team valor curtails South African racing stable

The vets say I am wrong but I have seen it. Since we have had to give this *^%#(! Horse sickness vaccination our % of bleeders has increased dramatically. We are 10kms from any industry etc and it is has still gone through the roof. At William Haggas's in the UK we had over 100 horses and 2 bled. Here it would be 20/30% conservativley. Maybe it must be given to yearlings, mares, stallions and retired horses/showjumpers etc or horses that need to be exported(many trainers believe that is the way to go during the horses racing career). Maybe every 2yrs for racehorses? Apparently they are working on a new vaccine which is not a live one as this one is at the moment. It cannot come soon enough!

Craig, this was argued about a while back and I hate to repeat myself. Can I ask ...

a. do you have figures or is this based on your perception alone?
b. when did you start vaccinating against AHS?
c. did the perceived change start that same year ... again, do you have figures? Presumably it was a dramatic change that very same year, not a gradual increase.
d. How do your figures compare with other trainers around the country, not in your area? They all use the same vaccine. That would eliminate some factors related to climate and pollution.
e. Have you, really, seriously, considered other factors as a cause for increased bleeding? Like how yearlings are prepared for sales, training techniques, etc?

You say your vets disagree. Why do they disagree? Have you really, seriously, taken note of their reasons?

Why I ask all this, Craig, dear bhoy - and please understand, I am not anti-Craig, rather I am worried about this anti-vaccination thingie that is circulating - is that to start something is easy but to stop it is impossible. Please be SURE you are not starting something that MAY be wrong. It could do untold damage.

I read medical blogs, and anti-vaccination is causing big damage worldwide, especially in the USA. It has got a tight hold on some people's minds. What is discouraging is that it is not based on evidence, and when the anti-vaxxers are presented with contrary evidence, they toss it aside and heap insults on those who disagree with them instead of arguing rationally. But I tell you something, the USA and other countries as well, are in for an epidemic of vaccine-preventable diseases, with all that goes with it, sickness, disabilities and death, because they won't listen to the evidence.

Again, I'm not saying you are wrong either, Craig. I don't have the figures and I'm hoping you can supply them. I'm a scientist by profession and by conviction, and just going by what people think isn't good enough. Please give me evidence, hard evidence!

Mavourneen,I am going on what I have seen in the 36yrs I have been at Summerveld. Things( training,weather,industry etc) have not changed here much in that time and certainly not in the amount that the change has been in the number of bleeders. I have never written down figures but have seen the change. I did not expect there to a problem so never kept figures but in my opinion and what I have seen, there is. I have yet to find a trainer that is honestly happy giving the HS vaccination. None mind giving the Flu vac. Some Vets say that it could be a factor as it is a live vaccine. Even they admit it is not a good vaccine as it is live and does not cover all strains of Horse sickness. So by giving it it does not mean your horse will not get HS anyway. I havent said we must not vaccinate at all. Obviously others have seen the same as I(and plenty other trainers here) have and have started that idea. I did not or have not heard about it. When I was with Alistair we had almost exactly the same figures as I mentioned in the UK and now that has changed a lot. We not trying to cause trouble but in the end we need to stop/limit the reason for the bleeding if we can. I would love to know from the vets how many more bottles of Lasix they use/supply now in comparison to 10yrs ogo!