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Horse Vaccination Protocol

Lynn Kohr
for Cavvy Savvy
Along with a plan for deworming your horses there is also a vaccination protocol recommended by Marshall T Kohr, DVM, at Animal Medical Center of Wyoming. Photo courtesy Lynn Kohr

Here are the Spring Vaccinations that every horse should have:

Rabies

Rabies is a constant threat to horses and their owners. The frequency of the disease is low, however, the consequence of infection for the horses and humans, is death! The financial cost of treating humans who have been exposed to a positive horse is between $10k to $20K per person. Keep this vaccine in your program!



West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus is established where mosquitos are present. Infected horses have a 50% mortality rate in the unvaccinated



horse.

Sleeping Sickness/Tetanus (3-Way)

Nationally, the high level of vaccination has reduced the prevalence of Sleeping Sickness disease to low levels. Tetanus protection is relatively short lived (1-year protection) with vaccination, and very effective in preventing infections associated with traumatic injury such as wire cuts.

Rhino-Flu

Rhino-Flu is a combination vaccine protecting against the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) and influenza. EHV is capable of causing respiratory disease, abortions and neuralgic disease. Vaccination is effective in the respiratory and abortion forms of the disease, but rarely effective against the neurologic form.

Rhino-Flu should be boosted accordingly:

Ranch/Pleasure Horse: 1-2 shots annually

Roping/Rodeo Horse: 2 shots annually (Spring and Fall)

Young Futurity Horse and Show Horse: 4 Shots annually

Additional Vaccine:

Strangles Vaccine: (aka Distemper) discuss this vaccine with your veterinarian to determine your horse’s risk.

Foals: discuss with your veterinarian.

Pregnant Mares: should be vaccinated with Prodigy or Pneumabort K1b at 5, 7, and 9 months of pregnancy in prevention of Rhino abortions. Pregnant mares should be vaccinated with a 4-way, Rabies, WNV and dewormed with Strongid paste about 4 weeks prior to foaling. This helps ensures that the immunity from the mare is passed onto their foal through the mare’s colostrum. Both mares and their foals should be dewormed with Strongid at 10 days of age (post foaling for the mare).

–Cavvy Savvy