26 April 2023

Hayley's story

Year of outbreak: 2016
Location: Fife
Horses infected: 5

Strangles isn't just a little virus that comes and goes, it can be life threatening to your horse. I'm fortunate to still have my horse who contracted strangles.

It was passed through what I believed a shared water trough between two fields. Horses in the next field came and went within a short period of time and sadly one must of brought it into the yard.

My horse was a unique case where she had an abscess in her gutteral pouch which contained the strangles, similar looking to a grape. She only showed slight symptoms for a few days - raised temperature by 0.5 degrees and a little under the weather. Other than that, she was strong and healthy. One nostril always tested negative and the other positive.

We scoped her every 4- 6 weeks, attempted different ways to target this abscess as it inflated and deflated each time, but after 6 months she was referred to the Dick Vet school. Attending a quarantined isolated area on three occasions, for laser surgery directly to the abscess.

On the third laser surgery, I had lost all hope and began to prepare myself. It was recommended she received only 3 lasers. I specifically asked for a sample to be taken one the last laser and to my disbelief, it tested negative. Even the vets were surprised! As we needed a double clear a second scope at a later date again came back negative.

A new horse on the yard is strangles tested before arriving. I can't recommend that enough. I can't stress the nightmare this was for us, and the cost my insurance had to pay out.

I'm thankful to my vets for their ongoing support at the time, the yard where my horse is stabled, my insurer and the Dick Vet school.

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