Equestrians are encouraged to support this year’s Strangles Awareness Week (SAW), with more than 100 cases of strangles reported in 2026 so far.
SAW takes place between 4 and 10 May and aims to get horse owners and yard managers working together to minimise the scale and impact of an outbreak, which can be financially and emotionally costly.
Individuals are encouraged to sign up as Ambassadors and promote the campaign’s BEST practice messaging to help prevent spread of the disease.
The acronym stands for: Boost immunity with strangles vaccination; Engage with trusted information; Separate unfamiliar horses; and Temperature check routinely.
Strangles is the most diagnosed equine disease worldwide. Signs vary, but can include a high fever, laboured breathing, difficulty eating, depression, thick nasal discharge and painful abscesses. In severe cases strangles can pose a risk to horses’ lives.
The latest figures show 104 lab-reported cases of strangles logged by the Surveillance of Equine Strangles scheme between 1 January and 2 April, 2026.
Last year saw a 77% increase on the number recorded the year before, with 477 in 2025 compared to 270 in 2024.
“We are better placed than ever before to reduce the risk and number of cases seen each year and we all have a responsibility to do what we can to tackle this disease,” said Helen Whitelegg, Campaigns and Policy Manager at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, who co-ordinate the SAW collaboration.
“A recent Dechra survey found nearly half of respondents were not aware of the availability of a vaccine and a third did not have quarantine protocols for new horses, despite 87% reporting that they were concerned about the risk of infectious diseases like strangles.
“The apparent rise in cases is concerning, and we know the true number of outbreaks is likely to be even higher than this, with many unrecorded, and it’s something we feel SAW can help to address.”
Since its inception in 2020, SAW has brought together leading equine welfare charities, educational institutions and research organisations.
Several well-known riders and equestrian influencers have lent their names to the campaign since it began, including showjumper Joe Stockdale, eventers William Fox-Pitt, Lucinda Green and Piggy March, dressage rider Richard Davison and equestrian influencer Riding with Rhi.
A free webinar is taking place with experts on 5 May looking at how strangles compares to an emerging threat from West Nile Virus – sign up here.
The British Horse Society will also be promoting BEST practice on their stand at Badminton Horse Trials (6-10 May).
“Please consider being involved this year. If we all used BEST practice, we could make a real difference to how this disease impacts our horses, and us,” added Helen.
To find out more and to sign up as an Ambassador, visit the Redwings website or the SAW Facebook page.
