Strangles in horses is one of the most common and most feared infectious diseases affecting the equine community, and understanding it properly is the best defence any yard has. It is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract, and while most horses recover fully, an outbreak can bring a yard to a standstill for weeks. Heavenly Pastures, a specialist provider of horse cremations across the north west, sees how deeply the equine community here cares for its horses, and good information about diseases like strangles is part of protecting them. This guide sets out the symptoms, how the infection spreads, and the practical steps a livery yard can take to manage the risk.
What Strangles Is and How It Spreads
Strangles is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi, and it affects horses, ponies and donkeys of any age, though younger and older animals often show the most severe signs. The name comes from the swollen lymph nodes around the throat and jaw, which in serious cases can make breathing difficult. The infection spreads through direct contact between horses and, just as importantly, indirectly through shared equipment, water troughs, fencing, clothing and hands. A single infected horse arriving on a yard can, without careful management, pass the bacteria to many others before anyone realises there is a problem.
One of the reasons strangles is so persistent is that some horses become symptomless carriers after they appear to recover, harbouring the bacteria in the guttural pouches and shedding it intermittently. This is why an outbreak that seems to have passed can flare up again months later, and why testing rather than assumption is central to bringing an outbreak to a true end.
Recognising the Symptoms
The early signs of strangles can be easy to miss. A horse may go quiet, lose its appetite and run a temperature before any of the more obvious signs appear. Owners who take a horse’s temperature regularly often catch the disease at this earliest stage, which is invaluable for limiting spread. As the infection develops, a thick nasal discharge appears, the lymph nodes beneath the jaw and around the throat swell, and abscesses may form and eventually burst. A horse may stand with its head lowered and extended, struggling to swallow. Prompt veterinary involvement is essential, both to care for the affected horse and to confirm the diagnosis through swabs or blood tests.
Managing an Outbreak on the Yard
The moment strangles is suspected, movement on and off the yard should stop. Isolating affected horses immediately, and keeping a close watch on those that have been in contact with them, gives a yard the best chance of containing the disease. A traffic light system is widely used, dividing horses into groups that have been in contact with the infection, those that have not, and those confirmed as clear, with strict separation between them. Dedicated equipment, clothing and washing facilities for each group, along with rigorous hand hygiene, are the practical backbone of control.
These principles are covered in more depth in the guidance on controlling infectious equine disease, which looks at how yards can track and manage outbreaks. Broader advice on equine disease prevention and biosecurity is also worth reading before any horse arrives or returns to a yard, since prevention is far easier than cure.
Preventing Strangles From Reaching a Yard
Biosecurity is the single most effective protection against strangles. New horses arriving on a yard should ideally be isolated for a period before joining the main group, and screening for the disease before arrival is increasingly common on well run yards. Sharing tack, buckets and grooming kit between horses should be avoided, and anyone moving between yards, including instructors, farriers and visitors, should be mindful of the risk they can unknowingly carry. In the closely connected equestrian communities of the north west, where horses regularly travel between yards, shows and clinics, this shared responsibility matters a great deal. Many yards now keep a simple record of horse movements and visitors, which makes it far easier to trace the source of any infection quickly and to warn others who may have been exposed.
Recovery and the Road Back to Normal
The great majority of horses that contract strangles recover completely with good nursing care, rest and veterinary support. Bringing an outbreak to a confirmed close, however, takes patience, because carrier horses must be identified and cleared through testing before a yard can safely return to normal. Rushing this stage is how repeat outbreaks begin. Blood testing to check for exposure, followed by guttural pouch examination where needed, is the recognised way to identify carrier horses and give a yard genuine confidence that the infection has truly gone. A calm, methodical approach, guided by a vet, protects not only the horses on one yard but the wider community they mix with.
Caring for the Equine Community
Serious complications from strangles are uncommon, but they do occur, and in the rare and distressing event that a horse cannot be saved, families in the north west can turn to compassionate, specialist aftercare provided to the standards set out in our standards. Far more often, though, sound knowledge and careful biosecurity mean a yard comes through an outbreak with every horse recovered. Anyone who would like to talk through equine aftercare, whether in the context of illness or simply to plan ahead, is welcome to call Heavenly Pastures on 01704 776976 for unhurried, knowledgeable guidance.