Arrgh! it looks like a horse at our field could have strangles, very worried.

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A friend of ours rides another horse at our place at weekends. She told the owner last week that she wasn't going to ride him as his face seemed swollen and he wasn't himself, (biting when tacked up and very lethargic when ridden - she brought him back home straight away). The owner dismissed it as 'allergies' and then said it was a 'virus' as he had a temperature but I still saw her riding him out on Friday. Now he is coughing and has swelling around his neck, so they have finally called the vet but he isn't coming until tues pm. It doesn't look good does it?

I've just been reading up on it and horses under 5 years old are more susceptible. My Dhorse has only just turned 4 and there are two other 'babies' in the field. I suppose there is nothing we can do but wait until tuesday .

The huge field is divided up into individual paddocks and we all have our own bit with a shelter, but the horse the owner rode out with on Friday is in the one next to us and shares a trough which goes on both sides of the fence. So if there is something nasty going around we are probably too late to do anything about it.

Btw, I'm not sure why I've posted this as I've just realised the time! I'm going away tomorrow morning and won't be back til thursday so I won't see any replies until then (mum is having dhorse).

Just keep your fingers crossed for us!

If it was my horse I'd have asked for the vet sooner but it's out of my hands unfortunately. We have got a small paddock away from the others that we use for new arrivals. They spend a few weeks in there before they are allowed to join the other horses. There is another pony in there at the moment, I don't know why as he isn't new. There seems to have been a lot of 'field swapping' lately which is driving me mad but I'm trying to keep out of all the 'politics'.

Everything crossed it isn't strangles. Tell her to not move it and not ride it! Did she tell the vet it was suspected strangles? They are usually out very quickly for that.

If she fusses at all I'd point out that there's nothing like being the cause of enforced isolation on the entire yard (I presume everyone is being responsible and staying put until given the all clear), vet bills and poorly horses to make friends and influence people!

Eeek! When you say your mum has your horse you don't mean he's gone somewhere else, do you? You ought not to move anything whilst there is a suspected strangles case on your yard.

Strangles is horrid, but my husband has dealt with a lot of it this year at various 'top' yards and most of these are youngsters and are recovering well.

Tbh, the worst part of it is that it is so contagious/infectious. If you are worried, get your own vet out to swab your horse, and then you will have a better idea of things and your vet will be able to advise.

Good luck

Hi, I'm back
Thankfully the tests have come back clear so it's not strangles. No Nekabu, it's ok, my mum actually owns half my horse (the bit that kicks ) so he hasn't gone anywhere and mum has been along there sloshing disinfectant over everything possible. She also informed the yard owner what was going on as the owner of the sick horse hadn't seen fit to do so, despite the fact that a horse literally 10 mins away (if you go straight down the hill) has been confirmed as having strangles. Our 'landlord' also owns another yard a few miles away, a really big one with about 100 horses, floodlit schools, cross-country course etc and they were quarantined for an entire summer a couple of years back so we assume he would want to know!
We are now in the bad books with the horse owner for 'discussing her horse' so that's going to be fun (I happen to know she was kicked off her last place for bullying and stirring up trouble), I wish I'd stayed on my holiday! (which was wonderful by the way ).

Phew! That is great news! Glad you had a good holiday (whereabouts did you go?) and that you haven't come back to a quarantined yard, a poorly horse or a great big vet bill!

Someone ought to drop a word in the sick horse's owner's ear about just how popular people who spread strangles by not bothering to follow procedures are!

I know, but I'm not brave enough. She isn't talking to me as we had a row a couple of weeks ago about something I'm suppose to have done (which I didn't btw). She is a horrible woman, thinks she knows everything, criticises everyone else, but actually she knows b**r all and her horses are all grossly overweight. She has already lost several to laminitis but will not listen. I think the vet has lost the will to live now.

Anyway, had a lovely break in London with Dh. We had to go during the week as my brill mum volunteered to move in and look after the children as long as they would be at school during the day so she could still look after horses, dogs etc. I saw Whistlejacket at the National Gallery and we visited museums etc. All grown-up stuff! We went in Harrods but I could only afford a pot of saddle soap .

Sounds like a lovely break

I have run into so many people like that at various yards. There is one woman round here who has been chucked of nearly every yard in the area!

Very pleased that the yard is clear

Urgh, one of those ...

Glad to hear you had a lovely holiday - sounds dead good!