horse lessons for summer-need tet shot?

[hpienkos]

Does my daughter who has never had any shots need a tetanus shot for horse riding lessons? any thoughts? Thanks

[stik]

Is someone trying to suggest that a tetanus vaccine is a requirement for their horseback riding program? I can't think of a reason for one.

[Sileree]

No no no. I have regularly riden horses since I was seven years old and I have never had a tet booster.

[Marnica]

I wouldn't get one for my LO. I have also riffen since I was a child...I have never sustained any type of puncture wound and if I did, I would clean it appropriately

[BarnMomma]

Hi,

As you can tell from my name I'm at the barn with horses daily. My little DS has been tagging along since he was 3 months old. He's spent more time at our barn than he has at our home.

Tetanus was a concern until I really did more reading. It's rare and with proper wound care, shouldn't be an issue.

My DS is now 22 mo and non vaxed and still at the barn daily running around, climbing fences, getting splinters, getting cuts...normal toddler boy stuff. I just keep H2O2 and tea tree oil in the car to clean wounds ASAP and I don't worry about it.

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by hpienkos

Does my daughter who has never had any shots need a tetanus shot for horse riding lessons? any thoughts? Thanks

I would not give her a T shot. No way. Besides, they don't even know whether it is even in the slightest way effective.

[ramama]

I wouldn't worry about it at all. I rode horses for 10+ years and of all the injuries I managed to get, a puncture wound was never one of them!

[hpienkos]

thanks for all the information, I do have a quick question, though if she does get scraped or cut on the horse farm-do i only use hydrogen per. and then add a dab of tea tree oil and this would take care of it?

And no, they are not requiring that she has a t-shot, but one of my friends (who vac) is getting hers done and asked me if I was too and so i just wanted to see if it was really necessary.

thanks!

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by hpienkos

.. she does get scraped or cut on the horse farm-do i only use hydrogen per. and then add a dab of tea tree oil and this would take care of it?

Yes, you would treat it like any other wound. A scrape or cut could never grow tetanus anyway, so it is a regular wound. Only very deep puncture wounds that close up and do not bleed could potentially grow tetanus.
Also a severe burn or a squash wound like from a car accident. The tetanus spores (which live everywhere and always have) need an oxygen free environment to evolve into a bacteria. Then they need to produce this side product which is a toxin to us.
Oxygen is everywhere. In the air and in our body. Our blood is full of oxygen. Every part of our body is full of oxygen or it would die out. This is why tetanus is seen mostly in old people who have poor circulation, such as diabetics.

When a body part is burned and it is not exposed to air, or a part is crushed, then there is dead tissue. It does not have blood supply and could possible be a candidate for tetanus.

So, a scrape, cut or broken bone, is never in danger of tetanus.