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by K Bert

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To figure out the right vaccines for your horse can be quite confusing and I've found plenty different recommendations depending who you ask. The best thing to do is to talk with your vet and ask him about any possible outbreaks in your area that your horse should be protected for.

Another thing to consider with your vaccines is how often your horse travels or gets in contact with new horses annually. Some horse associations will require certificates stating that your horse has a vaccine against certain diseases. We had an outbreak of Rabies in the horses in Pennsylvania and in last 3 years every horse racing in harness tracks in PA is required to have valid rabies vaccines annually.

Tetanus vaccines is often included in you fluvac and should be given once a year. There is many different type influenza vaccines in the market and again ask your vet which type of vaccine would be the best bet in your area to protect your horse! If there is an influenza outbreak in your area (almost every winter there is one in PA!) it might be a good idea to give your horse the flu vaccine every 3 months.

Every year early in the spring you should consider giving your horse so called west nile virus vaccine. More official name for it is Encephalomyelitis Eastern/Western. Don't ask me to pronounce that, most vets refer to it just as the West Nile virus vaccine! It should be given right before the insect season starts for the best protection. Another vaccine to give at the same time is the vaccine for Potomac Horse fever.

Maybe the most important vaccine to give to your horse is the rhino (Rhinopneumonitis) this is also many times given together in the same vile as your flu vaccine. This vaccine is vital for the broodmares in foal because rhino can cause your mare to abort the foal! Pregnant mares should be vaccinated for Rhino during 5th, 7th and 9th month of gestation.

Your foals should receive their first vaccines in about 3 months old, again talk to your vet and with other breeders in your area to discuss about the vaccines they are using!

All broodmares should also be vaccinated annually against Strangles and every horse should receive the vaccine if there has been Strangles outbreak in the area!

It is also wise to vaccinate your horse against flu and rhino and strangles before you are shipping your horse to new environment. Those vaccines can be given to your horse in every 3 months.

Learn more about this author, K Bert.

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