No doubt many a disappointed rider is putting their Fairfax dressage saddle back in the stable right now after Honley Show was cancelled because of an outbreak of strangles affecting horses all over the UK.

According to the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, the horse sections of the show have been called off, although the organisers are confident that the June 13^th event will still be a huge hit regardless.

Strangles is one of the most common respiratory infections in horses and it’s highly contagious so it’s important to keep your horses at home if an outbreak has occurred. Symptoms include nasal discharge, fever, abscesses on the neck and head, and depression.

Martin Paterson, vet columnist with the Examiner, said: “It is a sensible decision by the show organisers. The condition can be fatal in some cases and it is called strangles because that is exactly what happens. The horse will develop abscesses in their neck and they can often press on the windpipe, causing the horse to choke.”

To help prevent strangles at your horse yard, make sure that you keep new horses in quarantine for a couple of weeks to see if they show any signs of the disease. In addition, keep people out if they’ve been in an affected yard and don’t share tack and equipment if you’re unsure that they’re safe to use.

If your horse is at risk of contracting the disease, make sure you have them vaccinated and check that all new animals are up to date with their vaccines to ensure that all horses are safe.