07/10/2026
We’re sorry to let you know that we are dealing with a second ringworm outbreak.
Ringworm is a fungal skin infection that can be passed between humans and animals. It can be treated with topical antifungal medication. The NHS website has useful information, and if you’re concerned, please seek medical advice.
As we did last time, we’ve turned the horses out while we treat them and complete another full round of disinfection at Stepney. We are contacting everyone with bookings to cancel lessons. Some non-ridden activities and volunteering will still go ahead as planned. Max the mechanical horse is completely ringworm-free and very happy to be ridden! We’ll add more Max lessons to ECPro tomorrow. We hope to be able to re-start ridden lessons from Tuesday 20th October.
Whilst none of the horses’ lives are in danger, and for that we’re very grateful, this is a significant financial challenge for us, especially so soon after the last outbreak. We’ll be running a fundraising campaign in the coming days to ask for support from the community and help us ride out this second wave. This is also a timely reminder that disease prevention is something we can all play a part in, both at Stepney and elsewhere. Some diseases are easily transferred and can be much more serious for horses, so we’d like to remind riders and volunteers who move between different stables to use different clothing and equipment at each site where possible. If that isn’t financially viable, please disinfect boots and hats and wash clothing between sites. We’d also encourage everyone to use hand sanitiser when entering and leaving the stables. This helps reduce the risk of bringing disease in or taking it away unknowingly.
We’re grateful for your patience and support. We know this is frustrating and difficult, especially for children and young people who thrive with routine and find change challenging. Thank you for bearing with us while we look after the horses, keep everyone informed, and work towards getting lessons back up and running safely.
