Vaccination Guidelines
Vaccinations are designed to protect horses from likely diseases. No vaccine is considered 100% effective, but the aim is to minimize disease based on exposure risks. Some horses may still contract a particular disease in spite of current vaccination status, but a vaccinated horse rarely develops the most serious forms of the disease. In the case of the Rabies vaccine, the aim is to prevent the disease not only in the horse, but also to protect the human handlers. We all put our hands into our horses mouth and have contact with saliva whenever we put a bridle on the horse, feed him a treat or have to medicate him orally. While vaccinations are recommended for all horses, we must also realize that vaccines can lead to some risk of vaccination reactions. Whenever an animal is exposed to something foreign, the possibility of an adverse reaction exists. In order to determine the safest and most effective vaccination protocol, we must look at the overall lifestyle of the horse. This will allow us to come up with the best individual plan for a particular horse, herd or stable.
In 2008, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) came up with a complete list of vaccination guidelines. These guidelines help us to determine the best vaccination protocol in each situation. We do not have to vaccinate every horse for every disease if the risk of exposure to a particular disease is very low. However, we do have to administer the vaccinations in a timely matter because several of the diseases are related to insect populations.
The CORE vaccines are recommended for ALL horses, regardless of lifestyle as these are the most likely diseases found in our region, most dangerous diseases or have a high likelihood of death. The vaccines have also been used extensively and have been proven to be very safe. Rabies is included in this list as it has the potential for human infection.
The CORE vaccines include:
Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) - mosquito-borne
Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE) - mosquito-borne
Tetanus Toxoid (TT) found in dirt around horses
West Nile Virus (WN) - mosquito-borne
Rabies Virus (RV) human health risk
The RISK-BASED VACCINES are recommended based on the horses lifestyle. A risk-benefit analysis will help to determine which of these vaccines are recommended. These vaccines are less common, vary by regions, or require direct or indirect contact with other horses.
The RISK-BASED VACCINES include:
Anthrax
Botulism
Equine Herpes Virus (Rhinopneumonitis or Rhino)
Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA)
Equine Influenza (Flu)
Potomac Horse Fever (PHF)
Rotavirus (common cause of foal diahrrea)
Strangles
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Please click on the link below to view a copy of our vaccine recommendations.
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