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Being a small-farm breeder I am always cautious about what I inject into my horses before I research what the heck is inside it and if it can cause side problems/effects or illness that some people, even our Vets don't know of... I had heard about West Nile shots being a problem with mares, with some friends and neighbors, and when I looked it up online this was one of several sites I found on WN shots being more than just a problem...

I got interested in the "shots subject" when my mother, being extremely dedicated to health started researching on child immunization shots (having health issues, low grad immune systems, autism, etc...) and she was able to get ahold of Mary Tocco's "Are Vaccines Safe?" video and the stuff inside that vid blew me away! One thing she spoke of was about the contents of some of the immunization shots (which are exteremely nasty, gross contents and I won't name them because I'll probably get thrown off the forum)-

When I had a friend who's broodmare suddenly started having cycle problems, she checked everything she might have changed and the only thing she could think of where when she started giving West Nile shots. She stopped and the mare went back to a normal cycle.

If you read this just check out the site above and tell me what you think (read the testimonials, they are constantly getting more and MORE testimonials concerning this problem) but don't check out the pictures if you can't handle shots of seriously deformed foals.

All the issues I'd heard previously were, Mares having cycle problems, being off-cycle, not comming into cycle, miscarrying foals, not coming into foal, foals being born WAY premature, foals born dead, foals not fully developed, and deformed foals. One or two breeders with this question may not be a big deal, but now I'm hearing of it everywhere!

I know all y'all horse owners out there want the best you can give for a horse, but I get looked down (in a "your neglecting your horse" way) on when I say NO I do not give WN shots to my broodmares. But what would be a form of neglect in my mind is injecting something into a horse that may possibly bring up serious problems if the people do not take time to make sure what they're injecting is SAFE.

Haven't, but will read the info.
I'm not a breeder, but stopped giving West Nile 5 yrs ago, when a good show horse developed serum hepatitis from the vaccination. 4 months recovery, $6,700 in medical, he is now a backyard pleasure horse.

My horses and all of my clients horses (too many broodmares to count) have been vaccinating our horses since Fort Dodge came out with the vaccine and never had a problem. And I will continue to vaccinate, I have watched one to many horses suffer and die or have to be euthanized from this terrible disease that I would never wish it on mine. Unfortunately with any vaccine wether it is one of the four Encephalomyelitis' (Eastern, Western, Venezuelan, West Nile). Or Rabies, Strangles, Influenza, or Rhinopneumonitis there is always a risk of a reaction. This goes for animal or human. I have seen over the years horses that have either had to be euthanized or died from contracting something that could have been prevented with vaccines, and had to watch their owners heartbroken because they either didn't know or had read something telling them not to vaccinate. I guess for us taking a risk like that (by not vaccinating) which could have so easily been prevented is not worth it for us. But each person needs to do what they think is best for their animals. Because we live where it doesn't freeze we have mosquitos year round to some degree, so we vaccinate twice a year with a 6 way (vee,wee,eee,flu,rhino) and then west nile so our horses have had twice as many shots as the horses that are in the rest of the country, and like I said we have never had a problem.

Ltc4h I'm so sorry to hear about your horse! P8ntcrazy, I'm very glad you have not had any trouble with the vaccines.

It is interesting how we never used to have this many vaccines, and the equines of 100 years ago didn't have the problems they do now.

AQHABreeder,

It is true about a hundred years ago we may not have had these problems but a hundred years ago horse were a lot stronger physically. Unfortunately with humans quest for their idea of perfection we have weakened them (same is true in the dog world). Changed there whole way of living. Also certain diseases most likely would have never made it around the world without the help of today's technology in transportation.

But to each their own. They can be hard choices to make for some.

I'm so glad someone else sees my point of view

AQHABreeder:

It is no different to me than parents who dont immunize their children. It is freedom of choice. I may not agree but who am I to tell you what to do. I certainly do not consider that a form of abuse by no stretch of the immagination. Keep up what works for you. I admire your strength in going against the populous, I am a chicken and do as they tell me to and hope for the best.

We did our Yearly Vaccines Saturday, one thing our Vet advised.

The Single Part "West Nile Vaccines" are more likely to cause reactions than the Two Part Brand.

It only cost another two dollars a shot for the two part kind and a second or two of time, but it drops the reaction chance by 30% over the single part brand, according to an Veterinary Article our Vet was telling us about.

Yes! Exactly why we are careful of which child immunization shots get used in this house and which dont.
Why do they put Mercury (which BINDS with testosterone and can cause Autism) in our child immunization vacs. and then tell us that we can no longer eat fish out of the Duck River (nearby) that has had mercury in it from the waste (?) dumping into it. Yet we are supposed to inject it into our children...hmmm.... now there's a thought huh?

Thanks so much for your praise, hard to "go against the flow" in some cases but some things really get me researching. I want to know what is being injected into my horse and if there might be a problem. I just want to play it safe first vs. being sorry after.