LAST weekend I attended the Greenmount Equine Hospital information day at Limerick Racecourse. Over 65 people attended the event which was aimed at offering horse owners practical and helpful advice on equine disease control, dealing with gastric upsets and managing worm infestations. The guest speakers included Joanne Cregg, MVB and Technical advisor at MSD Animal Health, Katherine Whitehouse, Equine Nutrition Advisor at Kentucky Equine Research and Nicola Walshe, MVB of Greeenmount Equine Hospital.

Without a doubt the take-home message from all of the speakers was that prevention is better than cure and it’s true what they say – an investment in knowledge pays the best interest. It is only when horse owners have an understanding of common equine ailments that they can begin to put protocols in place to prevent them and ultimately protect their equine establishments from economic loss. Joanne Cregg started off the day’s discussions and here are some of the main points I took from the presentation.

VACCINATE

Equine infectious diseases such as equine influenza, herpes, strangles and tetanus can severely affect a horse’s health and performance and in some cases can be fatal. Prevention is better than cure and vaccination is a key element in the fight against infectious disease.

Vaccination stimulates the immune system which allows horses to fight infection and if a horse does develop disease it will decrease the severity of the clinical signs. The most common diseases to vaccinate against are equine influenza (flu) and tetanus, although it is advisable to protect your horse against strangles and herpes if they are at risk. (At risk animals include horses travelling to competition and stud et cetera).

Immunisation is most effective when a high percentage of the horse population is vaccinated (known as herd immunity). The best practice would be to vaccinate your entire herd or at least 75% of them in order to reduce the risk of infection. Start by vaccinating those that are most susceptible (young and old horses). The immune status of the horse is affected by age and stress (horses who are in high-intensity training are often seen to have a depressed immune system).

Influenza-A virus is a relatively new disease, having only been diagnosed in the last 40-50 years. However it is now extremely common worldwide. This is due to the vast number of horses being transported around the world. The fact that equine flu epidemics are now quite rare is largely attributed to the success of vaccination. As an equine community we have made progress in our control of the disease but we need to remain vigilant. The gold standard is to have the entire yard vaccinated and to follow good stable management and hygiene procedures. This will reduce the amount of infective organisms in the horse’s environment.

COMPETITION PROTOCOL

Booster vaccinations are essential to maintain immunity and also to comply with the regulations for most competitions. It is important to be familiar with competition guidelines. It is not uncommon for competition authority guidelines to differ from vaccine manufacturer guidelines so in this instance it is important to consult a vet. Owners need to be aware of international requirements also.

Riders who compete under the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), Irish Turf Club or British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) rules have to ensure their horses’ equine influenza vaccinations are up-to-date to enable them compete. Most competitions do not permit vaccination within seven days of the event.

Equine influenza is highly contagious and spreads quickly. Once clinical signs have manifested, there is virtually no window of opportunity to contain the disease within a yard. This results in a huge economic loss to a yard as horses will not be able to train or compete and will need plenty of time to recover in order to ensure they return to full health.

The clinical signs of infection vary depending on the animal’s immunity. Young and un-vaccinated horses are most at risk and will often show severe signs such as fever, nasal discharge, dry cough and anorexia. Clinical signs in vaccinated animals will be less severe.

It is very important to keep booster vaccinations up-to-date. If there is a gap between boosters the animal’s protection is reduced and they are at risk. So it is important to follow a stringent vaccine schedule. Information on vaccine requirements for competition horses can be found in the accompanying panel.

RACING PROTOCOL

It is important to remember that the health and disease status of horses is also a national and governmental responsibility – there may be different requirements in each competition country.

It is recommended to check with National Federations, show organisers and governmental veterinary authorities for the latest importation, vaccination and other health requirements.

Failure to comply with the relevant import and export requirements can be a very expensive and disappointing experience.

According to the Racing Administration Service (RAS) website racehorse vaccination requirements state that after the first Influenza vaccination, the second vaccination must be administered within 21-92 days. The third vaccination must then be administered within 150-215 days after the second vaccination.

The horse can run on the track seven days after the second vaccination and then get his third vaccination within the stated timeframe.

Missing a vaccination will result in your vet having to start the whole vaccination process again from the start. Booster vaccinations must be administered at intervals of not more than a year apart.

None of the vaccinations must have been given on the day of a race in which the horse is declared to run or on any of the six days before the race.