Checked 19 October 2026. Latest official update: 23 September 2026 (NZTR). Latest published case count: 18 September 2026 (NZEHA). We found nothing newer from NZEHA, NZTR, Harness Racing NZ, Equestrian Sports NZ, MPI or NZ news outlets. Things can change quickly in a disease outbreak, so check the NZEHA and NZTR pages for the latest. This is general information, not veterinary advice: if you think a horse has strangles, isolate it and call your vet.

The strangles outbreak in Waikato thoroughbreds was confirmed in early July 2026. On 6 July the NZ Veterinary Association reported 12 confirmed infected properties, 11 in the Waikato and one in Auckland directly linked to the Waikato outbreak [8], and some racing trials were postponed [9]. The New Zealand Equine Health Association's (NZEHA) most recent update, on 18 September, said the number of affected properties had dropped to seven, all of them in the Waikato [1]. Racing's temporary industry-wide controls were removed from 10 September [3][7].

That doesn't mean strangles has gone. It's endemic in New Zealand, and both NZEHA and NZTR stress that good biosecurity still matters for every horse owner [1][5].

The latest official status

Latest official update: 23 September 2026. That's when NZTR announced the end of its testing support scheme and said testing on affected properties was nearing completion [4]. NZEHA's case status was last updated on 18 September 2026 [1]. As at 19 October 2026 we found no newer case numbers, so we can't say how many properties, if any, are still affected.

According to NZEHA's 18 September 2026 update [1]:

  • Seven affected properties, all Waikato-based.
  • The outbreak is mainly affecting training and pre-training properties, with some stud farms also affected.
  • Cases remain confined to the thoroughbred population and largely to one region.
  • There is currently no evidence of transmission into other horse populations, although NZEHA asks everyone to stay vigilant.

NZEHA also notes that the SAA blood test referred to in much of the outbreak guidance is available in the Waikato and Auckland, but may not be available in every region [1].

How racing's rules have changed

NZ Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and the Racing Integrity Board (RIB) ran tighter controls through the winter, then wound them back in stages:

  • 5 August: NZTR reported no new affected properties since 24 July, and said the Auckland property had been cleared [5].
  • 20 August: the Waikato was no longer classified as a strangles Red Zone. That followed RIB surveillance testing of racing populations in the Waikato, Auckland and Central Districts, covering about 20% of horses at major training centres, which NZTR said gave confidence strangles wasn't widespread in those populations [2]. At that stage, extra requirements for horses travelling from the North Island to the South Island stayed in place [2].
  • 10 September: a new NZTR directive replaced all earlier strangles directives. It removed the industry-wide requirements for strangles-specific temperature declarations, inter-island testing, travel declarations and prior RIB travel approval [3]. Unaffected horses and properties not under a specific direction can now train, race, trial, breed and travel without extra strangles testing or paperwork [3].
  • 30 September: NZTR's temporary Strangles Testing Support Framework, introduced on 27 July, closed. NZTR said it had put $75,000 from the Welfare Levy Reserve into approved surveillance, diagnostic and clearance testing, that most testing on affected properties was nearing completion, and that testing from 1 October 2026 isn't eligible for funding [4].

What still applies in racing

Under the 10 September directive [3]:

  • any confirmed strangles case must be reported immediately to the RIB Veterinary Services Manager at vet@rib.org.nz
  • if strangles is confirmed, training and horse movements at that stable must stop straight away while the vet and RIB assess biosecurity measures
  • properties under testing, isolation or movement directions must keep following them until told otherwise
  • unwell horses must not race, train or trial.

Harness Racing New Zealand issued a matching directive (Version 6) from the same date. It requires confirmed cases to be reported to vet@rib.org.nz, movements halted and the stable placed under biosecurity restrictions until the RIB Veterinary Services Manager clears it, and bars unwell horses from racing, training or trialling [7]. If you're involved in equestrian sport or another code, check your own organisation's rules. NZEHA notes that almost all formal equestrian sporting bodies have rules preventing strangles-infected animals from attending events [1].

What strangles is

Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi [1]. It affects the upper airways and lymph nodes around the head and neck, and gets its name from the strangled breathing sounds a very sick horse can make [1]. NZEHA points out that a closely related bug, S. equi subspecies zooepidemicus, doesn't cause strangles, so make sure any lab result specifies subspecies equi [1].

Most horses recover fully [1], but there are two catches:

  • Carriers. About 1 in 10 recovered horses become silent carriers that look healthy but can still infect others [1]. The NZVA advises testing horses after recovery to make sure they aren't carriers before they leave the property [6].
  • Complications. In rare cases, the infection spreads to other lymph nodes ("bastard strangles"), which can be fatal without intervention [6].

Signs to watch for

NZEHA says a high temperature is usually the first sign, often before anything else [1]. Other signs include [1][6]:

  • lethargy and going off feed
  • thick yellow nasal discharge
  • a cough
  • swollen, painful lymph nodes under the jaw, which may abscess and burst
  • difficulty breathing or swallowing in severe cases.

The NZVA says signs appear 3–14 days after exposure. Horses begin shedding bacteria from the nose 4–7 days after exposure, but not within the first 24 hours of fever [6]. That's why regular temperature checks matter: a horse picked up at the first sign of fever can be isolated before it starts spreading the bacteria [6].

NZEHA's rule of thumb: fever and a snotty nose after travel or mixing with unfamiliar horses? Treat it as strangles until your vet says otherwise [1].

If you suspect strangles

  1. Isolate first, then call your vet [1]. Keep the horse well away from others. The NZVA advises keeping infected and healthy horses at least five metres apart [6]. Find an equine vet in the Waikato or elsewhere in New Zealand if you need one.
  2. Stop movements. Don't move horses on or off the property until your vet gives the all-clear [1][5].
  3. Split the herd into infected, exposed and clean groups, with separate gear (and ideally separate people) for each, and take temperatures twice daily [1].
  4. Don't reach for antibiotics unless your vet specifically advises them. NZEHA says in most cases they do more harm than good, and good nursing care is the mainstay of treatment [1].
  5. Follow testing through to the end. Don't assume a horse is clear because it looks better [1].
  6. Report it if you race. Confirmed cases must go to vet@rib.org.nz [3].

NZEHA asks owners not to let strangles' unfair reputation stop them reporting it, because early, open communication protects every horse [1].

Biosecurity basics for every owner

Whether or not you're near the Waikato, these steps from NZEHA, NZTR and the NZVA are worth keeping as habits [1][5][6]:

  • Quarantine new or returning horses for 14–21 days and check temperatures twice daily before they mix [1]
  • Don't share buckets, feed bins, water sources, grooming kit, tack or halters [1][5]
  • Clean and disinfect halters, buckets, grooming tools and lead ropes regularly [5]
  • Clean floats and trucks between uses [5], and ask any transporter you hire how they clean between loads
  • Watch the water: bacteria can survive 4–6 weeks in troughs [1]
  • Wash your hands between horses [1][6]
  • Monitor horses closely after travel or events where horses from several properties mixed [5]
  • Record temperatures and vaccinations on a horse health record

Vaccination

NZEHA describes vaccination as a key defence, especially for travelling horses. It gives the standard NZ course as three doses two weeks apart, then a yearly booster, or six-monthly for high-risk horses, and warns never to vaccinate a horse that's currently sick or recently exposed [1]. The NZVA notes vaccination isn't 100% effective but can reduce the severity of disease [6]. Ask your vet about timing; the care planner can remind you when a booster is due.

The bottom line

The latest official updates, from September 2026, describe an outbreak confined to seven Waikato thoroughbred properties, with racing's emergency rules lifted and testing on affected properties nearing completion [1][3][4][7]. We found no newer figures as at 19 October 2026. Strangles is still endemic in New Zealand, though, so quarantine, temperature checks and clean gear remain the best protection. We'll update this article if NZEHA or NZTR publish further changes.