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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322
| I saw a post on facebook through a mutual friend asking who does/doesnt vaccinate and why. Now, I cant find it but I am really interested to see what people do. Here's my situation... We sold all our previous horses and now only have 3 geldings this year (8-10 yrs old) which have been purchased between May-Oct. I know for a fact two of the three have never been vaccinated. The third one we were told he may have been vaccinated last year, but the guy couldnt remember.
I have always vaccinated my horses, but my bf does not. He believes it weakens their immune system and in his expirience his vaccinated horses caught colds/were sick more often then his unvaccinated horses. I always vaccinated (5-way plus WNV) so never had any other comparison. We have had cases of WNV in our area so I will for sure vaccinate for WNV, but what are opinons on the others? |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
  
Location: WI | Yes. I do EWT, WNV, Flu/Rhino, Rabies. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
 
Location: Pacific Northwest | We've owned horses since I was 4 (I'm 27 now) and every horse we've owned (10 of them) has been regularly vaccinated and none of them were ever sick. I've never dealt with a snotty nose or a cough that was cold related. All of our horses haul regularly all over the PNW. |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | I do VEWT, rabies, and West Nile.
My sisters' horses never get vaccinated (all our horses are on the same property). There's zero difference in occurrences of sickness/colds. I just do it to be on the safe side. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I do t but I am not hauling at this time. But I hope to haul some this year so I am interested in hearing what others do. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322
| GLP - 2016-11-23 11:57 AM
I do t but I am not hauling at this time. But I hope to haul some this year so I am interested in hearing what others do.
I wish I could find the post again... I was shocked at how many professionals (futurity girls, pros, breeders) either didn't vaccinate at all or only select a couple they feel are necessary. Then of course you had those that do all vaccines. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3310
Location: Jersey Girl | Yes I do vaccinate. My horses are exposed to outside horses so I want them protected. If they were isolated in my back yard I wouldn't do as many or maybe not at all.
Rabies
Tetnus
Strangles
WNV
Rhino/flu
EW Encephalitis (sp??) |
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 Expert
Posts: 1611
Location: bring on the heat, NV | Well I do and I dont. I dont vaccinate the ones that have bad reactions. Im not really sold on most of the vaccines because the trouble is there are so many strains and some that have "evolved" so you can vaccinate for one or two strains but still catch the third. I think if your hauling alot its good to vaccinate... I am a believer in Tetnus pretty firmly. Rabies im not really worried about. I do vaccinate my dogs because they dig for gophers and its required by groomers. Strangles we ve never bothered with the risk for me is to great. WNV is dicey. We've had an outbreak up north but they say the vaccine doesnt really prevent it just "may" give them a better survival rate? Same with the rattesnake vaccine. I think we need to work alot more on biosecuirty. I do believe in people vaccines though. Polio and measles etc. Tetanus esp ;)
I do not believe for a second it weakens immune systems. The whole theory behind vaccinatation is to prompt a immune response to train the immune system to recognize the virus and defend against. I see no difference between those that are vaccinated versus not. |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6437
Location: Montana | I do EWT, WNV, Flu and Rhino. But I compete on my one horse, and then the other is at the trainer's and I wanted to have her protected just in case. I feel like vaccines are cheaper than vet bills.
Personally, I don't believe in the Strangles vaccines because of its efficacy rate, plus my main mare it isn't recommended for it because of her age, and I don't want to risk my other mare getting strangles from the vaccine (which is possible). |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 507
Location: Lost in the corn of Iowa. | I vaccinate with a 6 way and strangles once a year. When I didn't used to leave the farm and mainly trail rode I didn't, but now that I'm back to showing again the horses are vaccinated. And by god let's not forget that bogus piece of paper they call a coggins test either. Can't forget that thing.  |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | I vaccinate using a 6 way. It costs me $80 and gives me piece of mind. I know there are many strains of the viruses and it doesn't mean my horses are 100% protected but I'd rather spend $80 and know I did all I could to protect them then not spend the money and my horse comes down with something. If they catch something and I vaccinated then at least I tried and I won't always worry I didn't do everything I could have.
That's just my two cents. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | I don't vaccinate. Haven't for many, many years. Have never had a sick horse. Haul several times a month. But I rarely use stalls and tie to my trailer. Don't nuzzle up with others. Works for me. But I don't travel when something is going around. |
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  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4627
Location: Texas | I vaccinate mine with the 6 way annually. |
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Location: Illinois | I do! Spring and fall.
There are some people who don't that I know. But I guess it's kinda like some parents who want to give their kids the flu shot and others don't! |
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 Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
I haul mutliple horses to barrel races and super shows nearly every weekend, in and out of state. I live in mosquito/bug-ridden Florida. I have not vaccinated a horse since 1985, and don't have plans to ever vaccinate again. I have had NO major illnesses in all of these years, just a case of Rhino, which is a bad cold/flu.
Vaccinations are overrated and really tax the horses' system.
My horses are all healthy, happy and vaccine-free!
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| I vaccinate every horse with the 5 way plus West Nile. This year every bird at my house died. I am sure it was West Nile. My next door neighbor had West Nile a couple of years ago, so it is prevalent around here. I vaccinate my broodmares for herpes also. I feel they are necessary. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 808
| I used to do it every year, because I was always taught that they needed it. I started interning with a big name trainer, he said he never vaccinated unless the owner really wanted it. I did my own research and came to my own conclusion that they are garbage and have not vaccinated since 2006. The last few years I have traveled a lot all over the US between California, Texas, Colorado, and Kentucky and have not had a single issue. |
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 Cactus Cowgirl
Posts: 2791
Location: Montana | Yep, everyone one of them. Whether we haul them or not. The vaccinated horses could bring something back to those that aren't. Much cheaper to vaccinate than try to keep them alive after they come down with a sickness I could have prevented.
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | I am starting to change my views on this! I read an article that the art or stated that we only vaccinate kids once not every year. So why vaccinate every year on horses. There is so many different views on this. Who knows what is right. I do believe drug companies really push medicines. I have had quite a bit issues so thinks by very seriously not vaccinate in spring but hard to change what I been doing since I was a kid! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 702
Location: MN | I have religiously vaccinated my horses every spring for many years but this year I didn't and I have talked with many other horse owners that didn't also. I know a couple that own an outfitting business and own and haul 50+ horses and they have never vaccinated any of them. None of them have ever been ill. In MN this year, there were quite a few cases of West Nile reported. Some of the horses were vaccinated against the disease and some were not.
This is an interesting topic. I was a little worried this year since I had not vaccinated but the more people I talk to, the more I find out that very few people vaccinate. Here's an interesting arcticle on the subject: http://hl.depaoloequineconcepts.com/?q=node/6 |
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