11 June 2024

Over 2.8 million people reached by Strangles Awareness Week campaign

Rider William Fox-Pitt holds up Strangles Awareness Week sign

The 2024 Strangles Awareness Week (SAW) campaign, coordinated by Redwings, reached over 2.8 million equestrians and yard owners. Plus, over 150 new ambassadors joined the campaign to help spread the word about the prevention of the disease.

SAW, held annually during the first week of May, is coordinated by a team of eminent equine welfare organisations, research institutes and companies. The campaign produces content to share information about Strangles and biosecurity, as well as the latest research, to help protect horses and business from the misery of a Strangles outbreak.

The 2024 campaign was supported by event riders Lucinda Green and William Fox-Pitt (pictured above), dressage rider Richard Davison and equestrian influencer Riding with Rhi, who starred in videos promoting actions horse owners could take to give their horses the BEST protection from Strangles:

Boost immunity by vaccinating against Strangles
Educate yourself and others
Separate new horses
Temperature check routinely

Equestrian influencer Riding with Rhi cuddles a chestnut horse in a stable holding a Strangles Awareness Week sign.

Equestrian influencer Riding with Rhi supports Strangles Awareness Week.

View this year's celebrity supporters of SAW

Lucky winner of £6,000 prize bundle

Over 40 leading equestrian brands, including Champion, Toggi, Equilibrium and SPILLERS, donated prizes for the SAW BEST prize draw - for horse owners who could correctly identify the BEST actions. The fantastic prize, worth over £6,000, was won by Elaine Macdonald, yard owner at Thornhill Stables in East Ayrshire, who is also an Ambassador for Strangles Awareness Week.

Elaine said: "I am over the moon to be receiving the prize but equally proud to be a SAW Ambassador. Even when designing our yard 15 years ago we had 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."

Never an isolated case

Horse owners are now urged to watch the 'Never an isolated case' animation produced by Redwings, The Horse Trust and Surveillance of Equine Strangles (SES), which highlights how easily Strangles can spread when horses move or mix. Presenting research by the SES network, which has shown links between Strangles outbreaks not only in different counties, but different countries, the animation shows the many situations in which horse owners can be vigilant and protect their horses.

Lydia Duce, Redwings Campaigns Manager, said: "2.8 million is a huge number of equestrians who are now more aware of how to protect their horses from the threat of infectious disease. As our animation shows, Strangles loves to 'hitch a ride' when horses move or mix, and I'd encourage all horse owners to watch and recognise themselves and the situations which could impact their horse. Because every horse can get Strangles and every person can make a difference."

Watch the animation here: