05/05/2026
Strangles/influenza🐎🐎🐎
So today I turned up to do a transport job for a horse.
Before I even touched the horse, I noticed he had a snotty nose, cough and was lethargic.
I asked the owner if he could do the horses temperature which was 42 degrees.
I refused to transport the horse, as he was unwell to travel and strangles and Influenza is at its all time worst in the UK and is highly contagious.
So please if your horse shows any signs please let your transporter know.
We completely understand as it’s nobody’s fault.
If the horses had to go to an equine hospital 🏥, than that’s another story and it’s up to the transporter to ensure good bio security is used between every run of transporting.
The owner was very understanding and having experienced strangles ourselves, I reassured the owner and gave them some support.
Ways to help reduce infection if you attend shows or outings with your horse:
🐎 Check your horses temperature before attending an event.
🐎 Don’t touch other horses except your own
🐎 Don’t let your horses have any physical contact or say hello to other horses at shows/ fun rides on the moors.
🐎 Dont allow horses to share water buckets/ haynets/ except for the ones that are travelling with you that day.
🐎Difficult but try not to let your horses eat from the hedge rows or grass, particularly the moors/ commons
🐎 If you are riding on the moors/commons don’t leave your haynets hanging out side your trailer, put them away, as some little cheeky moor pony will love the chance of some hay. But if they have strangles or are carriers, it will be passed onto your horse.
🐎 Try to minimise shared loads from different yards too, to stop any transfer incase somebody’s horse has it and it’s laying dormant, which can be 3 days to 3 weeks during the incubation period.
There’s probably a few things I’ve missed. But I do hope this helps, whilst we go through this up rise in equine viruses 🦠
Let’s pull together during this time of such huge outbreak of equine viruses and disease and be nice to each other and show support. ♥️🐎
