Strangles is one of the most common and distressing infectious diseases in horses. Understanding welfare implications and control strategies improves outcomes for affected horses.
Strangles causes significant suffering in affected horses. The fever, difficulty swallowing, and pain from enlarging lymph node abscesses causes acute discomfort. Horses with large abscesses under the jaw cannot eat normally and may struggle to drink. As abscesses mature and rupture, horses experience the dramatic relief of drainage, but the process is distressing and can take weeks. Internal abscessation represents a serious welfare emergency with high mortality risk. The highly contagious nature means outbreaks affect multiple horses simultaneously, creating welfare challenges at herd level that require isolation and management resources.