THE HORSE sanctuary charity, Redwings, has been recognised for the valuable contribution it has made in controlling equine strangles.

It has been awarded a PASS Silver Status by SRUC Veterinary Services, which runs the national Premium Assured Strangles Scheme.

The successful Redwings ‘Stamp out strangles’ campaign hub encouraged yard managers and horse owners to screen new horses coming on to a yard so that strangles carriers could be identified and treated.

Redwings encouraged people to be open and honest about the disease and provided materials with advice and guidance for vets, horse owners and yard owners. So far, the campaign has gained the support of 135 yard owners and more than 500 horse owners who pledged support in tackling the disease.

As well as offering support to other yards, they practice what they preach as all horses that are brought into Redwings from outside the sanctuary are kept within a suitable quarantine area while they are monitored and tested for strangles.

This quarantine period is a minimum of three weeks to allow for the incubation of infectious disease in horses who may have had contact just before their admission.

All new horses and those returning from guardian homes are tested for strangles by a veterinary surgeon.

Jill Thomson, veterinary manager of PASS at SRUC Veterinary Services, said: “We are delighted to be awarding PASS Silver Status to Redwings Horse Sanctuary, who implement testing and biosecurity protocols to control strangles in their own yards as well as campaigning and educating the equine industry.”

PASS membership is open to any yard across the country able to implement a testing and biosecurity programme. The newest ‘Bronze Status’ is available for yards which have not had a case of equine strangles for the last two years, as certified by a vet.