The annual Swallows Day Parade in San Juan Capistrano will go on without horses this year, as are many events in the region, because of a contagious equine virus that’s been reported throughout California, including in Orange County.

In a letter to equestrian event organizers on Thursday, March 3, state veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones cautioned that equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, or EHM, had been found in “multiple horses in several counties in California,” and warned if not contained the disease caused by a contagious virus “can have significant consequences to the horse industry, infecting thousands of horses due to the extensive mixing of horses at statewide, national, and international horse events.”

Jones recommended hunter and jumper shows be postponed for 28 days, and all other events involving horses for at least two weeks. The disease can cause respiratory and neurological damage.

In Orange County, hundreds of horses have been exposed to the virus, and 18 had tested positive as of Thursday. Two horses that developed EHM after their exposure were euthanized “due to severity of clinical signs,” according to the state’s department of food and agriculture.

In San Juan Capistrano, a city known for its equestrian culture, stable owners “have asked that nobody come on and off their sites,” said Julie Ryan-Johnson, a veterinarian and board member with the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition.

“So all the local horse shows have been canceled.”

Jim Taylor, president of the Fiesta Association, which puts on the city’s annual Swallows Day Parade, said he’s determined to keep the event entertaining this year despite no horses to move the procession along. He decided to heed the state veterinarian’s warning and on Thursday “pulled the plug” on allowing the animals, after initially trying to adopt safety guidelines that included distancing the horses and prohibiting petting or communal troughs.

The virus that causes EHM can spread through horse-to-horse contact, or contact with contaminated objects such as water buckets, equipment or even people’s hands, according to the department of food and agriculture.

“The horse community is definitely being devastated and is in real fear for this virus,” Taylor said. “We have to be good equine citizens.”

This year’s parade, which will take place March 12, marks the first in its 62 years that cars will be featured in the procession. Typically the 1.6-mile route features 400 to 500 horses, pulling wagons or carrying people in cultural or historical garb.

The annual event, which recognizes the spring return of swallows to San Juan Capistrano, was canceled the last two years because of the pandemic. Then, this year, “we get the rug pulled out again,” Taylor said.

But he has new plans ready to go, promising “the crowd will not be disappointed.”

Instead of horses, classic cars and other novelty vehicles will wind through the procession. Horse drawn wagons will be pulled by tractors or ATVs. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will make an appearance, as well as a motor pool of Jurassic Park jeeps. And a flyover will be in order for the first time, since frightening the horses won’t be an issue.

“Since we had to, out of necessity, stop the horses from coming to the parade this year, we needed to make changes to keep the parade interesting,” Taylor said.

“It is not going to be your normal Swallows Day Parade, because you’re going to see a wagon being pulled by a tractor.”

The parade starts at 11 a.m. on March 12 on Ortega Highway near Spring Street.

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