Vaccination/Sarcoids Decision

[Abby Bloxsom <goneriding@snet.net>]

I'm sure this list will help me work through this decision.  
Here's the background:

In a few weeks, my 4 personal horses will be moving down the road to
live with the horses at camp, where I work.  Although idle for winter,
all 4 are working animals, no pasture potatoes.  

The herd at camp consists of 4 horses that live there year round, plus
25 or so leased horses who will arrive in the spring and leave in the
fall.  Again, idle for winter - the snow has been unbelievable. 
May/June they will be brought into shape for work - our summer pature
won't even be open until the end of this month!

Only one of my horses is likely to leave camp for competition
(competitive trail rides) and return. Other than that, the herd of 33
will be consistent throughout the season.

The 4 camp horses have been vaccinated IM for EEE, WEE, influenza,
tetanus, and rhinopneumonitis.  They received IN strangles vaccine on a
separate date, two or three weeks later.  They have also been vaccinated
against rabies, but I'm uncertain whether that was done at the same time
or not.  Strangles has been present at this facility in the past, so we
prefer to vaccinate for it.  Rabies is definitely present in this area,
and for the last 4 years we have vaccinated all horses at camp - even
the leased horses who aren't there long - for rabies.

We have nearly eliminated the incidence of strangles at camp.  The first
year I was there (4 years ago), we had 3 or 4 horses that we kept and
treated through their illness.  Last year we were down to none, but sent
one sick horse back to the dealer, and we suspected that what she had
would prove to be strangles.  Never heard the outcome.

For my own horses, I have routinely done 4-way shots in the spring (EEE,
WEE, flu, tetanus) plus rhino & rabies, and the last 2 or 3 years have
done strangles IN as well on a separate visit.

We have a new dealer this year.  He has a closed herd; he does not lease
to facilities that have their own horses (he's making an exception for
us because we have a small, closed herd) and does not vaccinate.  He
reports no strangles at all ("Used to have, way back, but now we just
keep 'em fat all winter and they do fine. They don't get sick at all
now.")

One of the mares in my group (NOT the one who will travel) has always
had a tough time with vaccinations, generally lethargic & stiff & a low
temp from 2-4 days after.  I have owned her since birth, she's 13.

This mare also has, over I'm guessing at least 4-5 years, had a small
flat sarcoid at the midline of her girth.  It's never grown, & I didn't
even think of it being a sarcoid until the last couple years.  Last
spring after vaccinations, when fly season started, she developed a
nasty-looking round sarcoid at the base of her ear, where the folds
meet.  It's about the size of a good-sized marble, and during the summer
when the flies worried it, there was bleeding too.  I thought about
having it removed in the fall after the flies were gone, but by that
time it looked so much better I thought I would try waiting it out one
more year.  

So now for the question (finally):  

I really feel that we're overvaccinating - we keep adding-on stuff, and
not eliminating anything.  I'm considering doing only rabies, and maybe
the IN strangles, for my own horses.  I'm also considering doing no
vaccs at all on the mare with the sarcoids, and running a rabies titre. 
Since she will not be competing, I won't have a rabies vaccination
requirement (most rides around here do that) but I'll have the titre,
which will ease my mind.

Any thoughts that will help me in this decision will be very much
appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

-Abby B
-- 
* * *
Abby Bloxsom
ARICP Certified Instructor
Level III Recreational and Distance Riding
Colebrook, CT USA
goneriding@snet.net