Strangles.

Rogue

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Hi, I've recently bought a yearling which will be delivered to my livery yard on Friday but I've just received a call from the yard owner saying his yard has had a case of strangles. He's stated that the horse has been isolated etc but obviously he had to give me a heads up about it. my horse will have his own stable and own paddock but with him being a yearlong is it going to be safe enough for him to be brought up on the yard. I have seen that there is a vaccination for strangles so I will result in consulting my vet for information etc. Will he be fine to go to the yard still? Thank you.
 

Damnation

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Hi, I've recently bought a yearling which will be delivered to my livery yard on Friday but I've just received a call from the yard owner saying his yard has had a case of strangles. He's stated that the horse has been isolated etc but obviously he had to give me a heads up about it. my horse will have his own stable and own paddock but with him being a yearlong is it going to be safe enough for him to be brought up on the yard. I have seen that there is a vaccination for strangles so I will result in consulting my vet for information etc. Will he be fine to go to the yard still? Thank you.

If it was me I would not move the yearling until strangles was confirmed as clear. I couldn't live with myself if I brought it onto a new yard and other horses got infected.

Speak to your vet, I would also ask current yard where the yearling is now what their iscolation procedures are. On the yards I've known to get strangles, no horses were allowed to enter or leave (even for hacking) until everything swabbed clear, but of course this isn't manditory action.
 

SEL

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We had horses come to our yard a few months ago from an area where there was an outbreak and they were both tested before moving - so worth speaking to your vet about what that involves.
 

Amye

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I would get him tested before leaving. Really, the yard shouldn't be letting any horses leave or enter the yard before they have the all clear to avoid it spreading further.
 

Bessi

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Testing before he moves is useful BUT if he has been exposed to it within the last two weeks he won't have yet developed enough antibodies for it to show in a blood test.

We had an outbreak on our yard last year and as a result everything that comes to the yard is now put in quarantine for two weeks and then tested prior to having contact with any other horses. What you do depends on the attitude of your yard owner, i know many who would not have a horse coming from a place with confirmed strangles on the yard, and the yards ability to properly quarantine a horse. It is a total pain quarantining them particularly if you have others - I recently spent weeks having to do everything with my gelding before i could touch the foals because of this and was constantly changing clothes and washing everything they came in contact with but having been there when the yard was in lockdown last year it was a small price to pay!
 

ycbm

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Hi, I've recently bought a yearling which will be delivered to my livery yard on Friday but I've just received a call from the yard owner saying his yard has had a case of strangles. He's stated that the horse has been isolated etc but obviously he had to give me a heads up about it. my horse will have his own stable and own paddock but with him being a yearlong is it going to be safe enough for him to be brought up on the yard. I have seen that there is a vaccination for strangles so I will result in consulting my vet for information etc. Will he be fine to go to the yard still? Thank you.

Strangles aside, are you planning to keep a15 month pony cob on his own? This is not a good idea :( Nor is feeding him hard food just as the spring grass comes through, which you said in your first thread you were planning to do. I hope you can find experienced help with this young pony?
 

AmyMay

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I also wouldn't move him until the outbreak has run its course, and he's confirmed clear. I would also imagine your yard owner would refuse to accept him.

My old yard (of 40 horses) suffered an outbreak a few years ago. 75% of the horses became ill, some seriously, and the yard was on lockdown for months (no horses on or off). It was devastating, financially, economically, and personally.

You should also bear in mind that if you do bring the youngster on to the yard whilst the strangles is ongoing you are opening yourself up to claims being made against you and your insurers for recklessly endangering any equine that subsequently becomes sick. As well as any other financial situations that may arise from any subsequent outbreak.
 
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hairycob

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Relievers he is until the all clear. Blood test in these circumstances is of limited use. As stated previously it takes 2 weeks before it will show positive and you know there is a a high risk that be has been exposed very recently. I have been the one buying a new horse that went down with strangles and although everyone at the yard was great I felt awful.
 

Rogue

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My own doesn't have strangles. I mean the livery that is available in my area to have him delivered to on Friday said that they've had it.
 

popsdosh

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Strangles aside, are you planning to keep a15 month pony cob on his own? This is not a good idea :( Nor is feeding him hard food just as the spring grass comes through, which you said in your first thread you were planning to do. I hope you can find experienced help with this young pony?

I thought you had learnt from the other thread :)
 

Shay

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I would never bring a new horse onto a yard until the whole yard is cleared of strangles. It is good of the YO to tell you advance. Under the circumstances I'm sure they would hold your place until movement on and off yard is no longer restricted.

There is a vaccination against strangles but it only offers protection for 3 months. It doesn't stop them contracting strangles - only makes it less severe if they do. In all probability your insurance would refuse to cover any infection if you knowingly brought a horse onto a yard with strangles. This is expensive to treat, can really bring horses down and is on occasion fatal.

Why take the risk?
 
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