Get Your Yard Involved with the SAW 2023 Temp Check Challenge

It’s eight weeks until Strangles Awareness Week (1st – 7th May) and FREE promotional packs are now available to encourage horse owners to make regular temperature checking a habit and minimise the scale and impact of an outbreak. These packs are also available to yard owners who may want to encourage their horse owners during the scheme to understand their horses ‘normal’ resting temperature, and to encourage considerations about disease prevention on their yard.

The free pack aimed at yards includes ten thermometers, artwork and post text for websites and social media, bunting, flyers and a poster to encourage people to get involved.

The key feature of this years campaign – now in its fourth year – is the ‘Temp Check Challenge’. Owners will be encouraged to take their horse’s resting temperature each day during the week and input it into a free online tracker. A high temperature is an early warning sign that your horse may have been infected with Strangles as well as the first sign for a range of health concerns – and will become infectious to other horses 2-3 days later – so getting to know your horse’s ‘normal’ temperature could prevent disease spreading and be the difference between one infected horse and many.

Andie McPherson, Campaigns Manager at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, said: “We really hope this year’s campaign will reach more horse owners than ever before.

“We’re especially targetting yards this year. The Temp Check Challenge is a fun way to introduce temperature checking through an ‘all yard approach’ in addition to quarantine and screening measures.

“Event venues Hickstead, the All England Jumping Course, Hartpury University and Hartpury College and the Scottish National Equestrian Centre have all signed up.”

Excitingly, if you (or your livery clients) input your horse’s reading three or more times you will be entered into a prize draw where you could win behind the scenes yard tours with either five-star Eventer Piggy March or top Dressage Rider and Showjumper Richard and Joe Davison.

Strangles is the most diagnosed equine disease worldwide. Symptoms of the contagious respiratory illness range, but include a high fever, laboured breathing, difficulty eating, depression, thick nasal discharge and painful abscesses. In severe cases Strangles can pose a risk to the horse’s life. There are complications in approximately 30% of cases and it is impossible to know which horses will require extra care and treatment. For the cost of a thermometer and spotting fever, owners can minimise scale and spread.

You can sign up for a pack here. For more information about Strangles Awareness Week 2023 please visit the Strangles Awareness Week Facebook page or  www.redwings.org.uk/strangles/strangles-awareness-week