Are you familiar with the new USEF rule for vaccinations starting Dec 1st? Photo by: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse.
In the past, vaccinations for my horses have not been something that I would spend much time on conducting my own independent research on. Instead, I very much would base my decision on which vaccinations would be administered on having a conversation with my veterinarin, and asking for their advice.
Some years, that meant additional vaccinations were recommended, if there was an elevated risk for a particualar disease or infection in my genernal geographic area. I am very fortunate to have a veterinarian that I trust completely to help me make the best decisions to keep my horses in best possible health.
But that doesn’t mean that I can’t start to be more proactive in being aware of what vaccines might be relevant to administer to horses in my area…and in fact, that could even help to make my conversations with my vet more insightful if I’m ready to ask questions about specific vaccinations.
With some of the outbreaks in recent years, the USEF has announced a new vaccination rule. Starting on December 1st, any horse that enters grounds on which a USEF-sanctioned competition is being held will be required to have documentation of being vaccinated for the equine influenza and equine herpesvirus within the last 6 months. You can learn more by reading this article over on TheHorse.com.
And then check out some of the other headlines from this week in Horse Health News, presented by Absorbine:
Relieve Equine Back Tightness with Massage: Does your horse more a little stiffly when you begin to warm up before a ride? Did you know that certain types of equine back pain can be addressed by using a safe and simple sports massage technique? Learn more about the technique here. [Practical Horseman]
What You Should Know About Blanketing: The great blanket debate; many horses that have adequate shelter available to them do great going without blankets during the winter season. Though others may benefit from blanketing due to factors such as workload or age. Check out this handy guide over at TheHorse.com to help learn more about blanketing factors you should consider. [The Horse]
TLC for Sutures: No one looks forward to having their veterinarian attend their horse to sutured a wound…but if the need arises and your horse has a wound that requires a extra help to heal, then sutures it is. The next step is to keep those sutures both clean and dry, so help the wound heal. Check out some tips on ‘TLC for Sutures’ here. [Equus Magazine]
Benefits of Using an Automatic Waterer: There are a number of reasons to consider undertaking the installation of automatic waterers in a barn or in an area that can be accessed from a pasture. Check out this video of Alayne Blickle (from Horses for Clean Water), which offering reasons to consider automatic waterer installation. [The Horse]
