With it being one of the most common issues amongst horses, strangles is unpleasant for both the horse suffering and the stable trying to contain it. Strangles is triggered when bacterium infects the lymph nodes in your horse’s jaw, causing nasal discharge and swellings in the head and neck region.

The British Horse Society estimates that there are approximately 600 strangles outbreaks in the UK each year. The experts at The Insurance Emporium have researched and provided some tips to follow if your horse contracts strangles.

How can I prevent a strangles outbreak?


There are steps that can help to prevent strangles from spreading throughout a stable, such as:

  • Isolation of new horses and suspected cases of strangles
  • Separate caretakers for each horse
  • Protective clothing
  • Good hygiene
  • Closing the yard
  • Separating contaminated equipment

What if it’s strangles?

If your horse has strangles, speak to your vet to confirm the best course of treatment. Some options might include:

  • Supportive Care: Use anti-inflammatory medication to treat your horse’s increased temperature, feeding your horse sloppy etc.
  • Antibiotics: In some cases, antibiotics can be used to treat strangles in horses. This is because they can shorten the disease course and prevent serious complications.
  • Hot Compress: Apply hot towels to the swollen glands, helping the abscesses to burst or grow to a size where the vet can lance them successfully

For more information, read The Insurance Emporium’s full blog about strangles in horses here. We hope this guide can help you think about the measures needed to prevent strangles. Don’t get caught out by common health conditions.

Discounted Horse Insurance

At The Insurance Emporium, their Defaqto* 5 Star Rated Horse Insurance includes cover for Death, Theft, or Straying as standard. You can then customise your policy with their Optional Benefits.

With prices starting at £30.06 for Horse Insurance**, they are asking — why would you go without? Gallop over to The Insurance Emporium to get a free quote now. Fancy a discount? They offer up to 30% off*** when you take out a policy with them.

*Defaqto 5 Star Expert Rating applies to Annual and Lunar Monthly Accident and Illness Horse Insurance products. **Premiums based on one-year-old horse living at YO26 9SS insured at minimum insurable value, with introductory discount applied. The premium includes the Standard Benefit of Death, Theft and Straying and the Optional Benefit of Vets Fees for Injury and Illness. ***Discount only available on Horse, Veteran Horse, Horse Rider, and Horse Trailer insurance. The 30% discount is made up of a range of discounts available from their website.

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