Understanding Horse Strangles: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

What Is Strangles in horses?

Horse strangles is a highly contagious bacterial infection affecting the upper respiratory tract of horses. Caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, this disease leads to abscess formation in lymph nodes, primarily around the head and neck. The name "strangles" derives from the swelling of lymph nodes, which can compress the airway, leading to breathing difficulties.

Symptoms of Horse Strangles

Recognizing the signs of strangles is crucial for early intervention. Common symptoms include:

• Fever: Often the first sign, with temperatures rising above 101.5°F (38.6°C).
• Nasal Discharge: Thick, yellow mucus from the nostrils.
• Swollen Lymph Nodes: Particularly around the jaw and throatlatch, which may abscess and rupture.
• Difficulty Swallowing: Due to throat inflammation.
• Coughing: Resulting from respiratory tract irritation.
• Loss of Appetite: Associated with discomfort and fever.
• Depression: General lethargy and lack of interest in surroundings.

In severe cases, abscesses can form in other parts of the body, a condition known as "bastard strangles," which can be life-threatening.

How Do Horses Contract Strangles?

Strangles spreads through direct contact with infected horses or indirectly via contaminated equipment, water sources, or handlers. The bacteria are present in nasal discharge and pus from abscesses. Horses can become carriers, harboring the bacteria in their guttural pouches without showing symptoms, and can spread the disease to others.

➡ Must Watch: Discover how strict Biosecurity measures can prevent the spread of Strangles at horse shows and why even one overlooked contact could trigger a serious outbreak.

Diagnosis of Strangles

Veterinarians diagnose strangles through:

• Clinical Signs: Observing symptoms consistent with the disease.
• Laboratory Tests: Culturing bacteria from nasal swabs or abscess samples.
• PCR Testing: Detects bacterial DNA, offering rapid results.
• Endoscopy: Examines guttural pouches to identify carriers.

Treatment Options for Strangles

Treatment depends on the severity:

• Supportive Care: Most horses recover with rest, hydration, and anti-inflammatory medications.
• Antibiotics: Used cautiously, as early antibiotic use may impede natural immunity development. Reserved for severe cases or complications.
• Abscess Management: Warm compresses to encourage drainage, followed by cleaning and flushing with antiseptic solutions.

Isolation of infected horses is essential to prevent the spread.

Vaccination Against Strangles

Vaccination can reduce the risk and severity of strangles:

• Intramuscular Vaccines: Inactivated vaccines administered via injection.
• Intranasal Vaccines: Live attenuated vaccines sprayed into the nostrils, stimulating local immunity.

Vaccination is recommended for horses at high risk, such as those frequently traveling or in contact with new horses. Consult your veterinarian for the appropriate vaccination protocol.

Preventing Horse Strangles: Managing Infection Risk at Home and in Competition

Strangles is one of the most contagious horse diseases, and while the strangles vaccine for horses is an essential line of defense, it’s only part of a comprehensive prevention strategy. Understanding how the disease spreads, identifying high-risk situations, and implementing biosecurity protocols before, during, and after competitions are critical to keeping your horse—and your barn—safe.

Infection Pathways: How Horse Strangles Spreads

Horse strangles spreads primarily through direct contact with nasal discharge or pus from an infected horse. But indirect contact is equally dangerous. The bacteria (Streptococcus equi) can survive on surfaces like grooming tools, feed tubs, halters, and even human clothing or hands. It thrives in damp conditions and can persist in water buckets, trailers, shared stalls, or paddocks for days or weeks if not properly disinfected.

Additionally, recovered horses can remain asymptomatic carriers, harboring the bacteria in their guttural pouches and shedding it without any visible signs. This makes prevention especially tricky in shared environments like boarding stables, clinics, or show grounds—where close contact is common and exposure risk is high.

Biosecurity and Competition: Travel Doesn’t Have to Mean Exposure

Attending a show, clinic, or training event naturally increases your horse’s exposure risk. But with a proactive mindset and proper preparation, you can dramatically reduce the chances of bringing home the strangles horse disease.

Before You Travel: Set the Foundation

Preventing horse strangles starts long before your horse arrives at the showground. In this concise and practical USEF video, Dr. Katie Flynn walks you through the three essential steps to establishing effective biosecurity prior to competition. She explains how to assess the disease status of your destination, create an isolation plan tailored to your facility, and ensure your horse is healthy and up to date on all necessary vaccinations.

👉 Watch now to get ahead of the risks:

One particularly helpful resource she highlights is the Equine Disease Communication Center, which tracks disease outbreaks nationwide—allowing you to make informed decisions about where (and whether) to travel.

Biosecurity During Competition: Keeping Your Horse Safe on the Ground

Competitions are a major testing ground—not just for your riding, but for your horse’s health. With dozens or even hundreds of horses from various regions gathered in one place, the risk of disease transmission—especially of horse strangles—increases significantly. That’s why maintaining strict biosecurity practices during an event is just as crucial as pre-travel precautions.

In the Learning Center video “Biosecurity During Competition,” Dr. Katie Flynn outlines a clear, practical approach to minimizing infection risk on-site. This guidance is essential for any rider, groom, or barn manager who wants to take responsibility for their horse’s well-being—and for protecting the wider equestrian community.

Monitor Your Horse’s Temperature Daily

One of the simplest and most effective tools in disease prevention is a thermometer. Elevated temperature is often the first sign of strangles horse disease symptoms, even before nasal discharge or swollen lymph nodes appear. Dr. Flynn recommends taking your horse’s temperature every morning during the event. Keep a log and learn what’s normal for your horse, so you can quickly spot early warning signs.

If a horse spikes a fever, it should be immediately isolated and evaluated by a veterinarian. Early detection is key to preventing an outbreak.

Never Share Water, Feed, or Equipment

While it might seem harmless to let your horse drink from a communal bucket or borrow a friend’s grooming tool, these small acts can create major biosecurity breaches. Strangles bacteria are easily transmitted via saliva and mucus. Sharing water troughs, feed tubs, nose rags, bits, or even towels can pass the infection from horse to horse.

Instead, bring your own clearly labeled buckets, hay nets, and grooming gear. Designate items for individual horses, and disinfect everything thoroughly before and after use.

Practice Personal Hygiene

Handlers play a critical role in preventing the spread of disease. In the video, Dr. Flynn emphasizes hand hygiene: washing your hands or using hand sanitizer before and after handling each horse—especially if you’re caring for multiple animals or assisting at a team event.

It’s a simple habit, but one that can break the chain of infection and reduce the risk of bringing horse strangles disease back to your barn.

Be Alert to Symptoms—And Report Them

Not every rider feels comfortable raising health concerns during a show, but it’s vital to speak up if you see a horse displaying symptoms like nasal discharge, coughing, or lethargy. Reporting sick horses to show management isn’t just responsible—it’s a duty. Early intervention can stop an outbreak before it begins.

USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) mandates that all licensed competitions have an isolation plan in place. If a horse tests positive or is exposed, organizers must follow protocols, which may include immediate quarantine, testing, and consultation with state or federal animal health officials. These regulations are not only protective but standardized, giving all participants a clear course of action.

A Shared Responsibility

Biosecurity isn’t just a checklist—it’s a culture of awareness and accountability. At shows, every rider, trainer, and barn worker plays a role. As Dr. Flynn explains, it only takes one oversight—a shared sponge, an ignored fever, a horse grazing too close to a stranger—for an outbreak of strangles horse disease to gain a foothold.

By applying the strategies outlined in this video and remaining vigilant during every event, you not only safeguard your own horse—you help protect the health of every horse on the grounds.

Biosecurity After Competition: Protecting Your Barn When You Get Home

Your horse may have returned from the show ring clean and sound—but that doesn’t mean the risk is over. Post-competition is one of the most vulnerable times for disease transmission, especially with highly contagious illnesses like horse strangles.

In the USEF Learning Center video “Biosecurity Post Competition,” veterinarian Dr. Katie Flynn explains the vital steps every horse owner should take immediately after returning from an event. These practices don’t just protect the horse that traveled—they safeguard every animal in your care and community.

Why Post-Event Biosecurity Matters

After events, your horse may have been exposed to pathogens—even if no symptoms are showing. Horses can be carriers of strangles or other infectious diseases without any immediate outward signs. Once home, cross-contamination can happen quickly: shared grooming gear, feeding areas, or turnout paddocks make it easy for bacteria to spread.

What you do in the first 24–72 hours after arrival can make the difference between a healthy barn and a preventable outbreak.

Key Steps for Biosecurity Post Competition

Dr. Flynn outlines a thorough yet practical protocol. Here's how to implement it:

• Isolate Returning Horses
  Set up a separate area—ideally with its own turnout space—where your horse can be monitored for 7–14 days. Even if no symptoms are present, this buffer zone allows early detection of horse strangles symptoms such as fever or nasal discharge.
• Disinfect All Equipment
  Immediately clean and disinfect all tack, brushes, feed tubs, buckets, lead ropes, and other gear used at the event. Don’t return these items to shared spaces until they’re fully sanitized. Be sure to follow the instructions on any disinfectant you use—some require specific contact times or rinsing to be effective.
• Use Natural Disinfection When Possible
  Leather tack and bridles can be tricky to sanitize with chemicals. Dr. Flynn recommends placing them in direct sunlight—the UV light acts as a natural disinfectant. This method is ideal for halters, girths, or other items that can be difficult to soak or spray.
• Leave Event Materials Behind
  Don’t bring unused hay, bedding, or feed back from the event. These materials may have been exposed to pathogens on-site. Leaving them behind eliminates a common source of indirect transmission.
• Monitor Your Horse’s Health Daily
  Continue taking your horse’s temperature every day during the isolation period. Look for early signs of illness like lethargy, cough, swelling under the jaw, or decreased appetite. Early intervention is the best defense.

Build It Into Your Routine

These post-event measures may sound involved, but when done consistently, they become second nature. More importantly, they protect the long-term health of your horses, your clients’ horses, and every animal that shares your space.

Conclusion: Prevention Is a Partnership

Strangles may be common, but it’s far from harmless. Fortunately, armed with the right knowledge and proactive strategies, it’s entirely possible to reduce your horse’s risk—and prevent outbreaks in your community. From recognizing early symptoms to understanding infection pathways and implementing strict biosecurity during events, every rider plays a role.

Vaccination, hygiene, and routine health monitoring form the foundation of protection. But even more important is a shift in mindset: prevention isn’t about fear—it’s about responsibility and care. When barns, trainers, and horse owners prioritize biosecurity, everyone benefits—from the horses in your stable to the equestrian events we all love.

So, take the time to implement what you’ve learned, and encourage others to do the same. Strangles is preventable—but only if we work together.

Frequently Asked Questions About Horse Strangles

What kills strangles in horses?

Strangles is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi, which can be eliminated through a combination of the horse’s immune response and proper veterinary care. In most cases, the horse’s body clears the infection on its own with supportive care. Disinfectants such as chlorhexidine, iodine-based solutions, and bleach (properly diluted) are effective in killing the bacteria on surfaces. Sunlight (UV exposure) also helps disinfect equipment like leather tack.

Can a horse recover from strangles?

Yes, most horses make a full recovery from strangles with rest, isolation, and appropriate care. Recovery usually takes two to four weeks, though some horses may experience complications or develop abscesses that prolong the process. With proper management, the prognosis for recovery is excellent in the majority of cases.

How to protect your horse from strangles?

Protection starts with prevention and biosecurity:

• Keep your horse’s vaccinations up to date (especially the strangles vaccine)
• Isolate new arrivals and returning horses
• Monitor temperature and health daily during and after events
• Avoid sharing equipment or water sources
• Disinfect gear and stabling areas after travel
• Use biosecurity best practices at competitions

Watching Dr. Katie Flynn’s video series on pre-, during-, and post-competition biosecurity offers a practical, step-by-step approach to minimizing your horse’s risk.

How do you get rid of strangles in horses?

There is no one-size-fits-all cure, but management involves:

• Isolating the infected horse
• Allowing abscesses to drain and cleaning them properly
• Providing supportive care like hydration, anti-inflammatories, and rest
• Using antibiotics only when recommended by a veterinarian, especially in complicated or systemic cases
• Cleaning and disinfecting all exposed areas and equipment

Veterinary guidance is crucial to avoid prolonging or worsening the infection.

How long can a horse live with strangles?

Most horses recover from strangles and go on to live healthy, normal lives. The disease itself typically lasts 2–4 weeks, but horses can remain contagious for much longer—sometimes over a month. In rare cases, complications like "bastard strangles" or strangles-related pneumonia can affect longevity if not treated promptly. With good care, long-term effects are uncommon.

How long is a horse contagious with strangles?

A horse with strangles can remain contagious for 4–6 weeks or more. Some horses become long-term carriers, shedding bacteria for months without showing symptoms.

Can strangles be passed to humans?

Human cases are extremely rare but possible. Good hygiene—especially handwashing after contact with sick horses—is essential for safety.