There is a thread regarding humans getting diseases from horses. What about the other way around? Could it be possible that horses could become sick because of human diseases? I have a big hunch that it won't happen because when we are sick, we usually stay inside the house. But then again, is there a possibility?

Since I live alone, I need to care for my horses whether I'm sick or not. I had an off day recently and the same thought came to me. I had visions of putting on a mask to take care of the animals. Luckily, I shook off whatever bug it might have been but it would be good to know if this could be passed to our animals.

I think we can suffer from the same types of things but its a little different animal wise. I think its a good idea about the mask too, help as best you can until you know for sure.

As I said in the other thread, you cannot always tell that you are sick in the lead up to the illness. But you can be contagious, for a few hours or even days before the symptoms show, so yes, you could potentially be contagious around your horse.

I think there is a big possibility of our horses getting sick if we take care of them while we are sick. So what are those illnesses that could infect our horses if we have one?

That mask suggestion was really effective not just for our horses but also for us. When we are sick, we are very vulnerable to more diseases and we can be infected by the diseases that our horses have that we don't know of.

Salmonella bacteria are a big problem for horses and people, and the same bug can infect both of them. A mask won't help though, salmonella is transmitted out the other end!

A mask would help in that with a mask on, you cannot get your fingers in your mouth or near your nose. So it would help to reduce the risk of transmission if only by acting as a physical barrier to the habits that could allow transmission.