would y ou buy a foal that had strangles

J

joginthepark

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Friend is looking into buying a 4 month old but he had strangles.
Would you buy?

Although he seems well/healthy now, he could be a carrier?

Any thoughts?

He would be kept at her own yard and Id hate him infect hers with it. He is a nice foal....
 
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You can get them tested with a special swab thing. I had to get my mare tested before she went on a yard and she was negative but if she had had it the next thing was three swabs I think.
 
If the breeder is happy to test for it then i see no reason not to. As for the age, yes 4 months is young, but if the breeder is happy to sell at that age there isnt much anyone can do about it, shes going to sell it to someone whether it be jogintheparks friend or someone else.
 
Loads of yards have had strangles, if his bloods come back clear he is fine. In fact you're probably better off with him than any other horse because you know he's okay.
 
I dont see why it would be any different to buying any other horse, apart from this seller has told the possible buyer that the foal has had strangles. Many sellers wouldnt.
Also alot of horses you buy could have possibly had strangles in the past alot more than people probaly realise.
I would take them up on the offer of bloods and isolate on arrival, something that should be done with anynew horse/pony.
 
Kokopelli said:
Loads of yards have had strangles, if his bloods come back clear he is fine. In fact you're probably better off with him than any other horse because you know he's okay.
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This ^ I'd have no problem at all.

There is SO much scaremongering about strangles, mostly from those who have 'heard a yard of a friend of a friend has had it'.
Those who HAVE been involved in treating strangles and in prevention barriers too, realise the correct risks and management.

And am glad you confirmed foal is to stay till he is almost 6 months :)
 
If the foal is now clear or is clear when he is sold then yes i would buy him. My old mare had strangles as a 3 month old foal and she hasn't past it on to any other horse in her lifetime and she is now 21 years old. Hope you friend has a great horse if she buys the foal.
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
Do we avoid you & ensure others did too if you had 'had' a contagious problem in the past? ;)
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I would if it was typhoid and I could be a carrier.

I also thought swabs weren't 100% and they need to endoscope.

My main issue would be the long term effect that a major infection would have on such a young growing foal.

Paula
 
A girl on my yard bought a 2 year old that had a snotty nose. Got vet out when she got youngster to her yard and discovered he had strangles and had had it for a very long time. Vet suspected about 18 months :( A 5k vet bill later and he is as healthy as any other horse and has been clear for well over 12 months
 
blood tests are a wastr of money!! to ensure hes nit a carrier he should have had a guttaral pouch wash. thats the only way youll guarentee hes not a carrier
 
theres nothing wrong with buying a horse who had it...however to ensure he is not a carrier he needs a guttural pouch wash. i know this as both mine had it, before i could move them yards i had this done. therefore theyre no risk to other horses.
 
He needs as others have said a gutteral pouch wash , I have no idea if this can be done to a young foal but a vet will and that's who I would be going to for advice.
As long as the foal was healthy and again I would veterinary input on this it would not satisfied with it looking healthy I would not worry
I would have thought that exposure to the virus might well be a good thing immune systems need challenges to develop .
 
If he tests clear then I would.

What I would not do however, is buy one too young to leave his mother, 4 months old is very very young, most large studs don't wean till 5 months at least and some even later :confused:
 
To the people saying no, what do you think should happen to a horse if it contracts strangles? Should they somehow all have to be kept at the same place, with the same owners all their lives? Should they be destroyed? :confused:

OP, if by Oct the foal is thriving, and tests clear, then yes I would buy.
 
Amaranta said:
If he tests clear then I would.

What I would not do however, is buy one too young to leave his mother, 4 months old is very very young, most large studs don't wean till 5 months at least and some even later :confused:
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OP said he isn't leaving his mum yet, it is possible to sell a foal even at a day or a week old, I did with one of mine (she wasn't advertised but bought when seen at stud), didn't mean that was when she left her mum though.

OP if i was the foal's breeder I would want him to stay for a while after weaning as he has been through an awful lot for such a small mite and weaning can set them back a bit, not always, but sometimes.

If he is definitely leaving when weaned, I would ask the breeder to do the blood test and have the results back before I committed to buy. I would also speak to his vet to see what his views are. I really feel for the little boy though, not a nice thing for him to go through.
 
rhino said:
To the people saying no, what do you think should happen to a horse if it contracts strangles? Should they somehow all have to be kept at the same place, with the same owners all their lives? Should they be destroyed? :confused:

OP, if by Oct the foal is thriving, and tests clear, then yes I would buy.
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This.
 
HBM1 said:
OP said he isn't leaving his mum yet, it is possible to sell a foal even at a day or a week old, I did with one of mine (she wasn't advertised but bought when seen at stud), didn't mean that was when she left her mum though.

OP if i was the foal's breeder I would want him to stay for a while after weaning as he has been through an awful lot for such a small mite and weaning can set them back a bit, not always, but sometimes.

If he is definitely leaving when weaned, I would ask the breeder to do the blood test and have the results back before I committed to buy. I would also speak to his vet to see what his views are. I really feel for the little boy though, not a nice thing for him to go through.
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Ahhh that'll teach me to read the posts properly :rolleyes:

OP no reason not to buy, agree that I would ask if he can stay for a little longer after weaning though.
 
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