Texas A&M Veterinarians Help Elite Barrel Horse Overcome EHV-1

For four years, professional barrel racer Halyn Lide and her quarter horse Keeper have competed together, relying on trust, teamwork, and communication to navigate the fast-paced rodeo sport.

In November 2025, Keeper’s challenges moved beyond the arena when he contracted equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), a dangerous and highly contagious virus, during a major outbreak that affected approximately 60 horses at a competition.

As a result, Keeper developed a fever that progressed into neurologic symptoms, and when his condition worsened, Lide turned to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) Large Animal Teaching Hospital (LATH), where he received intensive care in the hospital’s specialized isolation facility.

Thanks to early recognition, advanced supportive care, and a dedicated team of veterinary specialists, Keeper returned home and continued his recovery.

A Horse Worth Keeping

Lide’s journey with Keeper began while she was in college, when she decided to breed her mare with the stallion Dash Ta Heaven, a well-known barrel racing bloodline.

“Keeper was confident, willing to do everything you asked, and picked everything up really easy,” Lide said. “My husband knew right away that he was different. He said, ‘This one’s a keeper.’”

Keeper’s disposition led Lide to begin competing with him when he was 5 years old and eventually led to the pair rodeoing professionally.

“Rodeoing was never actually a dream that I had,” Lide said. “I like running the barrels, and I like horses. And he was just so good that we decided to give it all a go.”

Together, they rose to the top of the sport, qualifying twice for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), the championship event where the season’s top competitors compete for world titles.

The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time

As part of their competition schedule, Lide and Keeper competed at the 2025 Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Finals in Waco, Texas.

“I live 20 minutes from the arena, so I just hauled the horses in and out,” Lide said. “After we got home, I found out through social media that we were supposed to start all of a sudden checking horses for illness and taking temperatures.”

When Lide checked all the horses’ temperatures, Keeper was the one with a fever.

“We separated him, and at that point he was showing no other signs,” Lide said. “Everything seemed fine, but we went ahead and started treating him, just in case, and trying to keep ahead of it.”

Because Lide’s husband is a veterinarian, they were able to begin treatment immediately. But by the next morning, Keeper’s condition had worsened.

“His right eye almost looked like it was rolling back,” Lide said. “I went and put a halter on him and walked him around and immediately knew he wasn’t quite right.”

Recognizing Keeper needed specialized care, Lide made plans to take him to the LATH.

“My husband already had a feeling that things were going the wrong direction, so he immediately called Texas A&M because we wanted to find a place that would have a sling to keep him on his feet if that’s what we needed,” Lide said.

Racing Against Time

When Keeper arrived at the LATH, the veterinary team quickly diagnosed him with equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM), the less common, neurologic form of the EHV-1 infection, which is characterized by incoordination, weakness, and difficulty standing.

Because neurologic cases of EHV-1 can vary widely in severity, early recognition and specialized care are critical to improving a horse’s chances of recovery.

“Keeper presented classic signs of EHM, including incoordination and decreased tail tone, although he was able to stand and walk without significant assistance,” said Dr. Jared Janke, a clinical associate professor of large animal internal medicine at the VMBS.

Given the seriousness of Keeper’s diagnosis, he was immediately admitted to the hospital’s isolation facility, where the team could begin intensive care in a controlled environment.

“EHV-1 is highly contagious, so biosecurity is our top priority,” Janke said. “Any horse suspected of having EHV is immediately isolated in our specialized isolation facility.”

Keeper had already begun antiviral treatment before arriving at the LATH, and his veterinary team continued those therapies while providing intensive supportive care and monitoring his neurologic status throughout his hospitalization.

“Supportive care is the cornerstone of treatment for horses with EHM,” Janke said. “Keeper’s prognosis was improved because his owners recognized the warning signs early, initiated treatment, and sought specialized care before his condition progressed.”

Fortunately, Keeper never progressed to the most severe stage of the disease. 

“Keeper’s recovery from EHV-1 depended not only on the care team and his owners but also on his ability to tolerate prolonged supportive care, confinement, and the demands of isolation,” Janke said. “Keeper adapted well to these challenges, allowing him to receive the intensive nursing and medical care needed to support his recovery.”

His recovery also was made possible by the dedication of everyone involved in his care.

“Keeper’s success is a culmination of the work of a huge team, including owners who were completely committed to giving Keeper the best care possible,” Janke said. “The internal medicine faculty, residents, technicians, senior veterinary students, and stall attendants all played an important role in Keeper’s care. All of these individuals directly contributed to Keeper’s success.”

After 12 days in isolation, Keeper completed his state-mandated quarantine and returned home to continue his recovery, no longer considered a risk for spreading EHV-1 to other horses.

A Different Kind of Competition

While Keeper was receiving treatment at the LATH, Lide faced the difficult reality of continuing her season without the horse who had carried her through some of her biggest moments.

“We brought him in, and it was terrifying and devastating,” Lide said. “Dr. Janke let me know how serious his condition was and that I wouldn’t be able to visit him because he was in isolation, which I didn’t realize at the time.”

The timing made the situation even more difficult. Keeper became ill just before Lide was scheduled to compete at the National Finals Rodeo; although he had helped qualify her for the championship event, she now faced entering the arena without him.

“At that point, I was like, ‘I’m just not even going to go,’” Lide said. “But I came to the realization that I needed to see it through.”

With Keeper still fighting to recover at Texas A&M, Lide traveled to Las Vegas and competed on another horse.

“My perspective on performing was different than usual,” Lide said. “I didn’t have any expectations; I was more focused on Keeper.”

The uncertainty of Keeper’s recovery stayed with her throughout the competition.

“At points, I wondered whether I was going to have the opportunity to be on him again and even have him again,” Lide said. “And then at other moments when things looked like it was all going good, I was just grateful.”

Finding His Stride Again

Because the NFR spans 14 days, Keeper was able to complete his treatment and return home while Lide was still competing in Las Vegas.

“My parents were close by, so they came and checked on him every day,” Lide said. “And the girl who feeds horses for me, of course, kept a close eye on him and sent us constant updates.”

To help rebuild his strength and mobility, Keeper spent nearly two months at Conquer Equine in Lampasas, Texas, where he underwent rehabilitation designed to help him regain coordination and movement.

“They treated him like they would a horse with more complicated neurologic conditions and built him up that way,” Lide said. “They put him on the walker a whole bunch, so he just did a walk and then got him into water therapy and the treadmill.”

After about two months of rehabilitation, Keeper returned home, where Lide slowly began riding him again and guiding his return to the arena. Today, thanks to the dedication of his team of veterinary specialists and his owners, Keeper is back in training for barrel racing and continuing to regain strength and confidence with each ride.