Vaccines for Your Horse
need to receive the rabies vaccine the following spring since the rabies vaccine is given on an annual basis.
The vaccines that SHOULD be given in the spring are the ones that prevent against diseases spread by insects such as mosquitoes. As the weather warms up insects reemerge and the risk of being infected by diseases that they carry will increase. West Nile Virus and EEEWEE are both transmitted by mosquitoes so these vaccines should be given prior to the start of mosquito season.
If you are planning on showing your horse or taking them off the farm to public places then you should consider some of the riskbased vaccines. Strangles equine influenza and equine herpesvirus EHV are respiratory diseases that are easily spread from horse to horse and are diseases that are routinely seen where there is a high density of horses
like showgrounds. These diseases are also seen at barns where horses routinely come and go so even if your horse is not leaving the grounds other horses could contract diseases and bring them back home where they could potentially infect their stablemates.
Important Considerations and Conclusions
You should always consult with your veterinarian to develop a vaccine plan for your horse. Again ALL horses should receive the core vaccines rabies EEEWEE tetanus and West Nile Virus. The riskbased vaccines will depend on if your horse travels your geographic location breeding status and other considerations. Talk with your vet to determine your horses risk level for each disease do not simply give your horse every vaccine available since this could be costly and unnecessary.
weeks after giving a vaccine for your horse to be protected so plan accordingly based on the weather and your travel plans.
