“Think of booster shots for your horse as being similar to practising fire drills,” says Dr. Alison Moore, DVM, DVSc, Lead Veterinarian, Animal Health and Welfare, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Rural Affairs. “If you only practise a fire drill once in your life you are unlikely to remember the plan when it’s necessary, however by repeating the drill on a regular basis you will be able to respond to the best of your ability when required. By providing a booster vaccine at regular intervals, your veterinarian is training your horse’s immune system to be prepared to respond to a disease agent when required.” Moore goes on to explain, along with practising biosecurity, vaccinating your horse is one of the most important aspects of preventative medicine. Regular vaccinations are needed for protection so this should be an annual discussion with your veterinarian.
Equine Guelph’s Vaccination Equi-Planner, kindly sponsored by Zoetis Canada, is a great starting point to learn what vaccines are recommended and at what frequency. The interactive healthcare tool creates a personalized immunization plan for your horse based on age, location and risk factor. For example, a horse travelling to events will be at higher risk of contracting infectious disease than one that stays on the farm in a closed herd.
“Given the recent frequency of some serious viruses like rabies and Eastern equine encephalitis in Canada, it is important for horse owners to be on top of their horses’ immunization schedules,” says Dr. Cathy Rae, Manager, Veterinary Services at Zoetis Canada. “Using Equine Guelph’s Vaccination Equi-Planner tool, a horse owner can quickly enter information for his/her horse and receive a printable customized vaccination schedule. Owners should then consult their veterinarians to plan a vaccination program that optimizes their horses’ protection.”