns in weather, and in particular patterns of temperature fluctuations and breaks in drought, followed by sufficient rainfall, may lead to a higher incidence of EGS cases. The alert system allows owners to sign up to receive weekly or monthly alerts via WhatsApp, which will identify their risk of weather more highly associated with an EGS case. Messages contain a risk prediction for their selected geographical area, providing a better insight into the potential risk for the horses in their care.How you can help: Reporting cases and donating samples Dr Wells said it was incredibly useful to anonymously report cases of EGS to help her team learn as much as possible about the disease, as well considering donating samples, which are taken during diagnosis. The Moredun Foundation and EGSF, with support from the British Horse Society, have a nationwide biobank to gather these samples, which includes blood, urine, faeces and saliva. The biobank supplies kits to vets who are aware of the resource, and owners are encouraged to speak to their vets to discuss this.When cases are sadly fatal, owners can help improve chances for future horses by donating tissue samples. Vets can apply for the biobank to cover the cost of taking these samples, so it costs nothing to the owner of vet, and data will be used anonymously for EGS research purposes only.Which horses are affected?Dr Wells stressed that all types of horses can get the disease, and it is not isolated to natives.The breed profile will mostly be natives and cobs, but thats because thats what we mostly have out at grass, she explained. We see it across all breeds.For owners its devastating because it happens so quickly and there is some sort of stigma surrounding the disease, but its not the owners fault and we need to get rid of that stigma.Its happening so randomly and every horse owner should have a working knowledge of the signs at least, so they can alert the vet.The more we speak about it, the more we raise awareness and the more we understand the disease. The recently updated EGSF website offers a vast resource of information for those who want to find out more about EGS, including the signs of the disease and management practices which may reduce risk, as well as advice for managing chronic grass sickness.Lead image by EGSFRelated contentEquine grass sickness: this is what you need to know about this deadly diseaseSignificant breakthrough as probable cause of equine grass sickness discoveredHow three horses survived equine grass sicknessAn introduction to a horses digestive systemThe post Take action now, warns expert, after spate of devastating equine grass sickness cases appeared first on Your Horse.