Horse owners often find it challenging to keep up with the latest vaccination recommendations, and some may not grasp their importance in keeping horses healthy and strong. Your horse needs certain “core” vaccines, and may also need non-core vaccines based on his usual activities, geographic location, and other considerations.

Although you might be hesitant to get your horse poked, it’s for his protection, and vaccines are generally safe. They have been well-tested, and many have been used for decades. Vaccination should be routine, so read on for current recommendations, potential side effects, and the overall importance of having your horse vaccinated.

Core Vaccines

One of the best measures to protect your horse’s health is a vaccination program. Core vaccines are often administered in an initial series of two to three shots, and then once or twice a year after that. Skipping core vaccinations could mean sickness or even death among your equine family.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has established vaccination guidelines for horses. Core vaccinations are those recommended for all horses, regardless of age, sex or region where they live. These include any vaccines required by law and those that protect animals from diseases that are highly infectious, pose a risk of severe illness, are of potential public health significance, or are endemic to a region.

Kris Hiney, Ph.D., is an assistant professor and equine extension specialist for the Oklahoma State University Department of Animal and Food Sciences. She says the five core vaccines are Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis, West Nile virus, tetanus and rabies.

“We consider these ‘core’ due to the risk of fatality associated with these diseases,” she says. “And the human health risk with rabies, of course.”

5 Core Vaccines

The following are recommendations for core vaccines based on the guidelines provided by the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Always work with your veterinarian to develop the ideal vaccination schedule for your horse.

◆ Eastern & Western Equine Encephalomyelitis: EEE and WEE are primarily transmitted by mosquitoes, but they’re also infrequently transmitted by ticks, other insects, or nasal secretions. While EEE has been reported throughout North and South America, WEE is more common in the western United States. Both have a high mortality rate, and vaccinations are recommended for all horses in North America.

◆ Rabies: Rabies is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, typically wildlife, and is endemic in every state but Hawaii. Although the incidence of rabies in horses is low, it presents a considerable public health risk, and it’s almost always fatal among horses, making it a core annual vaccination to all equines.

◆ Tetanus: Tetanus presents a risk to all horses and is often fatal. Although it isn’t contagious, horses can develop tetanus through a Clostridium tetani infection resulting from its entrance into a wound or from environmental exposure to the toxin—which resides in the soil—if a horse eats contaminated soil or droppings. The vaccines currently available are recommended for all horses.

◆ West Nile Virus: WNV is nearly always transmitted by mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds. It’s been identified throughout the continental United States, Mexico, and most of Canada, and is the leading cause of arbovirus encephalitis in horses. However, it’s not directly contagious from horse to horse or equine to human.

Non-Core Vaccines

One or more non-core vaccines also may be recommended following a risk-benefit analysis. Recommendations of non-core vaccines vary based on region and specific horse populations
within an area.

The risks of horses contracting non-standard diseases aren’t always easy to identify, which is one of the many reasons it’s important to consult a veterinarian. Equine vets understand what’s endemic in an area and which horses may be at higher risk for certain diseases, so they can recommend the appropriate non-core vaccines to add.

“Non-core—flu/rhino, strangles, Potomac—are considered risk-based more on the lifestyle of the horse and if they are endemic,” Hiney explains.

Some non-core vaccinations that may be recommended due to risk-based assessments include:
◆ Anthrax
◆ Botulism
◆ Equine herpesvirus (also called equine rhinopneumonitis, or “rhino”)
◆ Equine influenza (aka “flu”)
◆ Equine viral arteritis
◆ Leptospirosis
◆ Potomac Horse Fever
◆ Rotavirus
◆ Snake bite
◆ Strangles
◆ Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis

Don’t Forget Boosters

Once your horse receives the initial series of a core vaccine, he’ll still require boosters. Many vaccines require an annual booster to maintain immunity, but some diseases may require more frequent action.

“Booster frequency depends on how endemic the disease is and your horse’s level of exposure,” Hiney explains. She says there isn’t a lot of research on how long vaccines last in horses, which is why they recommend annual boosters for all, and even more frequent ones in certain circumstances. She says they have a better idea of the duration of immunity in companion animals.

“To some degree, we’re probably over-vaccinating horses for tetanus,” says Garrett Metcalf, DVM, an equine veterinarian at Pine Ridge Equine Hospital in Glenpool, Okla. “However, horses are rather sensitive to the neurotoxin produced from Clostridium tetani that leads to the clinical signs of tetanus. Infected horses can be treated and saved, but up to 75 percent of them still die. It’s better to just over-vaccinate them, which won’t hurt them.”

Boosters help maintain a good protective level of antibodies, so if you forgo boosters, your horse may no longer be protected when exposed to a disease. If you allow his annual vaccinations to lapse longer than a couple of years, your vet may recommend that the primary series be administered again before recommencing annual boosters.

Injection Site

The best injection site for vaccinations is another area where a veterinarian’s extensive knowledge plays a key role. You must consider the possibility of adverse reactions when choosing injection sites.

For example, it’s not recommended to inject vaccines into the gluteal muscles or hip region of a horse because considerable tissue damage can occur should an abscess develop. If lesions erupt, they could require a long healing time.

“The neck is the usual site, in the ‘triangle,’” says Hiney. “But if a horse has an adverse reaction and his neck is stiff and sore, he may be more reluctant to move.”

Metcalf says that some people still vaccinate their own horses, and some vaccines can be purchased at feed stores. He emphasizes that it’s always better to let your vet administer vaccines, but if he has a client who insists on doing it themselves, he always shows them at least once where to give the shot.

“The ideal spot is [the triangle-shaped area] about the size of your hand right in front of the shoulder blade, in the middle of the neck,” says Metcalf. “Too low and it’s too near the cervical spine. Too high and it’s in the fat within the nuchal ligament instead of the muscle.

“When it’s in the fat, the horse won’t have an immune response,” he continues. “Horses can also get really sore when vaccinated in this spot. They can’t lower their head to eat and can’t move their neck well. Be educated.”

While administering your horse’s vaccines yourself isn’t advisable, working with your vet also has the benefit of ensuring serious side effects can be quickly identified and handled properly. If you insist on administering vaccines yourself, realize that some manufacturers will not reimburse for adverse outcomes.

“The vaccine makers want a vet to administer vaccinations,” Hiney says. “Usually, they only guarantee vaccines administered by a vet and not purchased online or through a feed store.”

Adverse Reactions

Adverse reactions are an inherent risk of vaccination. Horses commonly experience local muscle swelling and soreness at the vaccination site. Transient, self-limiting clinical signs, which last only a short time and resolve without treatment, may include fever, lethargy, and lack of appetite.

Severe reactions at injection sites may require prolonged treatment and convalescence. Allergic-type reactions, such as hives, purpura hemorrhagica colic, or anaphylaxis can also occur and are particularly dangerous. Although unlikely to occur if proper procedure is followed, the potential for severe adverse reactions is one major reason why vaccines should be administered by a veterinarian.

“Some horses will react to the adjuvant, which is the ‘extra’ part that stimulates the horses’ general immune system,” Hiney says. “If that is the case, you may want to switch brands; it can make a difference.”

Metcalf advises horse owners who are concerned about adverse reactions to research the vaccine manufacturer, because the reactions can vary. However, he says usually less than 1% of horses have a severe reaction.

Administering multiple vaccines of both multiple antigens and adjuvants simultaneously may increase a horse’s risk of a reaction. When multiple products are needed, ask if your vet recommends staggering administration by three to four weeks between shots.

“If your horse has reactions, I would not give multiple [vaccines] at once,” Hiney says. “But many manufacturers now bundle vaccines together, sort of a ‘one and done.’”

If your horse has had a reaction in the past, you may need to avoid combo vaccines and stagger his shots.

“But then you have to worry about them developing a fever and other bad responses from having too many injections,” warns Metcalf. “Most companies mix vaccines with five, six or seven types all together to keep injection sites from getting sore. There are actually fewer problems with the mix of vaccines, which we use.”

Best Vaccination Practices

It’s important to develop a comprehensive vaccination program, but a one-size-fits-all version for all horses doesn’t exist.

“Talk to your vet,” Hiney stresses. “Remember biosecurity! Even if you take a vaccinated horse to a show and have others at home, you may be dragging pathogens back with you, so always think about good biosecurity protocols—don’t just rely on vaccines alone.”

This article about horse vaccinations appeared in the March 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Horse Vaccinations 101 appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Rabies doesn’t always come in the form of a drooling, snarling, biting dog. Sometimes, especially in horses, this deadly disease presents itself quietly and mimics other conditions. Although equine rabies is relatively rare, it’s a silent killer. Not only can it fatally harm your horse, it infect you and others around the barn. Thankfully, rabies is easy to prevent.

Where and How Equine Rabies Starts

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bats were the most frequently reported wildlife with rabies nationwide in 2018. Rabid bats are found in every state except Hawaii. Skunks, raccoons, and foxes also commonly carry the disease.

Anytime there’s an uptick in wildlife around your livestock, there’s an increased risk of your horse encountering an infected animal. This is especially true if an animal is displaying erratic behavior such as a nocturnal animal skulking about during the daytime. As we all know, horses are naturally curious, but that curiosity can be deadly.

According to Kris Hiney, PhD, assistant professor and equine extension specialist at Oklahoma State University, horses most commonly contract rabies simply due to their curious nature.

“We’ve all seen horses that investigate animals, especially those acting abnormally,” she said. “Thankfully, it’s not extremely common, but rabies is endemic in the U.S. The closer your horse is to wildlife (essentially horses in pastures!) it has the potential to be exposed.”

Rabid animals transmit the viral disease through their saliva, most commonly through a bite. However, transmission can also occur when an infected animal’s saliva enters an open wound on your horse’s skin or through any mucous membrane, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Signs of Equine Rabies

There are two classic types of rabies your horse can contract—encephalitic and paralytic. These are more commonly referred to as furious or dumb rabies.

“Furious is just as it sounds, aggressive, and the dumb form results in lethargy, depression, etc.,” Hiney explained.

Clinical signs of equine rabies greatly vary, and the disease may progress rapidly or have a long incubation time with symptoms not appearing for two to six weeks, or even longer. Hiney said that commonly reported symptoms include going off feed, depression, and neurological changes. Other symptoms can include sudden behavioral changes, lameness, muscle tremors, head pressing, difficulty urinating, incoordination, teeth grinding, drooling, and facial paralysis among others.

After the onset of symptoms, your horse is highly contagious and usually only has a few days to a week to live. Unfortunately, the clinical signs of rabies in horses are easily confused with other diseases, which can result in exposure of other animals and human caregivers to the rabies virus.

“Rabies symptoms may be mistaken for colic, EEE, WNV, toxicities, etc.,” Hiney said. “Anytime you see neurologic signs in a horse, you need to take it extremely seriously.”

There isn’t a definitive test to diagnose rabies in horses prior to death. Diagnosis can only be made postmortem through an evaluation of the horse’s brain. If rabies is suspected, it’s critical to limit exposure to the infected horse.

Preventing The Silent Killer

Rabies exposure in horses is less common than in other domestic animals. There were only 13 rabid horses/donkeys reported to the CDC in 2018, but a report from the University of Kentucky indicates about 30 to 60 equine rabies cases are confirmed annually.

With those numbers, why take a chance? An annual shot given with other essential vaccinations protects your horse and prevents him from becoming fatally ill.

“Vaccinate! This disease is preventable and more important it’s a human health risk,” Hiney stressed. “It should be considered part of the core vaccines–Tetanus, Rabies, West Nile, and Eastern and Western encephalitis.”

The alternative to a low-cost vaccination is grim. There aren’t any successful treatments for equine rabies, so there’s no cure.

“Death is always the outcome,” Hiney warned. “The horse may become depressed, ataxic, or more aggressive, depending on how the disease presents, but it always results in death.”

Routine contact with an infected horse may be all it takes for rabies to spread to the horse’s owner or caretaker, too.

“Rabies is kind of a cool virus strategically,” Hiney explained. “It causes salivation and painful swallowing. A large amount of virus is shed in the saliva so essentially it causes the body to do what will optimize its spread. So, any handling of the horse’s mouth could result in transmission. That’s why I recommend using extreme caution and optimal biosecurity protocols with a horse with neurologic conditions. And notify your vet of what they’re walking into!”

The post Equine Rabies: Preventing the Silent Killer appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

The Infectious Disease Committee of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has issued revised guidelines for the administration of selected core and risk-based vaccines to horses. The recommendations are based on the age of the horse and its previous vaccination history and are meant to serve as a reference for veterinarians.

Reviewed AAEP vaccination guidelines include the core vaccinations Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE), and Rabies; and the risk-based vaccinations Anthrax, Botulism, Equine Herpesvirus (EHV), Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA), Equine Influenza, Leptospirosis, Potomac Horse Fever Rotaviral Diarrhea, and Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis (VEE).

Among important modifications to the AAEP Vaccination Guidelines for Horses:

◆ The Adult Horse Vaccination and Foal Vaccination charts have been updated to match changes made in various vaccination guidelines and vaccine manufacturer label recommendations. Changes to the foal chart also include updates to the rabies vaccination recommendations for vaccinated vs. unvaccinated mares. Changes to the adult horse chart include updates to the broodmare section to recommend vaccinating those mares pre-partum with a “respiratory EHV” product in addition to the abortion product.
◆ The Anthrax guidelines indicate that the disease can be contracted in an endemic area via vector-borne transmission. Further recommendations have been added for horses during an outbreak (e.g., vaccinate afebrile horses not showing clinical signs).
◆ The EEE and WEE guidelines encourage veterinarians to consult with vaccine manufacturers for their geographic region and to consider the region’s case frequency for the current year and in recent years.
◆ The Equine Influenza guidelines include recommendations for horses that have recovered from natural infection. It also notes that some facilities and competitions may require vaccination within the previous 6 months to enter.
◆ The EVA guidelines indicate that the occasional stallion may shed very low concentrations of vaccine virus in its semen for several days following first-time EVA vaccination and the recommendation to confirm negative status prior to vaccination.
◆ The Leptospirosis guidelines incorporate recommendations for foals as young as 3 months of age and emphasize that the licensed vaccine is safe for pregnant mares at all stages of parturition.
◆ The Rabies guidelines provide guidance for how to approach a horse that has been exposed to a confirmed rabid animal.

The Infectious Disease Committee stresses that veterinarians, through an appropriate veterinarian-client-patient relationship, should use the recommendations, coupled with available products, to determine the best professional care for their patients. Horse owners should consult with a licensed veterinarian before initiating a vaccination program.

“The goal of the guidelines is to provide current information that will enable veterinarians and clients to make thoughtful and educated decisions on vaccinating horses in their care,” explained Infectious Disease Committee Chair Dr. Katie Flynn. “The impact of infectious disease has been felt across the equine industry in recent years, and the committee hopes that these guidelines will be a useful tool in preventing or mitigating the effects of equine infectious disease.”

The committee also emphasizes that routine vaccinations are considered essential during this COVID-19 pandemic, and overdue vaccinations should be completed to help prevent disease in horses. Duration of immunity for some vaccines might be limited to 6 months; therefore, maintaining a routine vaccination schedule is critical for horses at high risk of developing these diseases, and vaccinations should be scheduled as soon as reasonably possible to ensure the health and welfare of the horse. In all cases, veterinarians should consider local conditions and current state-imposed regulations to determine when vaccinations can be completed safely during this unprecedented time.

The committee, comprised of researchers, vaccine manufacturers, regulatory veterinarians and private practitioners, regularly reviews these guidelines and provides updates online, with in-depth reviews occurring every three years. The complete AAEP Vaccination Guidelines, along with easy reference charts, are available online.

About the American Association of Equine Practitioners

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than five million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry. Visit www.aaep.org.

Complete COVID-19 Coverage

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Horse Vaccination Guidelines

As horse owners, knowing horse vaccination guidelines are important. Core vaccines are among the most common horse diseases across the country. Risk-based vaccines include several which your veterinarian may recommend to address special risks to your animals based on where you live, their age, sex, breed and overall condition, whether they are likely to come in contact with wildlife or other horses, as well as other risk factors.

Core Equine Vaccines

Here is a brief description of the diseases that fall into the core vaccine category:

• West Nile– A widespread mosquito-borne, neurological disease that can kill approximately one in three clinically affected horses. Horses should be vaccinated annually prior to the onset of the mosquito season. Consider semi-annual vaccination for horses in endemic areas, horses older than 15 years, and horses with compromised immune systems.
• Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE ) – A mosquito-borne disease that can kill 75 to 90 percent of affected horses. Horses should be vaccinated annually. Consider semi-annual vaccination for horses in endemic areas or with compromised immune systems.
• Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE ) – Another potentially fatal, mosquito-borne disease found primarily west of the Mississippi River. Horses should be vaccinated annually. Consider semi-annual vaccination for horses in endemic areas or with compromised immune systems.
• Tetanus – An often-fatal disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani which is found in soil and feces. All horses should be vaccinated annually.
• Rabies – An invariably fatal neurological disease caused by the bite of infected animal. All horses should be vaccinated annually.

Risk-Based Vaccines

For non-core diseases, the risk of infection varies from horse to horse. Your veterinarian will recommend disease protection based on a risk assessment for your horse, and the disease threats in your area.

• Equine influenza – A highly contagious respiratory disease that causes fever, coughing and nasal discharge. Vaccinate low-risk horses annually, and high-risk horses semi-annually.
• Equine herpesvirus (EHV) – Also known as rhinopneumonitis, EHV type 1 and EHV type 4 can cause fever, lethargy, nasal discharge and cough. Vaccinate horses annually. Consider semi-annual vaccination for horses less than five years old, horses on breeding farms and  performance/show horses at high risk.
• Equine viral arteritis (EVA) – Transmitted via respiratory secretions or infected semen. EVA can cause abortions in pregnant mares and death in young foals. Vaccinate all stallions and broodmares at risk. Stallions should be tested.
• Strangles – Strangles is a highly contagious and serious infection caused by the bacterium, Streptococcus equi. The disease is characterized by severe inflammation of the mucosa of the head and throat, with extensive swelling and often rupture of the lymph nodes. Horses of all ages are susceptible, though strangles is most common in animals less than 5 years of age, and especially in groups of weanling foals or yearlings.
• Rotaviral Diarrhea – Many foals in the United States will have at least one diarrheal episode prior to weaning, and rotavirus is a major infectious cause of foal diarrhea. The disease can spread rapidly in susceptible populations, although mortality is low (<1%) with veterinary intervention.
• Anthrax – Anthrax is a fatal septicemic disease caused by proliferation and spread of the vegetative form of Bacillus anthracis in the body. The infection is acquired through ingestion, inhalation or contamination of wounds by soil-borne spores of the organism. Anthrax is encountered only in limited geographic areas where alkaline soil conditions favor survival of the organism. Horses pastured in the endemic areas should be vaccinated.
• Botulism – Botulism caused by Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic, spore forming bacteria that is found in the soil and produces a toxin under vegetative conditions. Botulism is considered a neurologic disease with high mortality (100% in untreated animals). Horses can ingest either bacteria that then grows in the gastrointestinal tract or ingest the pre-formed toxin.

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Read to learn about horse vaccination facts and fiction.

We may live in the 21st century with information literally at our fingertips, but myths and misconceptions still abound. When it comes to protecting your horse from disease, a routine vaccination program is vital. So why do horses die every year from diseases that they can easily be vaccinated against? Blame it on a few common misunderstandings.

To sort out fact from fiction, we turned to experts Lisa Kivett, DVM, DACVIM, whose Foundation Equine Clinic is based in Southern Pines, N.C., and Kenton Morgan, DVM, DACT, who helped revise the latest vaccination recommendations for the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and who works in Equine Technical Services for Zoetis.

Popular Fiction

Unfortunately, some horse owners hold on to the following myths and misconceptions:

• My horse doesn’t go anywhere, so he isn’t exposed to disease.
• Skipping vaccinations for a year or two won’t hurt because immunity lasts a while.
• My horse is older and has been vaccinated all his life, so I can back off vaccinating now that he’s retired.
• Foals are protected if their mothers are vaccinated, so I’ll wait to vaccinate until he’s a yearling.
• My horse doesn’t live in a rural setting, so I’m not worried about rabies.
• Once a year is plenty for any vaccination.
• There are too many side effects associated with vaccinating.

Core vs. Risk-Based

The truth is there are a handful of diseases all horses should be vaccinated against. That’s because these diseases have high mortality rates and all horses are potentially exposed. Used properly, core vaccines are very effective at preventing these diseases:

• Eastern equineencephalomyelitis (EEE)
• Western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE)
• Rabies
• West Nile virus
• Tetanus

Depending on your region and your horse’s age and exposure, your veterinarian may also recommend one or more of the following risk-based vaccines:

• Equine influenza
• Equine herpes virus type 1 and 4
• Strangles
• Potomac fever
• Others from AAEP list

Evaluating Risk

Some horse owners think their animals can’t be exposed to disease if they don’t show or travel, but this isn’t true.

Consider encephalitis and West Nile, for example.

Pathogens for disease are always in the environment, and these particular viruses are maintained within different bird species. These bird populations serve as the “reservoir” for the viruses; some birds can host the viruses but not suffer negative effects of their presence.

If a mosquito takes a blood meal from a bird that has the virus circulating in its bloodstream, that virus can multiply or replicate within the mosquito. So now that mosquito can potentially give the virus to a horse when biting it.

“The risk is always out there because the virus hangs around in the bird populations,” says Morgan. “As with all of the viral encephalitic diseases, some years have higher disease prevalence than others, but the risk is always there for unvaccinated animals.”

What About Immunity?

It’s hard to know how long immunity from a vaccine lasts because it varies from horse to horse. Even a titer test measuring the level of antibodies to disease in the blood doesn’t tell the full tale.

“I’ve treated horses with encephalitis that had been vaccinated 14 to 16 months prior,” Kivett relates. “Titer levels in horses aren’t well understood, and while we can draw blood for a titer, we can’t tell you what level is actually going to protect your horse from this disease.”

Morgan notes that one of the most common mistakes horse owners make is not keeping current on vaccinations. Going two and three years between vaccinating can put the horse at serious risk if he is exposed to disease.

“Your local veterinarian is the best person to set up a vaccination program for your horse, so he remains properly immunized and disease risk is mitigated,” says Morgan.

Young and Old

A young foal receives immunity from his mother, assuming the mare was properly vaccinated and the foal received enough colostrum shortly after birth. But protection from maternal antibodies only lasts a matter of months, and if the mare wasn’t vaccinated, the foal’s vaccination program needs to start sooner rather than later.

“Young animals actually require additional booster vaccinations to get their optimal immune response,” notes Morgan. “The AAEP vaccination guidelines recommend that foals receive three doses of vaccine by the time they are 1 year of age. This is typically done by starting their vaccination program at approximately four to six months of age with two doses of vaccine at a four- to six-week interval, and then giving a third dose at approximately two to three months later.”

It’s important to realize that without boosters given at the proper intervals, the young horse isn’t completely protected.

Morgan points out that a common misconception is thinking that older horses are at lower risk of disease due to their age. He emphasizes that this is not true, even when horses have been vaccinated for years.

“Geriatric horses should be kept current on their vaccination schedules,” he notes. “If we let their vaccinations lapse, they become at risk for disease—whether old or young.”

“Older horses often have decreased immune function, and decreased immune response to vaccines. This makes them more susceptible to diseases, and more likely to have incomplete protection without regular vaccinations,” says Kivett. “It’s a common misconception that a horse may have had enough vaccines previously in his life to remain protected forever. This just isn’t true. It’s actually more important to routinely vaccinate older horses.”

Why Worry about Rabies?

Many horse owners routinely vaccinate their dogs and cats for rabies, but don’t think it’s necessary for horses.

“Horses do get rabies. All it takes is a bite from a rabid animal that actually may go unnoticed by the owner,” says Kivett.

“The problem is that a horse with rabies may initially just look like he has colic, choke, or another typical health concern,” she explains.

“A veterinarian may come to the farm, treat the horse (with the owner handling it, of course) and find out days later, after the horse gets sicker and dies, that it had rabies. At that point, the vet, owner and everyone else who has touched the horse is at risk for developing rabies, and will need to get post-exposure vaccines. In addition, if your horse isn’t current on rabies vaccination and develops a different neurologic condition, he will have to be isolated at a hospital with a limited list of people who can touch him. This results in more expense to you, and a reduced chance that the horse will get the treatment he needs.”

Timing is Everything

Vaccinating once a year is enough—right? Not necessarily.

Depending on where you live, mosquitoes may be present year-round. For example, in Gulf Coast states it is common to give horses booster vaccinations every six months for mosquito-borne viral encephalitic diseases—West Nile, EEE and WEE.

“If the mosquitoes are active, so are the diseases they carry, and keeping horses’ immunity high is important,” states Kivett.

“Your veterinarian is the best person to help you make these decisions,” advises Morgan. “He or she will know the optimal vaccination intervals for your area and your horses.”

Vaccinating at the right time of year is also important.

To ensure your horse has the most protection from mosquito-borne disease, you’ll want him to receive booster vaccinations approximately three to four weeks before mosquito activity is expected in your area. For horses living in areas where mosquitoes can be present any time of year, talk to your veterinarian about the most effective times to give boosters.

Some risk-based vaccinations (influenza is one) need to be given every six months, regardless of geographic area, because the protection from the vaccine simply doesn’t last a whole year.

Concern About Side Effects

There are always horse owners who choose not to vaccinate because they are concerned about possible side effects of vaccination. Kivett says that each year she sees a very small percentage (less than 1 percent) of horses that develop a mild fever the next day or have slight leg swelling.

“Very rarely one may have mild colic symptoms. These horses get better with a dose of flunixin [Banamine], we mark their chart, and try a different brand or combination the next time,” she notes. “These horses are still alive, and no worse for the wear, unlike the ones that get encephalitis.

“In my mind, this is an overwhelming benefit-over-risk decision,” Kivett continues. “That being said, I do know of a few horses that have more severe allergic-like reactions, or auto-immune diseases that prevent vaccination. Making the decision to avoid vaccination is a decision that should be made for an individual horse, and should only be made when that particular horse is more likely to become seriously ill from vaccination than from encephalitis.”

“I’ve watched horses die from encephalitis and West Nile; it’s honestly terrible,” she says. “They stagger around, lose their personality, head press to the point of injury, have grand mal seizures, collapse with no ability to get up, and some rage to the point that no one can get near enough to even euthanize them. It’s heartbreaking, and I’m tired of seeing it.

“Every horse owner I’ve met in this situation has immediately started vaccinating their other horses, and never missed one again,” Kivett continues. “They often become advocates for vaccination, reaching out to friends to explain how important it is to vaccinate.”

DIY or Call the Vet?

Because of the availability of vaccines online and at your neighborhood feed store, many owners vaccinate their horses themselves. While this isn’t necessarily a wrong choice, there’s a lot to be said for having your veterinarian out to vaccinate your horse.

“Having a relationship with your vet that includes yearly or twice-yearly preventive health visits ensures that the vet knows you, knows your horse, and is ready to respond when you really need them,” says Kivett.

Yes, you will pay a little more if the vet comes out to vaccinate your horse than if you do it yourself—but maybe not in the long run.

This is because you can rely on your veterinarian to properly handle and store the vaccines correctly, something you can’t always be sure of if you order online or buy at the feed store. Plus, should your horse have a negative reaction, the veterinarian already knows exactly what vaccine was administered and that it was given correctly.

CYNTHIA McFARLAND is an Ocala, Florida-based freelance writer, horse owner and avid trail rider. The author of nine books, her latest is The Horseman’s Guide to Tack and Equipment.

This article about horse vaccination fact and fiction originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

Further reading:

Adult Horse Vaccination Chart

The Science Behind Veterinarian-Administered Vaccines 

The post Vaccination Fact and Fiction appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Horse owners have the opportunity to vaccinate their horses against a whole variety of infectious diseases. Unfortunately, they’re also confronted with a whole variety of advice from a whole variety of sources—and most of them sound at least somewhat persuasive.

Throw in the fact that show associations, boarding barns, et cetera may set their own rules as to the vaccines that must be given to horses and vaccination becomes a subject that can be full of frustration and conflicting information.

What’s a horse owner to do? In the interest of trying to bring at least a little bit of clarity to what can be some very muddy waters, let’s talk a little bit about vaccination options for your horse.

Core Vaccinations

“Core vaccinations” is a term that the American Veterinary Medical Association came up with to describe vaccinations “that protect from diseases that are endemic to a region, those with potential public health significance, required by law, virulent/highly infectious, and/or those posing a risk of severe disease. Core vaccines have clearly demonstrated efficacy and safety, and thus exhibit a high enough level of patient benefit and low enough level of risk to justify their use in the majority of patients.”

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) considers the core vaccinations for horses to be Eastern and Western encephalomyelitis (EEE and WEE), rabies, tetanus, and West Nile virus.

If you look a little deeper, the definition highlights some important considerations for any horse owner. So let’s break that down a bit, and see what we come up with.

1. “Endemic to a Region”

If you live in San Francisco, Calif., or the Bronx, N.Y., I’d think that you’re much more likely to run into a good, authentic Italian restaurant than if you live, say, in Jasper, Ind. That’s not to say that there’s zero possibility of a really good marinara sauce in a small town in Indiana, just that it’s more likely to find one where there’s a higher concentration of Italian chefs.

Diseases are like that, too.

For example, if you live in Florida, there are lots more mosquitoes than in Arizona. You’ll find many more rabid animals in Michigan than you will in Southern California.

As such, if you’re living in Charleston, S.C., it makes a lot of sense to vaccinate often against mosquito-borne diseases such as viral encephalitis (especially Eastern and Western), but it’s probably much less important if you’re living in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Your veterinarian should be a good source of information about which diseases are prevalent in your area.

2. “Potential Public Health Significance”

By and large, there are not a whole bunch of communicable diseases that you can get from your horse. One big one, of course, is rabies.

Rabies is a really bad disease for which there is no cure. Fortunately, the vaccines that are available to prevent rabies are very effective. If you live in an endemic area (see above), you should vaccinate your horse against it.

3. “Required by Law”

Even if you don’t agree with the law, the people who make laws get rather upset when other people break them, and they can make life fairly miserable for scofflaws. So, in addition to there being a public health reason to vaccinate against rabies, it’s also the law in some states.

4. “Virulent/Highly Infectious”

A disease that is both virulent and highly infectious is about as bad as a disease can be. Virulent means that it’s really harmful, and “highly infectious” means that it’s easy to transmit between horses. I’m pretty sure most owners would agree that it’d be great to prevent such things.

5. “Posing a Risk of Severe Disease”

Although I’m sure you wouldn’t want your horse to get any disease, my guess is that if he’s going to get one, you’d rather him get one that doesn’t make him too sick for too long.

As such, it’s a good idea to prevent diseases such as rabies, tetanus and encephalitis because if your horse gets one of those, his disease is essentially a death sentence. West Nile virus, while its virulence has decreased since horses in the United States were first exposed in 1999, can still make horses pretty sick, and if you’re in an endemic area, or thinking about traveling to an area where the disease is endemic, it’s a really good idea to get your horse covered.

6. “Efficacy and Safety”

For many equine diseases, it’s hard to know what to say about how well the vaccines work (efficacy). And while most are pretty safe, none of them are 100 percent free of side effects.

While we can say with a reasonable amount of confidence that most equine vaccines are pretty safe (they test for that before they release the vaccine), it’s much harder to say that all of them are equally effective at preventing disease.

7. Risk/Benefit

Unless you’re vaccinating because you have to, it’s the risk/benefit analysis of vaccinations that is probably the most important consideration when it comes to making a decision about which vaccines to give to your horse.

The person who is likely to be most knowledgeable about which vaccines are needed for your horse in his particular circumstances is your veterinarian.

Medicine changes, and so will vaccination recommendations. It’s important to stay abreast of current developments for the good of your horse.

Further Reading:
Can I Vaccinate My Own Horse?
Field Guide to Equine Vaccines

David Ramey, DVM, is an equine veterinarian based in Los Angeles, Calif. He is also a researcher, author, lecturer, and blogger. Clinical practice: www.rameyequine.com; blog: www.doctorramey.com

This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post The Equine Vaccination Guide appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Some horse owners choose to get vaccines from catalogs or feed stores, and vaccinate their horses themselves. Others may choose not to vaccinate at all. Is that OK?

Assuming that the product is good, has been properly stored, and properly administered, there’s really no reason why a horse owner can’t give his or her own vaccinations. The vaccine doesn’t know whose thumb is at the end of the syringe, after all. The problem is that vaccine companies may not support issues that may occur (vaccine reactions and such) when a vaccine is purchased from a catalog or other source.

As for not vaccinating at all, that’s not a good idea. Some people seem to have an exaggerated fear of vaccines, but there are certain diseases that horses can get that don’t require them being around other horses (for example, any of the diseases carried by mosquitoes, or tetanus).

If you love your horse, it’s hard to think of a reason why you wouldn’t want to protect him from fatal diseases. Plus, in some cases, vaccination is the law.

Read more in The Equine Vaccination Guide.

This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Can I Vaccinate My Own Horse? appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis/Western Equine Encephalitis (EEE and WEE)

Largely safe, minimal risk, pretty effective at preventing very serious diseases that kill horses. Depending on where you are, your veterinarian might even advocate vaccinating more than once a year (and that might not be a bad idea).

West Nile Virus

Largely safe, minimal risk, pretty effective at preventing a disease that can occasionally be severe enough to kill your horse. Depending on where you are, that one might be worth doing more than once a year, as well.

Tetanus

Very safe, minimal risk, and very effective at preventing awful disease. The vaccine can prevent the disease for years, even though it seems that tetanus is in about every other dose of vaccine available. That said, there’s really no reason why aan properly cared for wound should ever develop tetanus.

Rabies

Very safe, minimal risk, and very effective. It’s the law in some areas, and even though research is showing that its effects last a long time, where it’s required, you still have to vaccinate against it every year.

Equine Influenza

Very safe, minimal risk, but perhaps not that effective. It might help decrease clinical signs of disease in a horse, but it’s apparently not that good at keeping horses from spreading the disease. If you show horses, you’re going to have to give it at least twice a year.

Equine Herpesvirus

Very safe, minimal risk, and probably not very effective at all. It’s required by U.S. Equestrian to compete at their recognized shows, however.

Botulism

In certain areas, such as Central Kentucky, it may be recommended. Seems to work pretty well, and it’s safe.

Strep equi (“strangles”)

This vaccine is more commonly associated with side effects, such as muscle swelling and soreness (if given in the muscle) or, infections with the vaccine-strain of the disease (if given intranasally). There isn’t much evidence that the current strangles vaccines are very effective. On farms where it’s endemic, efforts to eliminate the disease should focus on identifying carriers, quarantining new arrivals, and good hygiene.

Lyme disease

There’s currently no Lyme Disease vaccine produced for horses. The vaccine that is used in horses is made for dogs. It appears to be fairly safe, but it’s harder to say how effective it is. Your veterinarian probably has a strong opinion about it.

Read more in The Equine Vaccination Guide.

This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Q: I always thought that foals had to have shots pretty early on, just like human babies. My friend says they don’t need vaccinations because they get antibodies from their mother when they begin nursing. Who’s right?

A: You both are! The normal process is: mares concentrate protective antibodies in their colostrum or “first milk,” the thick, yellow, sticky fluid that foals must nurse within their first 24 hours of life before their gut “closes.” That is, for the first day after birth, foals are able to absorb large molecules like antibodies through their digestive tract. But because harmful agents could also enter the body this way, Mother Nature closes this route of entry down fairly quickly. If the colostrum wasn’t rich with maternal antibodies to begin with or the foal didn’t stand up and nurse well right away, then passive transfer of immunity may not have occurred and the new colt or filly is not protected from infection.

To give foals the best start on life possible, owners can step in and help facilitate this process in a couple of ways. First, they can work with their veterinarian to appropriately vaccinate mares 4 – 6 weeks before foaling so that the colostrum is abundant with ready-made antibodies. Second, they can confirm that newborn foals “latched on” and drank within an hour or two of birth. And third, owners can schedule a veterinary exam that includes blood testing of the foal to ensure that an adequate level of maternal antibodies was absorbed.

But broodmare owners and new foal caregivers can’t stop here. It’s already time to start thinking about when the young colt or filly should first be immunized and against what diseases. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) provides two vaccination schedules for foals based on whether or not the mare was immunized shortly before giving birth.

Veterinarians and owners work together to try and balance the protection against disease that maternal antibodies provide with the interference to vaccines these same antibodies cause. That is, if maternal antibodies to, say, tetanus, are circulating in the foal’s body at the same time that the tetanus vaccine is administered, then the antibodies identify the vaccine as an infectious agent, destroy it, and prevent the body from mounting the desired immune response to the vaccine. That’s why the initial vaccination series in foals is often three separate immunizations a few weeks apart.

While the goal is to try and stimulate an immune response so the foal is protected before the maternal antibodies decline to non-protective levels, the trick is to “show” the foal’s immune system a safe version of a disease (aka the vaccine) and not have it get “chewed up” by antibodies from the mare.

For foals born to mares who did not get vaccinated prior to delivery, the immunization series is begun earlier since there aren’t maternal antibodies to get in the way of a response and it’s critical to provide them with some protection to common diseases that they might not have.

This was probably more information than you and your friend were looking for, but I wanted to explain what goes on in the mare’s body and in the foal’s body so that you both fully understand why you’re both right!

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