Early in 2022, 14-year-old Marian “Mare” Ehlers was excited to be competing at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California, with her equitation horse Pete. But after a successful start to the circuit, as the days went by, Ehlers had the sense that Pete wasn’t quite himself. They called a veterinarian, and almost before she knew what was happening, she and Pete were sent to a sparsely populated quarantine area under a tent on the far side of the property. 

Ehlers didn’t know what it meant at the time, but Pete was one of the first horses to test positive for equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) in what would prove to be an outbreak significant enough to suspend the Thermal winter circuit that year. By the time it was over, the outbreak affected horses in 10 counties, with 105 horses developing fever and respiratory signs, and 11 cases of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, the neurological form of EHV-1. Ultimately, thanks to intense nursing by Ehlers and her family, excellent veterinary care, and a little good luck, Pete survived EHV-1. But for a special horse named S’more, who was owned by Ehlers’ close friend Ella Love, the outcome was not as positive.

“S’more was the first one on the property to pass away, and it was so devastating,” Ehlers, 17, recalled. “To [Ella], this horse was like a pet. It was hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that she was never going to see him again. I was so sad for everyone.”

In the Thermal quarantine barn, Ehlers was soon immersed in a world of strict rules, “hazmat suits” and lots of showers. She recalls that the experience was stressful and scary, with many adults asking her questions she didn’t know how to answer.

“I had never even heard of EHV at that point,” Ehlers, who lives with her parents Kevin and Megan Ehlers in Bend, Oregon, said. “In that moment, I realized this should never happen to someone, but especially not a minor who doesn’t know how to cope with it. I just thought, this could never happen to another kid.”

So Mare turned her fear, worry and sadness into something helpful—the S’MORES code, a simple and fun mnemonic intended to help equestrians learn how to reduce the spread of infectious equine diseases like EHV-1. But even she couldn’t have anticipated how the code would take off. Earlier this year, Mare received a “Presidential Shout Out” from U.S. Equestrian Federation President Tom O’Mara in recognition of her efforts.

“I was so impressed by Mare and her S’MORES code,” O’Mara said. “The death of a horse in her barn was tragic, but she made something good of the tragedy. The creation of the biosecurity-focused S’MORES code is remarkable, but so too was her drive to reach out to myself, [USEF Senior Staff Veterinarian] Dr. Katie Flynn, and US Equestrian’s CEO Bill Moroney to explain her initiative so that we could coordinate an effort to help elevate the code through our marketing channels.

“Just last week I was at the Desert International Horse Park and was happy to see Mare’s S’MORES code posters hanging at every in-gate there,” he continued. “I look forward to watching her continued success as an ambassador in the equestrian community.”

For her part, Mare believes that keeping horses safe and healthy is a collective responsibility.

“Especially at big show barns, trainers and grooms are so busy, and there are so many horses,” Mare said. “I think it’s important as a rider to understand equine safety, viruses and health so you know the difference between normal and abnormal. It is important for owners and riders to be able to point things out when they are abnormal.”

The Creation Of The Code

Mare grew up with horses as a central theme in her life; she started competing in hunter classes at age 8, and she since has amassed an extensive resume in all three rings. The high school senior will be riding for the Division I NCEA team at Sacred Heart University (Connecticut) this fall. Although she intends to study business there, when Mare was younger, she enjoyed watching vets at work. As a 10-year-old, she even created a YouTube channel on which she broadcast educational videos about horse care.

“It was called Dr. Mar Mar,” Mare said with a laugh. “I would go to the barn and meet the vet, my mom would video the whole thing, and the vet would explain to me everything that was happening. Then I would go home, stand at my desk, and explain what I’d learned and how cool it was.”

But none of that had prepared Mare for the experience of managing her own horse through his fight against EHV-1. At the time, she wasn’t aware of what symptoms to look for, or what steps could be taken to help minimize the spread of the disease. The virus, which is spread from horse to horse via direct contact, contaminated equipment or respiratory secretions left on surfaces a horse may touch, typically causes upper respiratory disease, and abortions or stillbirths in pregnant mares. Horses that develop only these symptoms tend to recover from infection with no long-term negative effects. However, in some horses (like S’more), the virus causes neurological symptoms; if they survive EHM, these animals are often left with permanent impairment, and many times they are euthanized. 

Vaccination is highly effective in preventing the respiratory symptoms and abortion associated with EHV-1. Unfortunately, vaccination does not prevent the neurological form of infection, leaving the implementation of biosecurity best-practices as the only means of protection.

Enter the S’MORES code. The S stands for “sanitize,” M for “monitor temperature,” O for “observe symptoms,” R for “report sick horses,” E for “educate,” and S for “separate supplies.” Mare and her mother wrote the first version of the code down on a napkin while Pete was still in quarantine. It was simple, it was fun, and it was easy to memorize. 

“When Mare first reached out to me about S’more’s story and the developed S’MORES code, I was impressed with how well she incorporated the key critical biosecurity measures,” Flynn said. “Her S’MORES code aligns perfectly with the biosecurity top tips that USEF promotes, hence it was very clear that we needed to support her endeavors.”

Flynn added that she was impressed by Mare’s personal commitment to her cause.

“Her personal story, and the delivery of that story, leaves a lasting impression,” Flynn said. “I have spent most of my career focusing on equine biosecurity and have never found anyone as passionate as Mare. I believe Mare’s efforts to protect and promote equine health and biosecurity will continue to make a difference in our industry.”

The first show manager to proudly display Mare’s work was Steve Hankin, president and CEO of DIHP, who himself was on the front lines of the 2022 EHV-1 outbreak at the show grounds where Pete spent his quarantine.

“Steve was so supportive of me and of the S’MORES code,” Mare said. “When we were there and Pete was in quarantine, he was amazing with me and my family and helping us stay calm.”

Since then, digital signs in several formats have been shared with facilities across the country, each customized with the venue’s colors and logo. In addition to DIHP, S’MORES code signs have appeared at the Sonoma Horse Park (California), High Desert Classic (Oregon), the Hampton Classic (New York) and will soon appear at Team NW Equestrian Sports (Oregon), among others.

“We don’t make the physical signs, just the graphics,” Mare explained. “It’s up to the show grounds to decide what they want to do with it. I really hope we keep expanding, with signs across the country, and get them into all the big show parks.”

Spreading The Message

At the 2024 Hampton Classic, Mare debuted her newest S’MORES code project: a book titled “Fergus Learns S’MORES Code” a collaboration with popular illustrator Jean Abernethy. Fergus is a well-known cartoon character among the horsey set, and the book tells the story of a girl who learns S’MORES code to keep her horse happy and healthy.

“It’s not really a children’s book. It’s for everyone,” Mare said. “Jean so kindly let us use Fergus as the star, and it’s a fun story.”

Looking forward, in addition to continuing to share signage with venues large and small, Mare would like to see the code incorporated into curricula at schools and colleges. 

When Mare learned she had received one of the inaugural Presidential Shout-Outs in recognition of her efforts, she was shocked.

“It is such an honor,” Mare said. “I don’t have enough words to express my gratitude. USEF has been a huge support through this whole process, and many people there have pushed me to pursue the S’MORES code. They have their own biosecurity page on their website, but the S’MORES code is essentially a simpler version.”

Knowing all that she knows now about how a virus like EHV spreads, Mare believes she would be better able to handle the situation her 14-year-old self faced. But she also has a message for juniors if they notice something might seem “off” with their horse or pony.

“If for some reason something goes wrong, be calm and know the right people to ask for help,” Mare said. “If no one is there to help you, take the initiative to separate your own supplies, to start disinfecting. Even if you normally have people helping you, know that you could do that on your own.”