HOW DO HORSES GET TO THE OLYMPICS?

While the coronavirus pandemic has made things increasingly difficult for world-class athletes to travel, spare a thought for all the horses that cross continents for the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events.

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Just like in previous years, all horses competing in this year’s tournament are expected to complete seven days of pre-export quarantine. During this time, they’re tested (through a swab and blood sample) for certain diseases, including equine influenza. Although there’s no evidence that horses can carry and transmit COVID-19, the animals can spread equine coronavirus (known as ECoV), a highly contagious horse-to-horse virus first identified in the early 200