RICHMOND Equestrian Centre has cancelled all competitions for the next week or so, due to an outbreak of the contagious strangles virus.

The organisers of the venue are keen to stress that the outbreak is not on their premises, but in two yards close by.

Richmond Equestrian Centre is in daily consultation with the animal health trust to try to keep ahead of the situation and by cancelling competitions it will ensure the virus is not spread on to their property and the equines that are liveried there.

The animal health trust will be monitoring the situation in the area and once the allclear is given, then the Richmond centre will recommence competitions.

A spokesman said: “We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused, but we need to ensure that this virus does not spread and prolong the situation. We will announce on the website as soon as we are open for competitions again.”

Northallerton Equestrian Centre, which is 15 miles away, is in phone contact with Richmond EC and the animal health trust.

The venue is open for business as usual, but are regulating where each competitor is coming from as a precaution.

Strangles is a highly-contagious infectious disease caused by a bacteria called streptococcus equi. The bacteria affects the lymph nodes and is spread to other horses by direct contact, contaminated food, water, equipment or people’s hands/clothing.

Horses can also catch the disease by inhalation of the bacteria, but this is less common.

The organism can survive for long periods in the carrier horse or in the environment in the right conditions.

Strangles is not usually fatal, but if left untreated the lymph nodes can abscessate.

The abscesses usually burst and drain away, but in severe cases an abscess can become so large it causes the windpipe to become crushed, resulting in suffocation of the horse.

Occasionally the bacteria will overwhelm the local lymph nodes of the submandibular region and will spread systemically throughout the horse. Abscesses can then form in the lymph nodes of the lungs, intestines and even in the brain itself.