i, too, think you should keep the new horses separated from yours. and be prepared for all the horses to get sick, especially if they are close enough to touch noses over a fence. but some illnesses can be airborne so it's best if the 2 herds are even more separated. strangles is extremely contagious. if you suspect tat disease, you must tend to your herd first, then the sick or exposed horses. then decontaminate your clothes and footwear before leaving the sick horse area. yes, it can be tracked to other areas on your shoes. penny was at a barn where a new horse came down with strangles. because of careful precautions, not a single other horse got it. the barn owner had the new horse separated, and she put on a jumpsuit over her clothes whenever she entered his stall to treat him. she also had a footbath of disinfectant she stepped into when leaving his stall. she wore rubber gloves when hsndling him. i didn't get too close lest i might transmit it to penny, but some online research will tell you what to do. if the sick horse gets an oozing sore under his jawbone, it's strangles. it's usually not fatal if it does spread to the other horses, but i've read about a form called ....... strangles that is more serious because the infection is internal.
strongyles is a kind of worm horses get. deworming the horses probably took care of it. it can be transmitted to your horses from hay fed on the ground that might be contaminated with manure. and resistant strains of these worms are developing in places so you need to not deworm horses unless it's necessary. at the farm where i board penny, we do fecal tests to see which horses have a worm load worth addressing, and just those horses are treated.
shipping fever is equine flu, i think, which is like a bad cold.
i'm sending place-selling vibes. in fact, i'm also sending horse-get-well vibes.
). The organization takes cut hair to make wigs for kids going through cancer treatment. Maybe that would help soften the blow of getting it cut. 
