Are vaccinations necessary ?

Penny Less

Penny Less

Joined
10 March 2009
Messages
7,682
Visit site
Would you vaccinate a horse that is on a yard with horses that are a "stable" (excuse the pun) population and don't go to shows etc ?
 
Even on a yard where there isn't much movement in and out I'd definitely still vaccinate as a precaution. You never know when you might want to go to a show, or a new livery or horse comes along that could infect your whole yard quite quickly! I know with shows you have to have the first booster before competing and that takes an age to wait for :L
 
Only bigger shows, affiliated comps and some that take place on racecourses etc. require vaccinations and even then they are rarely checked, PC camp usually insist on them for camp but not rallies, I don't do mine once they are no longer going out competing, nearly every horse that has come onto my yard has needed to be restarted due to gaps in the record.
Tetanus is different but only needs doing about every two years, something that many vets fail to inform owners.
 
No as we massively overvaccinate however wouldn't do this unless all horses had had their vaccs for at least 5 years first. I have mine at home and wouldn;t normally vaccinate any more but have to for BE and RC.

I can't have tetanus vaccs as have had so many by blindly following the recommended schedule as I am around horses daily, that my body reacts severely to it. Read a lot about horses reacting as well as dogs.

Interesting articles http://ivcjournal.com/rethinking-equine-vaccinations-part-1/ http://ivcjournal.com/rethinking-equine-vaccinations-part-2/
 
Horse is retired so wont be going off the yard. Has been vaccinated every year for past 6 years. Its the same with dogs, we vaccinate every year, but people vaccinations are mostly lifelong protection !
 
Human tetanus is life-long if you have had the proper course. I put a fork through my foot when pregnant with second child and rushed off to A & E but they said if I had had childhood vaccinations and then a booster I didn't need any more, even working on a farm and with horses.

However, horses are very susceptible to tetanus. Re flu for horse, if none of the other horses are mixing, shows, fun rides, PC, RC or hunting and only in the same company, then maybe not.
 
Tetanus yes.

Flu vaccs depend upon the risks, where you are and the horses themselves - discuss with your vet.

For example, mine (kept at home in a stable herd with minimal contact with others) have tetanus only. A further factor in this decision is that one of them has reacted badly to a flu-jab in the past.
 
I'm looking round for a new horse at the moment, and have come across one, aged 9, that apparently has never been vaccinated??? Prior to this, I assumed most horses were, especially when young. Any thoughts please??
 
I am in this situation and I vaccinate for tetanus as horses are particularly succesptible. I do not agree with the timings though - the product inset says 3 years but vets insist on 2 years. Even humans, where it used to be every 10 years, they now say that if you have had 3 in your live you are covered.
 
On the Hoof said:
If your horse is insured you will probably find that vaccinations are a requirement before any claim can be made ?
Click to expand...

This isn't entirely true from my experience. I only know because I asked the question - you would not be able to claim for a condition that was related to Not having the vaccination. It is not usually a requirement to actually have insurance :)
 
i think tetanus protection is a basic right of the horse, unless there is a valid veterinary reason not to. i also understand that the reason equine flu is not more prevalent is because of the relatively high number who are protected, thus providing "herd immunity". Last year there was an outbreak of flu after a very major agricultural show near me, where an unvaccinated horse was stabled on site and the virus spread to a friend's yard and all the unvaccinated horses got it.
 
LJR said:
This isn't entirely true from my experience. I only know because I asked the question - you would not be able to claim for a condition that was related to Not having the vaccination. It is not usually a requirement to actually have insurance :)
Click to expand...

Thanks LJR ..useful to know.
 
nicnac- how have you decided on 5 years as your cut off please tell us?
Yes for tetanus- if there was absoloutely no outside contact e.gvia farrier/vet visits even or other horses with a significant distance influenza would not seem necessary.
 
EQUIDAE said:
I am in this situation and I vaccinate for tetanus as horses are particularly succesptible. I do not agree with the timings though - the product inset says 3 years but vets insist on 2 years. Even humans, where it used to be every 10 years, they now say that if you have had 3 in your live you are covered.
Click to expand...

Truth is, no one really knows how long the protection will last in every individual (horse or human).
Unless they deliberately infect people/horses with tetanus to see if the vaccination is still working, which no ethical society would agree to, they cannot guarantee it. Approximately 2% of the population (human or animal) fail to get immunity following a vaccination (any vaccination type) and some others will drop below the protective level very quickly.
I have seen a video of someone suffering from tetanus (very old black and white film) and it is horrendously painful. I have also seen a cat with tetanus and it was like 'living rigor mortis' (brought into vets where i worked and euthanised shortly after). So, I always ask for a booster if i haven't had one for a few years and get a wound.
Note that even if a manufacturer's instructions have a set time period, this doesn't mean the company will guarantee that all animals will be protected for that time period (there was a big argument about this ages ago about dog vaccinations) - if an animal still contracts the disease i suppose they just state that it had a problem developing immunity (hard to prove not) and go on the best knowledge they have at the time for the vaccination interval.
As others have said, horses are more susceptible to tetanus than other species (ALL other species) so would not risk a long period with a horse like they do with humans :)
 
Even ifyou inspect every horse in detail, you would not be able to stop tetanus, so every three years you must vaccinate, however there are three year and two year vaccines, I think.
 
Interesting thread. I was advised by my vet that even if the horses never leave the yard, horses passing by, hacking etc can spread the flu virus as it is airborne.
 
Tetanus is a horrible way to die,it iss difficult and expesive to treat if caught to and horses are more susceptible to it then any other animal including humans....so it makes sense to vaccinate as prevention.

Flu is a matter of risk management.like the human influenza it is airborne and can be spread by coughing so it depends on the area amount of horse traffic and the risk.flu is most severe in the old and the young and the immunocompromised. Herd immunity through vaccination helps prevent it spreading quickly through areas.
lt causes severe illness in animals who catch it and is a virus so there is not treatment bar supportive care to help then through and try and prevent secondary infections in top of the virus

Unless the horse suffers from vaccine reactions prevention is a lot easier then cure in the cases of these diseases.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top