Horse Strangles: Welfare Implications and Control

Strangles, caused by Streptococcus equi, is a highly contagious equine respiratory disease causing significant suffering and welfare challenges in affected yards.

Key Facts

Strangles is one of the most common infectious diseases of horses worldwide.
It causes fever, nasal discharge, and painful abscess formation in lymph nodes of the head and neck.
Complications include bastard strangles, purpura haemorrhagica, and internal abscessation.
The disease spreads through direct contact and contaminated equipment, water troughs, and handlers.
Up to 10% of recovered horses become asymptomatic carriers shedding bacteria for months or years.

Welfare Considerations

Horses with strangles suffer significant pain from abscess formation and swallowing difficulty, along with systemic illness. Outbreak management requires strict isolation that can cause additional psychological stress from social separation. Pain management with NSAIDs, warm compresses to encourage abscess maturation, and nursing care are central to welfare. Prevention through biosecurity protocols, new horse quarantine, and vaccination is far preferable to managing outbreaks.

What You Can Do

Implement a 21-day quarantine for all new horses arriving at your property.
Vaccinate against strangles after consulting your equine vet about risk and protocol.
Never share tack, buckets, or equipment between isolated and healthy horses.
Test recovered horses for carrier status before returning them to the group.
Report suspected strangles promptly and cooperate with isolation recommendations.