Vaccination Reactions?

I've asked a couple people this question and no one really had any answer for it... If a horse is unhandled for most of it's life (say 6 out of 7yrs) and has never had shots before, does it run a higher risk of having a bad reaction to being vaccinated?

I would think with no vaccinations the risk would be less as the exposure is less.......its not usually the vaccination it self but the carrier that causes the reaction.

Super Nova

Thanks super nova! I actually had someone tell me today that because the horse hasnt been exposed to anything, their immune system is weaker so they would probably have a higher chance of bad a bad reaction.. What you said makes much more sense though.
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Thanks super nova! I actually had someone tell me today that because the horse hasnt been exposed to anything, their immune system is weaker so they would probably have a higher chance of bad a bad reaction.. What you said makes much more sense though!
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Of course the best thing to do is call the vet. I just have to figure out now how to get her vaccinated. Idealy I would like to have the vet do it, however she won't let anyone but me and sometimes my bf within 10ft of her. I'm willing to do it myself but I've never given a horse a shot before and I don't want to do any damage.
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The reaction to the vaccine isnt going to be as bad as the reaction to catching the disease, or of you having to go through a series of rabies shots.
Get the horse vaccinated.

This is where tough love comes in. I suggest you hold her & have a vet give the injections, they will do it swiftly & surely. You could do it but you don't want to learn on an untrained horse.

Thanks for the replies. The horse is going to be vaccinated no matter what, I was simply curious about the difference of risk.

Natisha, the idea is for me to be able to hold the horse and have the vet do it but the horse is also a 16.3hh tb and I am 5'2" so im not sure how much holding I will be able to do when she tries to bolt.
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I just got a 9 year old gelding that was abandoned at a boarding facility. He had not been vaccinated in a few years... I vaccinated him the day after I got him and he didn't have any problems.
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Ditto it's the binding agent that can cause a reaction in some horses.

Also, if the area where the horse is injected, isn't cleaned really well, they can develop a bump on that spot. Sometimes it needs lanced by the vet because it won't go away on its own.

Strangles is the most popular vaccine for giving horses a bad reaction. I did them once and will never do them again, so I am not up-to-speed as to whether or not the intranasal form is still better than injectable.

A couple of my horses got the punies from the rabies vaccine this year and they all got the shot in their butts to help avoid a reaction.

The worst was my 24 yr old with serious metabolic issues but, he wasn't bad enough for me to have to call the vet back.

They have never had reactions to WNV, or the 3-way shot.

If you board and are required to pump the horse full of vaccines, don't do them all at once. Spread them out over several weeks; the vet can help you with that decision:)