Horse Facts and Equestrian Sports

Horse Health – Strangles, A New Development

February 16th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

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One of the greatest threats to horse health is Strangles, which is epidemic in the Equine world and causes enormous distress to both horse and rider. Nothing is worse than seeing your horse in pain and distress from this dreadful disease. Research done by the Animal Health Trust has brought about a breakthrough with the development of a blood test to check if a horse has been exposed to Streptococcus Equi, the bacteria which causes Strangles, further developments in their DNA diagnostic test will hopefully reduce the diagnosis time from 72 hours to 24 which can be critical in treatment. You can find out more about these tests and the work of the AHT at www.strangles.org

For your information, the symptoms of Strangles are a pussy discharge from the nostrils and swelling of the lymph glands under the jaw. These swellings can develop into abcesses which can burst and become further infected. Horses suffering from Strangles can develop a fever, stop eating and become depressed.

Healthy Mare and Foal Strangles is very contagious and spreads rapidly, foals are especially vulnerable – it would be heartbreaking to think of this little chap being infected. All equipment must be thoroughly sterilized and affected horses should be kept isolated as they can spread the disease up to eight or nine months after recovery.

Most horses recover but they must be carefully nurtured and not do any heavy work or training for three or four months. Good horse health depends on your vigilance so do watch out for symptoms of this pernicious disease

Photo courtesy of Taliesin