The 2024 Strangles Awareness Week (SAW) campaign has made a significant impact, reaching over 2.8 million equestrians and yard owners. The campaign also welcomed over 150 new Ambassadors committed to spreading the word about disease prevention.
Held annually during the first week of May, SAW is coordinated by a coalition of leading equine welfare organizations, research institutes, and companies. The campaign aims to educate about Strangles and biosecurity, sharing the latest research to help protect horses and businesses from the devastating effects of a Strangles outbreak.
This year, the campaign received high-profile support from event riders Lucinda Green and William Fox-Pitt, dressage rider Richard Davison, and equestrian influencer Riding with Rhi. These advocates starred in videos promoting crucial actions horse owners can take to ensure their horses receive the best protection from Strangles:
- Boost immunity by vaccinating against Strangles
- Educate yourself and others
- Separate new horses
- Temperature check routinely
Over 40 leading equestrian brands, including Champion, Toggi, Equilibrium, and Spillers, donated prizes for the SAW BEST prize draw to incentivise awareness. This initiative rewarded horse owners who could correctly identify the BEST actions. Elaine Macdonald, yard owner at Thornhill Stables in East Ayrshire and a Strangles Awareness Week Ambassador, won the grand prize worth over £6,000.
“I am over the moon to be receiving the prize but equally proud to be a SAW ambassador,” Macdonald said. “Even when designing our yard 15 years ago, we had the reduction of the spread of infectious disease in mind, with the construction of a separate quarantine facility. Prevention and biosecurity have been at the forefront of practices put in place on our yard.”
Horse owners are now urged to watch the ‘Never an Isolated Case’ animation, a key resource produced by Redwings Horse Sanctuary, The Horse Trust, and Surveillance of Equine Strangles (SES). This animation is a guide on how to prevent the spread of Strangles, illustrating how easily the disease can spread when horses move or mix. It presents research by the SES network that links Strangles outbreaks across different counties and countries. It emphasizes the various situations where horse owners must be vigilant to protect their animals.
Lydia Duce, Campaigns Manager for Redwings Horse Sanctuary and coordinator of SAW, highlighted the campaign’s success. “2.8 million is a huge number of equestrians who are now more aware of how to protect their horses from the threat of the infectious disease. As our animation shows, Strangles loves to ‘hitch a ride’ when horses move or mix, and I’d encourage all owners to watch and recognize themselves and the situations that could impact their horse. Because any horse can get Strangles and every person can make a difference.”
About Strangles
Strangles, or equine distemper, is a highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus equi. It primarily affects the upper respiratory tract of horses, causing symptoms such as fever, nasal discharge, swollen lymph nodes, and abscesses. In severe cases, it can lead to complications like ‘bastard strangles,’ where abscesses form in other parts of the body, or purpura hemorrhagica, an immune-mediated condition. The disease spreads through direct contact with infected horses or contaminated equipment, water, and feed. Remember, implementing rigorous biosecurity measures, quarantining new arrivals, and maintaining good hygiene practices are crucial in preventing the spread of Strangles, and each one of us has a role to play in this.
For more information and to sign up to become a free Strangles Awareness Week Ambassador, please visit Redwings Strangles Awareness Week.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.