Hosted by Lydia, Campaigns Manager at Redwings Horse Sanctuary

This episode features a fascinating conversation between Abigail Turnbull (co-owner of Richmond Equestrian Centre) and Jonathan Cleaver (co-owner of Ivesley Equestrian). Abigail and Jonathan share honest insights on the impact of the Strangles outbreaks on their yards, discussing everything from business operations to the well-being of their equine community. Their candid discussion sheds light on the challenges faced during an outbreak and some of the lessons learned along the way.

Despite the initial shock and challenges posed by a Strangles outbreak, Abigail and Jonathan exemplify resilience and proactive leadership in crisis management. Their experiences depict the critical need for preparation, transparency, and community cooperation to mitigate the impact of equine diseases like Strangles.

Together, let's commit to safeguarding the health and welfare of horses everywhere. Because every horse can get Strangles and every person can make a difference. Thank you for your support and dedication to Strangles Awareness Week by listening to this episode.

Podcast Highlights

· Discovering your yard has an outbreak – not always the way you’d like!

· The financial, logistical and reputational implications

· The benefits of responding quickly and containing infection

· Making difficult decisions

· Does insurance cover a Strangles outbreak?

· The diverse effect of Strangles on horses

· Positive and negative impacts on client relationships

· The importance of veterinary support

· Getting a handle on social media

· Facing challenging attitudes and unsolicited advice

· Balancing equestrian freedom and business interests with biosecurity

· How simple biosecurity measure make a real difference

· Working with equine professionals

· How the equestrian sector has lessons to learn from farming

· Why the new Strangles vaccination could be a gamechanger

· Why Strangles is a real risk to ANY yard

Enter our SAW 2024 competition to win an equestrian bundle of prizes worth over £5,000:

Subscribe to the podcast: https://stranglesawarenessweekpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

Become a SAW Ambassador: Strangles Awareness Week 2023 | Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StranglesAwarenessWeek/

TikTok: SAW (@stranglesawarenessweek) | TikTok

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stranglesawarenessweek/

How do you manage a Strangles outbreak in a herd of semi-feral ponies?

In this fascinating podcast we hear from two inspiring individuals as they explain why and how they took a proactive approach to clearing the disease from a group of Dartmoor ponies in 2021.

Meet Dru Butterfield, Chief Executive of the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust, who was determined to stop Strangles in its tracks when it was causing serious illness among the 27 ponies then in the charity’s care. Dru explains how taking responsibility for trying to contain the disease, being completely open about their outbreak and working collaboratively to find the most practical and effective solutions all paid huge dividends.

We also hear from pony-keeper Tracey Lear, whose family have maintained a small herd of pure-bred ponies on Dartmoor for many years. Tracey tells us how she felt about finding out that some of her own ponies had been diagnosed with Strangles, and how much she learnt from finding out about the disease and supporting vets as they carried out checks on ponies recovering from infection.

Hosted by Redwings Horse Sanctuary for Strangles Awareness Week 2022, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone who wants to find out more about some of the challenges a Strangles outbreak can bring, and be encouraged that the infection can be eradicated in even in situations that are not straightforward to manage.

(Disclaimer: these are personal recollections from individuals are not veterinary advice. If you suspect a horse has Strangles, please contact your vet for guidance and support)

Do you have experience of Strangles, or particular concerns about the disease? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any questions feel free to post them as a comment and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Get involved in Strangles Awareness Week 2022 by taking the #TempCheckChallenge - www.redwings.org.uk/tempchecker

Please follow the Strangles Awareness Facebook page at www.facebook.com/StranglesAwarenessWeek and find out more on the SAW webpage at www.redwings.org.uk/strangles/strangles-awareness-week

The following links will take you to free, verified sources of Strangles information:

Redwings Strangles Information Pack www.redwings.org.uk/sites/default/files/redwings_strangles_pack.pdf

BHS Strategy for Eradication and Prevention of Strangles (STEPS) https:// www.bhs.org.uk/~/media/documents/welfare/steps-to-eradicate-and-prevent-strangles-leaflet.ashx?la=en

SRUC’s Premium Assured Strangles Scheme (PASS) www.sruc.ac.uk/business-services/what-is-your-goal/veterinary-laboratory-services/horse-health-schem

Enter our SAW 2024 competition to win an equestrian bundle of prizes worth over £5,000:

Subscribe to the podcast: https://stranglesawarenessweekpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

Become a SAW Ambassador: Strangles Awareness Week 2023 | Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StranglesAwarenessWeek/

TikTok: SAW (@stranglesawarenessweek) | TikTok

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stranglesawarenessweek/

Everyone knows that vets are absolutely critical to tackling this notorious equine infectious disease but what's it like for vets facing the bug itself and the worried owner? We caught up with two special horse vets to tell us more about what makes the disease 'special' and how outbreaks can be managed effectively.

First, Professor Scott Pirie has over 30 years of experience specialising in internal veterinary medicine at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at University of Edinburgh with a particular interest in respiratory infections in horses.

Then, listen on to hear from boots-on-the-ground Veterinary Surgeon Amy Smith from Alnorthumbria Vet Group who is fresh from successfully supporting the eradication of strangles on one large yard in the early part of 2021.

Strangles Awareness Week is a campaign that aims to promote openness around the disease and make biosecurity a part of everday horse care across the Equine Industry. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the British Horse Society, Intervacc, Keeping Britain’s Horses Healthy, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Scotland’s Rural College’s Premium Assured Strangles Scheme (PASS), Surveillance of Equine Strangles (SES), The (Dick) Royal School of Veterinary Studies and World Horse Welfare and the podcast has been coordinated and produced by Redwings Horse Sanctuary.

You can find more information about the campaign and share resources on Facebook or YouTube

For more on Strangles:

· Redwings Strangles Information Pack and Strangles Hub referenced by Amy

· BHS Strategy for Eradication and Prevention of Strangles

· SRUC's Premium Assured Strangles Scheme

· Keeping Britain's Horses Healthy Strangles Advice

· World Horse Welfare's Disease prevention guidance

• For vets and equestrian professionals listening to the podcast episode. You may be interested in the latest publication of Rendle et al (2021) "Streptococcus equi infections: current best practice in the diagnosis and management of ‘strangles’" published in UK-Vet Equine

Enter our SAW 2024 competition to win an equestrian bundle of prizes worth over £5,000:

Subscribe to the podcast: https://stranglesawarenessweekpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

Become a SAW Ambassador: Strangles Awareness Week 2023 | Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StranglesAwarenessWeek/

TikTok: SAW (@stranglesawarenessweek) | TikTok

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stranglesawarenessweek/