Your horse’s well being depends entirely upon you, however. I always say, “You can park a boat for the winter and forget about it, but you cannot simply park your horse. He needs around-the-year care.”
One of your responsibilities is regular maintenance of his vaccinations so all those “little and big bugs” cannot get him. Many afflictions and conditions can come at him from many sources ‘” most of them can be avoided by a routine veterinarian vaccination schedule. Remember, and this is important, you should always defer to your veterinarian’s advice and recommendations when setting up your horse’s vaccination schedule.
In this article, I talk about some of the vaccinations your veterinarian may suggest. I discuss foals and young horses, performance and pleasure horses, but my discussion does not include broodmares ‘” develop a specific dialog with your veterinarian if you have a gestating or lactating mare.
–Sleeping Sickness (Encephalomyelitis) ‘” EEE, WEE and VEE
You can only get VEE given in combination with EEE and WEE. Foals are generally vaccinated early: at 3 months of age followed up by a booster in 2 months. Yearlings and mature pleasure or performance horses require annual vaccinations.
–West Nile
All horses, whether kept in stables, sheds or pastures are at risk from mosquitoes and should be inoculated for West Nile. You want to protect the foal at about five or six months of age, possibly younger, and provide a booster soon thereafter in one month. All other horses should receive shots annually.
–Lockjaw (Tetanus)
If you do not know your horse’s health history and he gets a cut or wound, it is important to get an antitoxin administered immediately. If he has had a tetanus shot, but it has been longer than six months and he gets a wound, your horse requires a booster. Foals should receive their first tetanus inoculation at about 3 months of age followed by another in one or two months. Young, performance and pleasure horses should receive an annual vaccination for tetanus.
The youngest horses, especially foals, have not yet built up a resistance to influenza and require several initial vaccinations. Generally, foals are dosed at six, seven and eight months of age; the schedule may vary slightly. They may even require a booster series of shots after initial immunizations. Young horses also require several shots during the year. Show horses and performance horses that have much contact with other horses should also get several inoculations annually. The pleasure horse will do well with an annual shot; however, when exposed to other horses, a booster is recommended.
–Strangles (Distemper)
Foals receive this vaccination around 3 months of age followed by a booster in a month or two. All other ages are fine with an annual vaccination.
–Rabies
Administer rabies to foals at 3 months of age. All other aged horses receive the rabies shot annually.
Dose foals at six, seven and eights months of age ‘” this is considered the preferred dosage. Young horses and performance horses in contact with other horses should receive shots several times a year, perhaps every three months. Pleasure horses are dosed annually.
–Potomac Horse Fever
PHF is a consideration mainly on the east coast of the United States. Foals receive their shots at age 3 months and follow up dose in one month. All other aged horses receive an annual vaccination.
–Food Poisoning (Botulism)
Consult with your veterinarian since this is administered in specific geographic regions of the country (i.e., Kentucky and several other states).
This list is basic. I caution you to work with your veterinarian to maximize your vaccination schedule – that is, determine best time of year, type, vaccination and booster suitable for your horse in your geographic area.
The long-used quote “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies to your horse’s vaccination schedule and his life may well depend on your remembering it!
This article and other horse related articles by The Old Gray Mare can be found on www.DressYourHorse.com.
