Strangles Awareness Week 2021

Learn all about Strangles and how it affects ponies all over the UK with the 2021 Strangles Awareness week

Ever heard of the disease, strangles? Well, it’s highly contagious among ponies, which means yards and areas can have outbreaks if one of the ponies there gets it. If caught early, it can usually be treated but, if it’s left too long, it can result in abscesses forming around a pony’s head and neck and make them feel very poorly.

Talking about strangles is quite taboo for the horse world, as many equestrian businesses don’t want to risk their reputation if they have an outbreak at their yard. However, Strangles Awareness week is designed to provide a platform to encourage people to share their experiences of the disease and teach people more about it. If owners, yard managers and vets know where and why there’s an outbreak, it can be contained better and keep other ponies from catching it further.

Dave Rendle, BEVA Junior Vice President and Chair of the BEVA Health and Medicines Committee, said: “Strangles should be easy to control. With a little more understanding of the disease, we could make massive strides to protect our horses and prevent the disease spreading. Every owner should spare an hour or two to tune into Strangles Awareness Week.”

As well as giving lots of info on Strangles, free resources are on offer to support those who may be tackling outbreaks right now. This year’s event will also include a series of podcasts with knowledgeable equestrians sharing their experiences of Strangles and encouraging others to take up constructive conversations about the disease’s prevention and management.

Andie McPherson, Redwings’ Campaign Manager, said: “When people hear of a Strangles outbreak in their area, we want the first reaction to be one of support, not judgement. Strangles can happen to any horse yet sadly there is still so much stigma attached to it which stops people speaking out and allows the disease to continue to spread.”

For more info about what to expect during this year’s Strangles campaign, visit: redwings.org.uk