Strangles

Strangles is a disease which all horse owners dread and it can kill.
If you suspect your horse may have strangles, you should contact your vet immediately and isolate your horse.
More information can be read on the Animal Health Trust’s dedicated strangles website: http://www.strangles.org/
Click here to see what STEPS should be taken in the event of a strangles outbreak: http://www.aht.org.uk/strangles.org/pdf/steps.pdf.
Here is a personal experience of the disease by Herefordshire horse owner Hannah Tolley:
“STRANGLES – a personal experience of this gharsly disease:
Last year, our pony showed the common symptoms of strangles: thick snotty discharge from the nose (like custard), he was a depressed, unwell looking pony and had an abscess under his jaw. Our vet confirmed the case, so we had to disinfect everything! We had to buy an expensive disinfectant as advised by our vet, have foot dips, change of clothes once you had been near to him to do hay/water feed etc. We only handled him when necessary so risk of spread could be kept minimal.

Fortunately our other horses were kept 5 miles away from him and no other horses were kept close by. He was kept isolated for the entire time – nearly 4
months before he finally had the all clear. It has been a struggle as it was so expensive with the blood tests, swabs and disinfectant, plus all the extra time
to change and wash all clothing and disinfect everything. It was heartbreaking to see such a fun loving competition pony be confined to such a tiny patch with no company, no riding nor any proper attention for four months, but we knew he had to be there because strangles is so infectious and we didn’t want it spreading. We are all so happy that he is now finally clear.

I walked him up to his new field this morning which he now shares with another horse. He was so glad to have space to canter and have a play with his new friend, but most of all,I think he enjoyed the grass!!”