10 June 2025

Which disinfectant is right for your yard?

Photo of two people in overalls scrubbing a horsebox

Redwings staff disinfecting a horsebox after transporting horses in quarantine.

Redwings has teamed up with biosecurity specialists Ag+ to share practical tips on choosing and using disinfectant to help prevent the spread of equine infectious disease.

It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to choosing the best disinfectant(s) for a particular environment and purpose but taking the time to choose the right product is well worth the effort.

Using the wrong product, or using the right product in the wrong way, can significantly undermine efforts to control the spread of infectious disease, whether as part of routine prevention or to manage a suspected or confirmed outbreak.

Download our new short guide (PDF 228 KB) to some of the key questions to ask when choosing a disinfectant to support horse health.

Disinfectant should always be stored safely.

Infectious disease can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, all of which are invisible to the naked eye. Even the most pristine yard may harbour pathogens that can trigger disease and spread between equines.

Most of these unwanted guests can survive in the environment for a period of time (how long depends on the particular organism and how suited they are to a particular environment). Thorough cleaning can help remove microscopic germs, but only applying a targeted disinfectant in combination with cleaning will deal with pathogens effectively.

However, disinfectants vary widely and a basic household product isn’t suitable for a yard environment and the type of heavy-weight pathogens that they need to target.

A photo of a person dipping their shoes into a disinfection dip.

Using a foot dip prevents the spread of disease on shoes.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs maintains a list of approved disinfectants on its website at https://disinfectants.defra.gov.uk/. Ensuring a disinfectant product is listed under ‘General Orders’ is a good starting point. These are products that have been tested and shown to be effective against a wide range of pathogens that can cause an infectious disease outbreak.

Use our new guide to further narrow down the best disinfectant options for you, paying particular attention to risks to human, animal and environmental health linked to a product’s use and disposal.

Disinfectants that can target nasty organisms such as Streptococcus Equi (the bacteria that causes Strangles) contain strong chemicals. Choose, use and store all disinfectants with care and always follow the instructions for that specific product.

For more advice, speak to your vet or contact a specialist biosecurity company.