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Just like humans, horses have a vaccination schedule recommended to protect them from nasty diseases and keep them in optimal health.

The types of vaccinations your horse will need depends a lot upon whether your horse will be exposed to other horses with unknown histories from outside his environment and how often his exercise paddock is cleaned. These variables are described as open herd (the most exposure to foreign horses as at horse shows and county fairs), semi-open herd (if you stable your horse elsewhere where the stable keeps record of the vaccination and deworming schedules of the horses that come in), and closed herd (your horse is rarely in contact with other horses and his paddock is kept clean). Some vaccinations are given to mares who are pregnant or will soon foal.

All horses are vaccinated beginning at the age of three months with seven different vaccines containing killed viruses or bacterium. The purpose is to build up the horse's immune system against these diseases. There are seven recommended vaccines. This is what they prevent:

1. Eastern/Western encephalomyelitis is an often fatal but non-contagious disease spread by mosquitos.

2. Potomac horse fever is also non-contagious. The vector causing its spread is unknown but the disease is spread during the season when insects are most likely to be out. The disease has been reported in over 30 states and is often fatal.

3. Tetanus is non-contagious but affects the equine neurological system in such a way that the horse may have trouble feeding or walking and may be overly sensitive to sounds. Tetanus is contracted by infection in wounds or puncture areas.

The recommended re-vaccination schedule for these first three is every year.

4. Equine rabies can kill your horse. It causes partial paralysis and other neurological symptoms and can be transmitted to humans. This vaccine should be given yearly.

The next three vaccines should be given every three months when there is an epidemic and before the horse is shipped anywhere. The diseases are all extremely contagious.

5. Equine influenza is not often fatal. It's symptoms are a lot like human influenza: nasal and eye discharge, cough, soreness in the muscles, fever, reduced appetite.

6.Rhinopneumonitis is a respiratory disease that, while not fatal, can cause a mare to abort her foal. Pregnant mares should be vaccinated against it with the federally approved Pneumabort K-1B in their fifth, seventh, and ninth months of gestation. The disease can also cause paralysis.

7. Strangles or equine distemper is another disease that can cause a mare to abort. It has much of the same symptoms as rhinopneumonitis but the jaw glands become swollen.

The influenza and rhinopneumonitis vaccines can be administered as one vaccine if the horse will be in an open herd lifestyle.

In addition, the West Nile virus transmitted to horses by mosquitos has its own vaccine and may be recommended by your veterinarian.

Learn more about this author, Sandra Petersen.
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