With less than a month to go till this year’s Strangles Awareness Week (SAW), horse and yard owners are being encouraged to sign up as Ambassadors and promote the campaign’s BEST practice messaging to help prevent the spread of the disease.
The acronym, which stands for ‘Boost immunity with Strangles vaccination’; ‘Engage with trusted information’; ‘Separate unfamiliar horses’ and ‘Temp check routinely’, is at the centre of the campaign.
SAW 2026 takes place between 4th – 10th May and aims to get horse lovers working together to minimise the scale and impact of a Strangles outbreak, which can be financially and emotionally costly.
The contagious respiratory illness 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.
Latest figures show 104 lab-reported cases of Strangles logged by the Surveillance of Equine Strangles scheme between 1st January and 2nd April. Last year saw a 77% increase in the number recorded the year before, with 477 in 2025 compared to 270 in 2024. Local figures are available.*
Helen Whitelegg, Campaigns and Policy Manager at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, who coordinates the SAW collaboration, said: “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.
“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 achieved international recognition, bringing 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.
Those signing up as Ambassadors will be sent a suite of social media assets developed from the latest research and advice from world-leading experts, ready to share during SAW, their own digital Ambassador badge and updates about the campaign.
A free lunchtime webinar is taking place with experts on Tuesday, 5th May, looking at how established infectious disease 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, which takes place in South Gloucestershire between Wednesday 6th May and Sunday 10th May.
Helen added: “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.”
To sign up and join more than 900 existing Ambassadors who helped the campaign reach more than five million people in 2025, please visit redwings.org.uk/strangles/strangles-awareness-week or go to the SAW Facebook page.