I thought everyone vaccinated...

I vaccinate for flu and tetanus - we leave the yard on a regular basis for lessons, competitions and hacks and we share transport so it makes sense to vaccinate. It's personal choice though - everyone knows the risks and you do what's right/safe for you.
 
Barnacle said:
There are definitely no studies that suggest vaccines are harmful.
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Not true, there have been studies done that suggest that vaccines may be harmful, it's just that the drug companies are very rich and tend to only get what they want published. There are vets now coming out and saying that this over-vaccinating is harmful to our animals and causing a lot of the auto-immune disease we are now seeing. (See this: http://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/medicinehawk/2407-Vet/Vaccinosis.pdf)
I believe there has been a study done that shows a tetanus vaccine as lasting up to 10 years at least (we don't have yearly boosters), and it's widely accepted anecdotally that the equine flu vaccine is next to useless (not to mention the human one) as the strains are changing all the time. I believe British Dressage stopped making vaccines compulsory for their events some years ago.
 
Anyone not vaccinating against tetanus is a complete idiot they are putting their horse at unnecessary risk. Its a welfare issue they should be fined or the horse taken off them.
 
Mine are flu & tet vacc'd.

My worry would be a vaccinated horse/pony, going out & about can still bring home a virus but being vaccinated it will (most likely) shrug it off. Meanwhile it can have passed on germs to others.....

Happened round here with the EHV in the late 80's, a vacc'd pony who went out to driving trials caught it & tho unwell it recovered, its field mate who was retired had to be pts.

No brainer for me. Totally get when some say tho if theirs are on 'insulated' land and dont come into contact at all with others, but mixed herds with some going out and others not, then I would query the reasoning why not all are vacc'd. (just my opinion tho)
 
The 2 that go out and about have flu and tetanus. The pony that doesn't go anywhere gets a tetanus vaccine. I think a tetanus vaccine is a minimum. It doesn't cost much and only needs done every 2 years. Even if you only get the tetanus vac done once it is better than not at all.
 
Mine has tetanus but not flu as we don't compete and changes of horse at the yard he is at is low. I did look into flu last year when there was an outbreak in the county but chose not to.
 
All mine are vaccinated and were fully vaccinated (ie. tet and flu) until only recently when my vet pointed out that I probably didn't need to bother vaccinating for flu with my older ones who never go anywhere so I only do them for tet. Ones that go out and compete have both though. I've heard of a horse die from tetanus and its a horrid, nasty death so personally I dont know why people wouldn't bother especially looking at how easily a horse could knick itself on a fence.
 
It would be so easy to overlook a small puncture wound on a horse so it just seems stupid not to vaccinate for tetanus. We still have them all done for flu even the oldies although I suppose it isn't totally necessary. I would hate it if we ended up with flu in the area and they got ill when they needn't have.
 
I have always done mine as apart from anything else I was under the impression that if you insure and you have a claim if you havenet done teeth, vaccinations etc they may invalidate the claim ? Mine don't go anywhere.
 
Mine is vaccination as he competes. Back in the mists of time (late 80's) there was a big flu outbreak around here and many horses were really rather ill. We were in a very horses area and the only 2 horses not to get any symptoms at all were my mums as they were vaccinated and no-one else bothered.
 
burtie said:
Mine is vaccination as he competes. Back in the mists of time (late 80's) there was a big flu outbreak around here and many horses were really rather ill. We were in a very horses area and the only 2 horses not to get any symptoms at all were my mums as they were vaccinated and no-one else bothered.
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I was on a large yard in the New Forest at that time and all the horses already had flu and tet. On vet advice they were given another flu jab resulting in one of them becoming a very poorly horse.
 
All ours are vaccinated. Our two old retired ones only tetanus, the competition ones both flu&tet.

A friend doesn't vaccinate her gelding, and he does get colds regularly.
I am a believer that vaccinations can (and sometimes do) cause animals/ people to get ill, so unless necessary we try to avoid vaccinating our other animals and pets.
 
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Arzada said:
I was on a large yard in the New Forest at that time and all the horses already had flu and tet. On vet advice they were given another flu jab resulting in one of them becoming a very poorly horse.
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That's interesting, we didn't give any extra vaccs, surely it's a bit late once the outbreak has started as the horse has to develop immunity? Ours had just been done annually for the last few years and were the only 2 not to get ill! To be fair most of the horses were only mildy ill in our area for a few days but a couple were very poorly.
 
Just a thought regarding the flu and tet jabs for those who insure their horses for sickness cover some companies won't pay out unless a horse is fully up to date with these vaccinations.
 
I don't as my horse is highly allergic and goes into shock. The vet and drug company's have advised against it. He is still fully insured for death and Lou. The insurance company are aware so the policy is not void he just has flu and tet as exclusions. He was jabbed till he was 10 though so the vet thinks he hopefully should have enough immunity touch wood
 
Most livery yards insist on this, otherwise I wouldn't vaccinate for flu.

My horse is 21 and we don't compete so I'd be happy not to bother.
 
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