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Editor's note: This story was updated following the city of Bastrop's decision to host open ride days daily.
Hooves are once again kicking up dirt at the Mayfest Park Rodeo Arena, as open ride days return following a nearly month-long closure.
The details
Open ride days, which are free and hosted through the Bastrop Parks and Recreation Department, will be held from "dawn to dusk" every day of the month, according to the city of Bastrop.
Some background
The city of Bastrop closed the Mayfest Park Rodeo Arena on Nov. 20 in an effort to help curb an equine herpesvirus-1 outbreak—which originated in early November at the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association World Finals and Elite Barrel Race in Waco—per recommendations from the Equine Disease Communication Center, or EDCC.
The EDCC listed several complications that equine herpesvirus-1 can lead to, including a disease called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, or EHM.
“Classic clinical signs of EHM include fever, swelling/stocking up of the limbs, hindlimb weakness and urine dribbling,” the EDCC said in a news release. “Some horses are more severely affected and display behavior changes, signs of cranial nerve dysfunction, seizures, and inability to stand.”
In Texas, there have been 30 reported EHM cases with neurologic signs since early November, according to the EDCC.
Although the disease can be fatal, approximately 60-70% of affected horses recover with treatment and supportive care, according to the EDCC.
The outlook
Bastrop residents can access the latest information about the Mayfest Park Rodeo Arena from the Parks and Recreation Department online.
