Conference noted::equitation

    
    Nancy,
    
    our barn had a scare last year, we thought 1 of our horses had
    strangles.  Strangles, is only contagious if horse drinks out of
    the infected horses bucket, or if the infected horse gets slyiva on
    another horse.  Just ridding by will not infect any horse.
    
    Are there other horses in her barn?  she might be keeping her horse
    away from the others so they don't get infected - and this electric
    fence is her only recourse - I don't know enough about the situation,
    but this is my guess.
    
    Louisa

    Hi Nancy,
    
    As an owner of a stallion I can add to this.
    
    Firstly, as far as the horse being contageous, a sign wouldn't
    help because you would be suprised how many horses we all ride
    by every day that have strangles or even worse that we don't
    even know about. I've even seen sick horses at shows! So that's 
    something you won't be able to remedy.
    
    However, according to NH state law, a stallion "must" be in 
    a sturdy "wooden" fence. As an extra added precaution, I also
    have put electrice strands between the boards and above the top
    board to keep him in. So you may have some recourse in that respect.
    There is a fine for stallions running at large (but by that time 
    the damage is already done to horse and rider).
    
    As a kind of funny side note, which wasn't funny at the time, I 
    was riding my stallion by a mare, gelding, and pony one day. These
    horses were in one strand of rusty electric fencing. To my horror,
    the mare (who was in heat!!!) broke through the fencing and all the
    horses proceeded to chase me. I galloped all the way home. I was
    as mad as a bee's nest because I really could have been killed if
    my stallion decided to go crazy for this mare. I called the 
    police and the humane society. The next time I rode by, the 
    fencing was fixed.
    
    I would pursue this, you have every right to feel safe riding by
    this stallion. This woman is needlessly putting you, your horse,
    her horse, and motorists in a dangerous situation.
    
    My humble two cents.
    Tina
    

    I tend to agree with Louisa ... there's probably more to the story
    than you realize (although her having to separate him just because
    of the strangles is odd ... as a stallion, he would naturally be
    separated from other horses anyway).  Maybe she's doing
    some repair work to her usual fences, or maybe she needs to give the
    other section of her pasture a rest ... the possibilities are endless.  
    I'd try to talk to her calmly about it.  Her choice of simply electric
    fencing is clearly unwise (for any horse, stallion or other) ... but
    that's *her* problem for now.  Unless he actually breaks out and causes
    trouble, you have probably have little recourse. Maybe she'd be
    agreeable to bringing him in when you plan to ride by if you agreed to
    call and give her plenty of notice?  
    
    As far as the strangles, please don't panic.  Louisa is right ... it is
    not airborne and direct contact is required for transmission.  
    
    Just my 2 cents .... (and probably worth less due to inflation :-)
    

    As far as strangles is concerned, it is much more contagious than just
    "drinking out of the same bucket".  You can't keep it from spreading
    thru a barn, it spreads on your feet and hands, anything you touch,
    basicly just like strep throat.  When I got a new horse that ended up 
    having strangles I tried everything to keep my mare from getting it. 
    Washing with bacterial soap, lysoling Everything, every day.  It didn't
    matter, she still got it.  The vet had pretty much told me that would
    happen, even though they were in separate stalls and had no contact
    with each other, she said the mare would get it.
    
    Sharon

I think that most vets recommend that a horse with Strangles be outside
in the fresh air and as much sun as possible.  This woman may be following
medical advice.  But, like the last note said
Strangles is easier contracted than most people think.  You can infect 
horses by touching one horse and patting another.  

After having a stallion (1200 pounds of testosterone!) I wouldn't be too
thrilled with riding by one in a 2 strand electric fence!  Even the quietest,
most well behaved can get VERY INTERESTED real quick.

Karen

    
    The reason why horses in the same barn get it is because, horses sneeze
    and they blow their snots all over the place, they sneeze on you, you
    touch another horse in the barn w/out washing your hands etc...they
    drink out of the same water buckets etc....
    
    If you seperate the horse (like it seems this lady did??) then it wont
    spread and if you wash your hands long before you touch another horse
    in the barn - then everything should be just fine.
    
    You also, must disinfect the stall the infected horse was in - or he'll
    go back in the stall and get it again.
    
    So, if you totaly seperate the infected horse from the other horses,
    the others wont get it.  This is NOT an AIR sickness, it's impossible
    for it to spreed that way.  Only by contact and slyvia!
    
    

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            HYGIENE ESSENTIAL FOR STRANGLES CONTROL, SAYS ANTEC

Though treatment of the equine throat infection strangles is fairly
straightforward in the modern era of antibiotics, strict hygiene
precautions are an essential part of the disease's control, says leading
manufacturer of disinfection products, Antec International.

The bacteria responsible for this very unpleasant and painful disease,
Streptococcus equi, is both highly infectious and contagious, so affected
horses must be isolated, and every precaution taken to prevent the spread
of the disease.

First symptoms of the illness are fever and swelling of the lymph nodes
around the throat and neck. These swellings develop into pus-filled
abscesses which burst, causing a nasal discharge .

Antec International points out that this discharge, which can be easily
transferred from the horse to tack, food and water containers, bedding and
stable walls, is teeming with millions of Streptococcus equi bacteria. For
this reason a rigorous hygiene programme must be followed to prevent
transference to other horses, or even, in rare instances, to humans.

Antec recommends that their broad spectrum biocidal disinfectant cleanser
Virkon, specially developed for equine use, should be used in a total
disinfection regime. Each 50 g sachet of Virkon should be dissolved in 5
litres of clean water, and used to clean and disinfect drinkers, feeders
and tack.

After the period of isolation is over - usually about four weeks after the
start of the infection - bedding should be removed and burned. The stables
should then be thoroughly dry cleaned and brushed out, before all surfaces
are cleaned manually or by pressure washer with Virkon solution.

Virkon can be used as a shampoo to clean and disinfect rugs and blankets,
and used in a fogging system in the stables to remove stable dust and
airborne infections from the atmosphere.

Strangles is a painful, serious and debilitating disease. Prompt treatment
with antibiotics combined with an effective disinfection regime are
essential to prevent its spread.