Routine Health Care
Vaccinations
Dentistry
Horse Health Plan
Microchipping
Worming
JMB measurement
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are an important part of your horse's routine healthcare. Every horse must be protected against Tetanus. If not combined with Influenza vaccination then the initial Tetanus vaccination course consists of two injections 4 to 6 weeks apart. Thereafter a booster vaccination should be given at least every 3 years.
Combined Vaccination against Equine Influenza and Tetanus
1st Equip FT after 5 months old
2nd Equip FT within 21-92 days after 1st vaccination
3rd Equip FT within 150-215 days after 2nd vaccination
Booster vaccination annually (within 365 days)
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Pregnant mares should be given a booster vaccination 4-6 weeks before foaling so that passive immunity is passed to the foal in the mare's milk. These protected foals should start their primary course at 5 months of age.
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Unprotected foals should be protected with an injection of tetanus antitoxin serum within 24 hours of birth. These foals should have an extra vaccination at 3 months of age, then start their primary course as normal at 5 months old.
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Cliffe Equine will endeavor to inform you when your horse's boosters are due. However it is the legal responsibility of the owner or trainer to ensure that their horse meets the requirements demanded by the event organising authority for the particular event in which they wish to compete.
The Jockey Club Regulations for Equine Influenza Vaccination
The Jockey Club and other event organising authorities recognise the great importance of protecting against Equine Influenza. Therefore they have strict vaccination requirements which must be complied with if you wish your horse to enter their competitions or onto their premises. If you fail to comply with their regulations your horse will be barred from entry onto the site.
Horses may not race until the 8th day after the day of vaccination.
1st Equine Influenza vaccination
2nd vaccination after 21 to 92 days from 1st vaccination
3rd vaccination after 150 to 215 days from 2nd vaccination
Thereafter annually, with the last permissible day being the same date as the previous year's vaccination.
FEI Regulations for Equine Influenza Vaccination
The FEI requirement for influenza vaccination is for booster vaccinations at six monthly intervals as from 1 January 2005.
The primary course of vaccination requires two doses of vaccine between one and three months apart (30-90 days). The first booster vaccination must be given no more than six months after the second vaccination of the primary course. Thereafter, booster vaccinations must be given at six month intervals.
It is the owner or trainer's legal responsibility to ensure that the horse's vaccination records comply with the regulations of the organisation or show in which they wish to compete.
Vaccination against Equine Herpes Virus
1st Duvaxyn EHV 1,4 after 5 months old
2nd Duvaxyn EHV 1,4 within 4-6 weeks
Booster Single vaccination every 6 months
To prevent abortion due to EHV-1, the pregnant mare should be vaccinated during the 5th, 7th, and 9th months of pregnancy
Vaccination against Equine Strangles
Currently the vaccination against Strangles has been withdrawn from the market until further notice.
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Horse Health Plan
In the autumn of 2007 we launched our HORSE HEALTH PLAN.
This scheme gives your horse a yearly health check, like a mini ‘vetting’. The plan aims to provide the best preventative health care by identifying potential problems before they become too serious. This examination is a real advantage for the older horse and hopefully provides reassurance that your horse is still safe to ride. We offer this service from October to March every year.
What is involved?
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Full clinical examination-including lungs, skin.
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Legs and back examinatio.
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Heart assessment.
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Eye examination.
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Dental examination.
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Soundness assessment including trot-up.
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Foot examination for balance and horn quality.
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Blood tests : haeamatology and bacteriology.
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Worm egg count.
Following our examination and laboratory results, we then put together a Unique ACTION PLAN tailored to the specific needs of your horse. Our findings, results and action plan are then collated and discussed with you. This is then presented in your horse’s own record folder.
Other bonuses
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10% discount on vaccination at the time.
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10% discount on dental work carried out within 6 weeks.
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10% discount on wormers.
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Discounted foot balance x rays (£100 plus visit).
All this for £120 (inc VAT) plus visit charge
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Microchipping
We recommend microchipping your horse as a means of permanent identification. A small chip (about the size of a grain of rice) is injected into the ligament in your horse’s neck. This contains a unique number and can be read with a scanner. All microchips come with lifetime registration on the world-wide database.
Horses are routinely scanned for a microchip at pre-purchase examinations; at sales and auctions. There are many cases of lost or stolen animals being returned to there rightful owner thanks to the presence of a microchip.
Worming
Horses can be infected by three groups of internal parasites, roundworms, tapeworms and bots. Infections with any of these parasites can be responsible for weight loss, diarrhoea
, poor performance and general ill thrift in horses. More seriously, worms are a major cause of colic, which is the single largest cause of mortality in horses.
A worming programme is essential for the health and wellbeing of your horse. Please speak to one of our vets to discuss your individual situation. A summary of our current advice and worming programme and advice can be downloaded here (Worming programme PDF).
We also encourage a ‘Monitored Worming Regime’, using faecal egg counts and blood tests (to measure antibody levels to tapeworms) from your horse. This requires excellent pasture management protocols to be used, and horses grazed together to be treated as a group. It is possible to make substantial savings and worm as little as once a year!
Pasture management is essential if you wish to reduce the worm burden on your horse. (For example, removing ALL dropping from your paddocks at least twice a week).
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JMB measurement
The Clinic has a registered measuring pad and Karl Holliman is on the panel of the Joint Measurement Board (JMB) and can carry out annual or life height measurements under their rules.