# Yard reopened with strangles potential carriers



## friskimagic (3 February 2017)

Ok im confused. A riding centre gets full blown strangles and now the horses are well again they have been blood tested and told the 11 Red zone horses need a guttaral pouch wash. How can the vet tell them they can reopen to trekking/lessons ect when they still have these potential carriers??????????? Also the same vet approved the centres actions of removing Red zones out of quarantine into the sand school to ride when the rest of the "clear" horses are also using same school The vet keeps banging on about BHS STEPS code yet approves the centre to reopen and remove from isolation and ride in the school. Very shocked AND confused


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## Dry Rot (4 February 2017)

friskimagic said:



			Ok im confused. A riding centre gets full blown strangles and now the horses are well again they have been blood tested and told the 11 Red zone horses need a guttaral pouch wash. How can the vet tell them they can reopen to trekking/lessons ect when they still have these potential carriers??????????? Also the same vet approved the centres actions of removing Red zones out of quarantine into the sand school to ride when the rest of the "clear" horses are also using same school The vet keeps banging on about BHS STEPS code yet approves the centre to reopen and remove from isolation and ride in the school. Very shocked AND confused
		
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I may be completely wrong about this post but it does have a familiar ring to it! The Highlands of Scotland is a small place and the horse world up here even smaller! I have no personal involvement in any strangles case except as an observer of a very unpleasant witch hunt and as someone who believes in truth and justice -- and not trial by silly people through the media!

Unless friskimagic has a veterinary degree and the necessary experience, perhaps the correct course would be to ask the vet? The vet cannot comment on a specific case but they are usually happy to give general advice.

If you have doubts about the competence of the vet, the correct course of action is to lodge a formal complaint with The Royal Veterinary College. But I would strongly advise against spreading malicious gossip as it can end up being extremely expensive.

OP, you may find the following site informative. 

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/01/11092246/4


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## hairycob (4 February 2017)

You might not have the full story. A couple of years ago we had strangles. I had a very "interesting" conversation with someone who didn't know they were talking about us. Apparently one horse was still going out competing every weekend, 1 horse had died and another was touch and go. The horse alleged to be out competing had been on box rest with an injury, the horse that died was pts right at the beginning of the outbreak due to a longstanding condition and it had been planned for a month and only my horse's got a very mild form. The biggest problem with strangles is that it gets all the malicious gossips worked up into a righteous frenzy so you really cannot rely on anything you don't hear from the horses mouth. Then they wonder why people don't talk about it. We had told everyone who might have been affected but apparently that wasn't good enough.


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## friskimagic (4 February 2017)

Dry Rot a formal complaint HAS went into the RVCS against the practise involved. I hope you are not accusing me of spreading malicious gossip? I dont know the centre involved personally but do know the vets as im a client. I have no interest in the centre but im stunned that any vet would approve mixing Red zone horses in a school with clear ones plus give the go ahead to reopen. Reason im stunned is after reading the STEPS code it states no yard should reopen until all horses are clear and testing negative also no horse should be removed from quarantine until it tests clear. May i also add here that it is VERY common knowledge of the ins and outs of this centre as its been published all over websites and the newspapers so it is fact not gossip. My query is here.............. how can a vet approve breaking STEPS code if its the STEPS code they are trying to hammer home to the public? Id also like to add that the owner of the centre has posted photos of her Red zones and clears in her school and has said the vet has approved this. This is on her social media page. So not lying that she has said the vet approved it all , unless the owner is lying? That i do not know i just know she has posted a clear message and photos to say this vet has approved her to break the STEPS code. Im kinda hoping its a lie because i just find it hard to believe any vet would approve these actions


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## friskimagic (4 February 2017)

Id also like to add that the owner of the centre has posted photos of her Red zones and clears in her school and has said the vet has approved this. This is on her social media page. So not lying that she has said the vet approved it all , unless the owner is lying? That i do not know i just know she has posted a clear message and photos to say this vet has approved her to break the STEPS code. Im kinda hoping its a lie because i just find it hard to believe any vet would approve these actions


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## Dry Rot (4 February 2017)

friskimagic said:



			Dry Rot a formal complaint HAS went into the RVCS against the practise involved. I hope you are not accusing me of spreading malicious gossip? I dont know the centre involved personally but do know the vets as im a client. I have no interest in the centre but im stunned that any vet would approve mixing Red zone horses in a school with clear ones plus give the go ahead to reopen. Reason im stunned is after reading the STEPS code it states no yard should reopen until all horses are clear and testing negative also no horse should be removed from quarantine until it tests clear. May i also add here that it is VERY common knowledge of the ins and outs of this centre as its been published all over websites and the newspapers so it is fact not gossip. My query is here.............. how can a vet approve breaking STEPS code if its the STEPS code they are trying to hammer home to the public? Id also like to add that the owner of the centre has posted photos of her Red zones and clears in her school and has said the vet has approved this. This is on her social media page. So not lying that she has said the vet approved it all , unless the owner is lying? That i do not know i just know she has posted a clear message and photos to say this vet has approved her to break the STEPS code. Im kinda hoping its a lie because i just find it hard to believe any vet would approve these actions
		
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As you say a formal complaint has been lodged with the RCVS (which is what I think you mean and not the RVCS), then any discussion on here while an investigation is in progress could be prejudicial. If you have evidence, I suggest you forward it to RCVS, with copies to the appropriate authorities, and await their decision rather than speculate here. Meanwhile, if you have no confidence in your vets, it would seem sensible to change them.


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