• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

If you aren’t sure about what vaccinations your horse needs, when they should be given and how often, then Horse & Hound’s definitive guide contains everything you need to know

There are a number of vaccinations for horses available to help protect your horse’s health. These include equine flu, tetanus, equine herpes virus (EHV) and equine rotavirus and strangles. Unfortunately a 2019 field trial of a vaccine to protect against grass sickness proved inconclusive.

Vaccinations for horses: Equine flu | Tetanus | Strangles | Equine herpes virus | Equine rotavirus | Reactions | Vet’s view

Only healthy horses should be vaccinated. If your horse is showing any signs of being unwell, discuss this with your vet prior to any vaccine being given. It is recommended that a horse is given a couple of quiet days after being vaccinated, with only light work and turnout. A horse should not be worked hard or made to sweat as they may be feeling below par or a little sore at the site of the injection.

A small percentage of horses experience a reaction after being vaccinated. If your horse appears unwell then speak to your vet for advice. If your horse has previously had a reaction then discuss it with the vet prior to any future vaccinations being given.

All vaccination records should be kept up to date in the horse’s passport document.

What vaccinations does a horse need?

The most common vaccinations given to horses in the UK are for equine flu and tetanus. Equine flu vaccination is compulsory for horses competing in affiliated competitions and is recommended for all horses. Breeding stock should also be vaccinated for equine herpes virus.

How often does a horse need vaccinations?

Most governing bodies of equestrian sports require annual equine flu vaccinations after the initial course is completed. The FEI requires more frequent boosters. It is advised that owners of leisure horses also arrange yearly boosters.

Vaccines against tetanus are typically given to horses every other year.

The primary vaccination course for equine herpes virus in non-pregnant horses involves two vaccinations four to six weeks apart, followed by booster vaccines every six months. Pregnant mares are typically vaccinated at five, seven and nine months of gestation to reduce the risk of abortion associated with EHV.

Why you should vaccinate your horse?

“Equine vaccinations are important to prevent your horse from contracting nasty diseases, particularly contagious diseases such as equine flu,” explains Wolverhampton vet Sue Taylor.

“Horse owners often say that their horse doesn’t go anywhere and so doesn’t need to be vaccinated, but if your horse is on a stable yard alongside horses who do compete, there is a chance that those competition horses could bring back a virus.

“Herd immunity is a concept that owners should be aware of too. If there is a yard full of vaccinated horses, it provides a kind of ‘wall’ to flu and other viruses. It can’t pass on very successfully as vaccinated horses limit the amount of virus that is shed. Whereas if your horse is unvaccinated, they’ll catch it and snot virulent virus all over the place, making it more likely to be caught by other horses — even vaccinated horses can present with mild signs. The higher the vaccination percentage in the overall population, the less opportunities there are to infect horses.

“Also, owners of competition horses should be aware that an up-to-date vaccination record is a requirement of many sporting governing bodies for horses competing under their rules.”

Equine flu (influenza) vaccination for horses

What is equine flu?

Influenza is a viral infection that affects the respiratory system resulting in a high fever, runny nose and coughing. Though rarely fatal, it can be a very debilitating disease that can take a considerable amount of time for horses to recover from. A major outbreak occurred in the UK during 2019 mainly affected unvaccinated animals, although some vaccinated horses also showed clinical signs.

Which horses need a flu vaccination?

Every horse should be vaccinated against equine flu. It is a requirement for competition horses to have up-to-date protection under the rules of most governing bodies.

Equine flu vaccination schedule

The first one is typically given around five months old, second one about four weeks later (21-60 days), then again around six months (120-180 days), followed by an annual booster. If you miss the window for these vaccinations or an annual booster, you will likely have to start the course again to comply with affiliated competition rules (check the rules of your governing body).

British Dressage, British Showjumping, British Eventing and British Riding Clubs require annual boosters. Horses competing under FEI rules must have been vaccinated within six months, plus up to 21 days, of a competition, but cannot have been vaccinated within seven days of arriving at a competition venue.

The flu vaccine is the only one that the FEI insists all horses taking part in international competitions have. From 1 January 2026, flu vaccinations must be recorded digitally in the FEI HorseApp, as well as in the horse’s passport. Vets must enter the vaccination details on the day it is administered. There is a transition period running until 30 June 2026 during which no sanctions will be issued, but from 1 July 2026 missing or incorrect digital records may result in fines.

The British Horseracing Authority’s windows between the first, second and third vaccines are 21-60 days, then 120-180 days, followed by six monthly boosters. In all cases, horses should not attend competitions within seven days of receiving a vaccine.

Other relevant info

Only healthy horses should be vaccinated for flu. If your horse has a temperature, cough or is unwell in any way, make your vet aware before he vaccinates your horse with flu, as the vaccine could make him more ill.

Tetanus vaccination for horses

What is tetanus?

Tetanus is caused by the production of endotoxins by the bacteria Clostridium tetani and is often fatal in horses. The spores of the bacteria are found in soil and enters the tissues via wounds. Deep puncture wounds are particularly dangerous as they provide an ideal site for infection.

Which horses need the tetanus vaccination?

Every horse is susceptible to tetanus due to the nature of the disease.

Tetanus vaccination schedule

A primary course of two vaccinations given four to six weeks apart, followed by a booster 12 months later. Subsequent vaccinations can be given at two yearly intervals. Foals will receive antibodies from their mother’s colostrum, but many are also given tetanus anti-toxin shortly after birth too.

Vaccination for tetanus is usually started at five months old and is often given as a combination vaccine with equine flu.

Other relevant info

You can get lumps or unwell horses occasionally after vaccination, but it is usually from a combined flu/tetanus vaccination rather than a sole tetanus injection.

Equine herpes virus (EHV) vaccination for horses

What is equine herpes virus?

There are five types of equine herpes virus, but EHV-1 and EHV-4 are the most clinically important and they are the only types that can be vaccinated against. EHV-1 and EHV-4 can cause a flu-like respiratory infection in horses, but may also cause abortion in pregnant mares and severe neurological disease. The effectiveness of the EHV vaccine against the neurological form of the disease is unclear.

Which horses need an EHV vaccine?

Any horse can have the herpes vaccine, but it is particularly important for breeding mares — many big studs will insist a mare is vaccinated before being allowed to foal there.

EHV vaccination schedule

The first vaccine can be given at five months old with the second vaccine at four to six weeks later, followed by a booster every six months. To provide effective immunity against abortion caused by EHV-1 and EHV-4 a course of three vaccinations should be given to a mare during her fifth, seventh and ninth months of pregnancy.

Other relevant info

There is a lot of virus shed in the aborted foetus’s fluid so surrounding mares can potentially catch the disease from breathing in the virus. The vaccine doesn’t always prevent the mare from aborting, but it can limit the amount of the virus that she passes when giving birth.

Equine rotavirus vaccination for horses

Pregnant mares are vaccinated against equine rotavirus to protect their foals from suffering diarrhoea or illness caused by the virus. Vaccines are given in the eighth, ninth, and 10th months of pregnancy in order that the antibodies can be transferred to the foal via the mare’s colostrum (first milk). Please contact your vet for more information.

New strangles vaccine

In 2004, a strangles vaccine called Equilis StrepE was launched, but unfortunately, three years later, it was withdrawn due to “quality control issues”.

Over a decade later, and a new protein-based strangles vaccine Strangvac has been developed by a group of scientists from the Animal Health Trust (AHT), the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Karolinska Institute and Intervacc AB, to prevent equines from contracting the highly contagious disease.

Trials were carried out on 16 horses, 13 of which were protected from strangles after being given the vaccine, and none showed signs of adverse reactions. The vaccine was made available to vets in the UK in 2022.

Strangles is caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus equi, which causes large pus-filled abscesses in a horse’s throat and neck. An estimated 600 outbreaks of strangles occur each year in the UK alone, so the development of the new vaccine will benefit horse health world-wide. Please contact your vet for more information.

Reactions to vaccines

“Some horses can have a reaction to their vaccination,” says Sue Taylor. “In some cases it is the injection itself that causes the reaction, not the vaccine. Vets shouldn’t swab the area of the vaccine injection because there is a risk that the antiseptic can deactivate the virus. If you have a very dirty horse, there is the risk that the needle will take bacteria in with it, causing an infection and abscess.

“I usually inject vaccines into the brisket (chest) which is often a cleaner part of the horse and if they do react, it drains well. A lot of people inject in the neck but if the horse reacts, it is a difficult area for the fluid to drain from, and the horse can find it difficult to put its neck down to eat and drink, and certainly can’t be ridden.

“If you have a very hairy horse, it might be advisable to clip a patch of hair with clippers or scissors to minimise the risk of dirt being taken in with the needle, or ensure the horse is clean in the area he is being injected.

“If they have a history of reactions, speak to your vet about placing the injection in his chest, and discuss the vaccine itself. In some cases, it is the carrier of the vaccine that causes a reaction, although this is much less likely now with modern vaccine technology. If you know that your horse is prone to reacting to a certain vaccine, tell your vet so that he can organise an alternative next time.”

Additional reporting by Stephanie Bateman

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Tetanus in horses: what every owner needs to know

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• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

Tetanus in horses is a bacterial infection, where the toxins produced attack the horse’s nervous system. The condition is also known as lockjaw because as the disease progresses, the mouth clamps shut so the animal cannot eat or drink. It is usually fatal. Once a horse is recumbent because of the disease, it is reported that almost 80% of these cases will die. Certainly, it is a far easier disease to prevent by vaccination than it to treat.

At least three different types of deadly toxins are released by the bacterium Clostridium tetani to cause tetanus. Spores of this bacterium are widespread and can be found in dust, manure and soil. These spores enter a wound and given the appropriate conditions, they will germinate into bacteria.

Perhaps surprisingly, a large, cleanish cut is a lower tetanus risk than a small puncture wound. The biggest danger is a deep, festering wound with dead tissue and pus, which is not exposed to fresh air.

Horses and ponies are the most susceptible domestic animal to tetanus. They are readily exposed to the spores while grazing and their predilection for wounds such as lacerations and punctures make them prime candidates for acquiring tetanus.

Tetanus in horses: Signs | Diagnosis | Treatment | Prevention

High-risk situations that are most likely to lead to a horse suffering from a tetanus infection include:

• Puncture wounds contaminated with soil, e.g. kicks
• Stake wounds, because they are often deep and heavily contaminated
• Umbilical infections in the foal
• Castration wounds
• Infections at foaling

Once the tetanus infection takes hold, the deadly toxins migrate along the peripheral nerves to the brain affecting the nervous system.

The incubation period depends on the distance the toxins have to travel from the wound to the brain and ranges from three days to several weeks. The clinical signs usually become apparent within one to two weeks. The shorter the incubation period, the more serious the tetanus infection is. Tetanus is not contagious, so it cannot be passed between horses or between horses and humans. However, the bacteria can infect humans directly.

Signs of tetanus in horses

The signs of this distressing disease are characterised by extreme sensitivity to stimuli, increasing stiffness and muscle spasms.

Early signs of tetanus include:

• Abnormal sensitivity to sound or touch
• A stiff gait
• Prolapse of the third eyelid, which may cover half the eye
• Very rigid ears that stick up
• The top of the tail sticks out
• A worried expression, with retraction of the eyelids and flared nostrils due to muscle spasm
• Inability to open the mouth due to spasm of the masseter (powerful chewing) muscles
• Regurgitation of food and water from the nostrils and drooling of saliva from the mouth as swallowing becomes more difficult
• Partially chewed hay may be held in the mouth
• Colic

As the disease progresses, increasingly distressing muscle spasms and convulsions can be seen. These eventually lead to death from respiratory failure and dehydration.

How is tetanus diagnosed?

Diagnosis is made on the history and the clinical signs. Sometimes additional conditions such as colic, pneumonia and laminitis can confuse the picture, but it is frequently all too obvious, with a visible dirty wound on an unvaccinated animal.

How do you treat tetanus in horses?

If you see any signs that point towards tetanus, call your vet straight away. Cases that are caught early will have the best chance of survival. Intensive and expensive treatment including large doses of tetanus antitoxin along with antibiotics, sedatives and muscle relaxants will be required (see tetanus case study). If a tetanus case is unable to stand, it is kindest for the horse to be euthanised, since the chance of recovery is remote.

Prevention of tetanus in horses

Tetanus can be easily prevented by a safe, effective and inexpensive equine vaccination that is readily available. Make sure all your horses and ponies are vaccinated following your vet’s advice. Humans should also be vaccinated.

The primary vaccination course of tetanus toxoid includes two doses given four to six weeks apart. Regular boosters are given thereafter. The exact schedule may vary slightly according to the recommendations of different vaccine manufacturers and whether it is combined with vaccination against equine influenza. Your vet can advise you.

Booster vaccinations in horses are usually administered only every two or three years, whereas most people only need booster immunisations every 10 years or even longer. Tetanus is more common in certain areas of the country, where it may be advisable to have more regular boosters.

Vaccinated pregnant mares should have a tetanus toxoid booster four to six weeks prior to foaling. This ensures the foal receives maximum protection from the antibodies in the colostrum (first milk). Foals usually begin their vaccination programme at approximately four months. Foals of unvaccinated mares or those who do not receive adequate colostrum for any reason should be given tetanus antitoxin at birth.

Horses who are unvaccinated or are of doubtful vaccination status should be given tetanus antitoxin if they have a wound or require surgery, although this antitoxin which provided rapid protection is more costly. A vaccination programme should be started straight away, as well as administering the antitoxin that provides immediate temporary protection for three to four weeks. Tetanus vaccinations should be recorded in the horse’s passport.

References:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1939-1676.1994.tb03210.x – Tetanus in the horse: a review of 20 cases (1970 to 1990).

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A horse whose life hung in the balance after he contracted tetanus – and who is nicknamed the Ribena Kid as that was used to help cure him – has come back to shine at the Bolesworth Young Horse Championships.

The Brendon Stud’s Regal Warratino finished fourth in the four-year-old final on 13 August, some 15 months after he was found lying stiff and unable to swallow at home.

The stud’s Shirley Light told H&H she thought “Zellow” would have to be put down that day.

“I wasn’t there but they rang me to say he was lying down and looked really weird,” she said. “I said ‘Touch his ears’, and he said ‘Oh god, they’re solid’. I thought it sounded like tetanus and asked if he could open his mouth. He said no, and that his eyes had rolled back into his head. I said ‘That’s tetanus’.”

Shirley called the vet and went straight back, to find Zellow “effectively blowing bubbles” as he was unable to swallow, and only able to walk about 10 strides at a time. Vet Ed Lyall, from Sussex Equine, arrived and confirmed it was tetanus.

“Then Ed put the stethoscope on him and said ‘I don’t know how but his heart rate is normal’,” Shirley said. “He’d walked 60 yards and looked like he’d done the Grand National, he was blowing that much, but his heart rate wasn’t up. Ed made some phone calls and said ‘I think we should give this horse a chance’. I’ll always give them a chance; all the time they’re fighting, I’ll fight with them.”

Zellow was given huge doses of anti-tetanus medication and antibiotics, and walked back to the yard, taking about two hours and 40 minutes to cover the 700-metre distance.

Once he was in, Shirley and her team hung a ladder horizontally in his barn, suspending feed and water buckets at different heights, so however his neck was positioned, he could eat and drink.

“He could move his jaw left to right but not open and close it,” Shirley said. “We fed him four times a day and it was almost like an old horse quidding, but he kept eating, and he didn’t go down.”

For the next nine days, Zellow stayed on his medication, with daily vet visits, while Shirley rang everyone she could think of to see if anyone knew of a horse who had survived tetanus.

“I couldn’t find one,” she said. “A few said they’d had them live for four or five days, one had one live nine days, but they’d all died.

“His heart rate and temperature were normal, which is really bizarre, but everywhere was solid, from head to tail, like he was filled with concrete.

“Then, at about 4am one night, I was watching a random vet programme on a random channel, about a vet in the Australian outback who had a cat come in with tetanus, and my ears pricked up. She didn’t know what to do so rang her dad, a retired vet, and he said ‘Bring the cat to me’, and she did and he fixed it. I googled her, contacted her and said ‘What did your dad do?’”

The vet replied to say her father had used dried nettle, magnesium and boswellia.

“Boswellia is anti-inflammatory but dig deeper and it’s frankincense,” Shirley said. “Those three wise men must have known something! It’s a natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory, and the vet said the magic ingredient was Ribena. I said ‘Ok, you’ve got me with that’, but it’s the vitamin C.”

Shirley fed Zellow the ingredients as advised, including half a litre of Ribena a day, for about two months.

“I sent my mother out shopping,” she said. “Once we knew he’d eat the Ribena, we were buying six to 10 big bottles at a time. We kept him on it, then on day 62, he was bucking round his pen, free and fresh and fixed.”

Zellow had gradually increased the amount he was eating rather than dropping, but it was that day he was found playing in the straw that Shirley knew he had turned the corner. He was soon able to go out, and he was moving and jumping as well as ever not too long afterwards.

“He came back in at Christmas and was backed, then he won the four-year-olds here with Ruby [Light, Shirley’s niece], and came fourth with Nicole Pavitt at Bolesworth.” she said. “It was unbelievable. I sent Ed the video and he said it was amazing and sent it to their internal medicine specialist, who was thrilled. They’d never heard of a horse surviving tetanus.”

Shirley added that the long-term ramifications are unknown, but more than a year on, the only sign Zellow shows is a tiny bit of membrane still across one eye. He suffered a badly cut heel this spring, which she said was worrying, but healed with no issues.

“And the rest, as they say, is history,” she said. “He’s the Ribena Kid now, and next spring I’m keeping him wrapped up in cotton wool!”

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Tetanus in horses: what every owner needs to know

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The owner of a pony who was given about a 1% chance of surviving after she contracted tetanus said it was “like winning the lottery” to learn she would pull through.

Katy Payne’s daughter Bonnie was given six-year-old 14.1hh Connemara Star for Christmas. Within two weeks, on the day the family returned from holiday, they saw something was wrong.

“My daughter said her tail looked funny and I said that’s just because she hadn’t seen her for a while,” Katy told H&H.

“But then we tried to give her a carrot and she wasn’t interested, which is unusual. But she must have had a bit because then she started to choke on it.”

Katy called her vet to the apparent case of choke, caused by the first visible signs of the tetanus bacteria’s effects, but the diagnosis was not made immediately.

“She hadn’t been really poorly; she’d had her breakfast that day and the people at the yard are so good, they’d have realised,” Katy said. “It must have come on really quickly.

“The lockjaw was the first symptom and the yard owner suspected what it was and said: ‘Please god it’s not tetanus’. I’m not horsey but everyone else’s reaction was scary.”

When tetanus was diagnosed, one of Katy’s attending vets gave Star a one in 100 chance of survival.

“They said ‘it’s going to be bad and she’ll go downhill quickly’,” Katy said.

“We knew if we could get to the end of that week, she’d be ok, and we had to try because my little girl was heartbroken.

“Star was in hospital having lots of fluids and antibiotics, she couldn’t eat; she looked horrendous. I was willing the end of the week to come and every day that went by was good.”

Eventually, the family was told Star was out of the woods, although with a long convalescence ahead.

“It was like winning the lottery,” Katy said. “Bonnie hadn’t slept for a week and although I’m not horsey, I’d fallen in love with Star too; we’re changing her name, from Wishing Star to Lucky Star.

“She’s almost back to normal now; Bonnie’s been able to ride her this week – and now she’s vaccinated for everything you can possibly think of.”

Continues below…

Tetanus in horses: what every owner needs to know

Horse recovers from airgun attack

A horse is recovering after being shot in the face with an airgun on a farm in Derby

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Katy’s vet Ricky Farr, of Hertfordshire-based equine practice Farr & Pursey, told H&H that having seen one case of tetanus in 13 years, Star was one of two he had treated in a fortnight.

And although Star survived, the other horse, who was found collapsed, had to be put down six hours later.

“You don’t see tetanus that often but when you do see it, it’s dramatic, and the survival rate is about 35%,” Mr Farr said, urging owners to ensure their horses are vaccinated.

“I don’t think people realise. In humans, they say ‘five for life’, so you have five jabs and you’re protected but it’s not like that for horses, who are eating from the ground, out in the mud – they’re at a significantly higher risk.

“You don’t see it often, and with people trying to save money, vaccines are often the first things to go. But if it’s a case of a £30 vaccine or a £3,000 bill – or potentially losing your horse – it’s a no-brainer.”

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Fewer than 60% of horses in the UK are thought to be protected against tetanus — a remarkably low figure given the deadly nature of the disease.

It’s thought that vaccination is largely driven by owners adhering to competition regulations, rather than the desire to protect their animals. Furthermore, many simply don’t realise that their horse doesn’t have to leave his field to be at risk of contracting the infection.

Yet tetanus is ubiquitous and indiscriminate, meaning that unvaccinated horses, ponies and donkeys of all ages and types are vulnerable. Of all domesticated animals, horses are most susceptible to infection.

An ever-present risk

Tetanus is caused by the spore-forming bacteria Clostridium tetani, which is found in soil worldwide (although its prevalence may vary). It can also be found in intestinal tracts.

Soil contaminated with infected faeces is the most common method of transmission, with the bacteria able to survive for long periods of time — even for years — in most soil conditions.

Bacteria may also be ingested, and so can even affect horses with no external wounds. Unvaccinated horses are therefore at constant risk.

The bacteria C. tetani is anaerobic, meaning that it is unable to grow in the presence of oxygen but thrives in its absence. Its spores cannot survive in normal tissue, nor in wounds if the tissue remains well-oxygenated. Tissue death (necrosis) provides the perfect environment, however, for rapid multiplication of bacteria.

A deep puncture wound is by far the most common route by which the bacteria enter the horse’s body, punctures of the foot in particular. Sometimes the point of entry cannot be found because the wound itself may be minor or healed.

Rarely, infection can occur via the intestines if a horse eats contaminated soil or faeces.

In the case of newborn foals, bacteria can gain access via the umbilicus (navel).

Once inside the body, C. tetani produces a potent toxin that targets the nervous system and is absorbed by the motor nerves serving the infected area. From here it travels up the nerve tract to the spinal cord, from where it can affect the entire body and cause generalised “tetanic spasm” — sudden and involuntary contraction of a single muscle or muscle group.

The length of time from infection to clinical disease is in the region of 10-21 days. The disease is non-contagious, in that it cannot be transferred between horses or from horse to human, or vice versa.

Fatal consequences

The initial signs of tetanus are a consequence of the toxin attacking the nerves that control the skeletal (postural) muscles.

This is swiftly followed by a progressive deterioration.

Stiffness in the head and limbs is one of the first signs, accompanied by muscular spasms that progressively worsen. The horse becomes reluctant or unable to move, adopting a posture with extended limbs called the “sawhorse stance”. He may be unable to eat or chew, which is the reason why tetanus may be referred to as “lockjaw”.

Other signs include sweating, flaring of the nostrils and facial muscle spasms that cause a startled, wide-eyed expression.

The tail may be held out straight, the third eyelids may extend across the eyeballs and the horse may exhibit hypersensitivity to noise or light.

Exacerbated spasms and convulsions later cause collapse, followed quickly by death due to respiratory failure from paralysis of the breathing muscles.

Fatality rates are in the range of 75%. Once the horse has collapsed, the most humane course of action is euthanasia.

If a case is diagnosed early, however, large doses of tetanus antitoxin can be administered along with antibiotics, sedatives and muscle relaxants. Yet despite intensive treatment, most unprotected horses do not survive.

The simple solution

As ever, prevention is far better than cure. Vaccination is inexpensive and extremely effective, so there is really no excuse for any horse not to be protected.

In an emergency, an unvaccinated horse can be given an antitoxin to provide rapid but short-lived immunity of approximately four to six weeks to the toxin produced by C. tetani.

Vaccination involves the administration of tetanus toxoid — a dose of toxin that has been treated by heat or a chemical agent to destroy its deleterious properties without destroying its ability to combine with or stimulate the formation of antitoxin.

So whereas tetanus antitoxin provides fast but short-acting protection against the disease, vaccination stimulates the body to produce its own, long-lasting immunity.

The initial vaccination course consists of two primary injections of tetanus toxoid, four to six weeks apart, followed by a booster injection administered within 12 months. Subsequent boosters are normally administered every two years, but this can vary depending on the product used.

Tetanus vaccines can sometimes give rise to a reaction at the injection site. This usually comprises little more than a swelling of the muscle into which the injection was given, accompanied by local soreness and stiffness.

Short-term pain relief can be given if a stiff neck interferes with eating, for example, but this reaction will usually resolve itself within a few days.

Are they properly protected?

Mares and foals

Vaccinated pregnant mares should be given a tetanus booster four to six weeks before foaling.

This increases antibodies in the colostrum (first milk), providing the foal with a degree of maternal protection for approximately six to 12 weeks.

To supplement this, newborn foals can also be given a tetanus antitoxin soon after birth to provide temporary cover. A regular vaccination programme can then be initiated from approximately three to four months old.

Competition horses

Riders should check rules for their specific discipline as some require boosters as often as every six months.

Unvaccinated horses

Horses without a vaccination history, or those not previously vaccinated against tetanus, should receive a tetanus antitoxin in the event of a wound being sustained. The tetanus vaccination works on a different pathway to the antitoxin, so a vaccination course can be started at the same time.

OAPS

Horses aged 20 years or more experience a reduced response to vaccines. It’s not the case that a horse that has been vaccinated for many years develops age-related immunity — all veterans need a regular tetanus booster.

Donkeys

Don’t forget donkeys — they should follow the same vaccination programme as horses.

Research round-up

Our knowledge of the effect of tetanus toxoid and antitoxin has been largely based on studies that are now 70 years old. New research undertaken by the Universities of Melbourne and Sydney in Australia has multiple aims: to identify the role of tetanus antitoxin in disease prevention; to determine correct dosage and the effectiveness of tetanus antitoxin, and to establish the optimum frequency of booster vaccination with tetanus toxoid.

According to Rachel Bradbury of MSD Animal Health, the national vaccination rate for tetanus among equines is estimated at 56%.

“The stats are worryingly low,” she says. “Based on the market research we have conducted, there is certainly a lack of awareness among owners of the risk of infectious disease. This is something we are working to address through our Keeping Britain’s Horses Healthy campaign.” www.healthyhorses.co.uk

Ref: Horse & Hound; 12 May 2016

An equine veterinary practice in the south-west has launched a new outreach clinic to help owners struggling with the cost of keeping their horse or pony.

EqWest is holding the weekly clinic at Penewin Stables near Trerulefoot, Cornwall to save owners a vet call out charge.

And to celebrate the opening, the practice is donating one tetanus vaccination to charity South West Equine Protection (SWEP) for every new client registration.

SWEP protects moorland ponies on Dartmoor and Bodmin moor and increasingly takes in abandoned ponies from people who can’t afford to keep them.

“Vaccination is the only proven method of protection against this potentially fatal disease, so offering a tetanus vaccination to SWEP seemed very sensible,” said EqWest’s Jeremy Hyde.

“We hope that our new clinic will help owners in that area to make savings on their vet call out charge and enable us to vaccinate more ponies for SWEP.”

The clinic will be for routine care such as flu and tetanus vaccinations, dental care and initial lameness assessments. Clients will be referred to the main EqWest clinic near Tavistock for more specialist services.

For more information about EqWest and SWEP’s work visit www.eqwest.co.uk and www.swep.org.uk

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Discounted vaccinations are being offered to owners this month as part of the fight against equine disease.

More than 2,000 vet practices across the country are taking part in National Vaccination Month, which runs until Tuesday, 31 May, and is funded by pharmaceutical companies Intervet and Schering.

By downloading vouchers online and taking them to the nearest participating vet, owners can get reductions of around £30 on tetanus and influenza vaccines, although the discount does depend on the fees charged by the individual vet. To take part, equines must be more than 12 months old and either unvaccinated or at least three months overdue for a booster.

For each vaccination given, equine charity World Horse Welfare will receive a £1 donation.

Charity deputy chief executive Tony Tyler said: “It is important that horse owners take appropriate precautions to ensure their horses are protected against what can be life-threatening diseases.

“We ensure that all animals passing through World Horse Welfare’s gates are vaccinated as a matter of course and urge horse owners to do the same.”

The launch of National Vaccination Month comes on the back of a YouGov poll of over 2,000 pet keepers, including horse owners, which suggested that the cost of vaccinations is prompting many owners to overlook them. Almost 40% admitted not keeping their vaccinations up to date and it is feared there are more than 500,000 unvaccinated horses in the UK.

H&H veterinary consultant Karen Coumbe said: “Tetanus can be fatal and, in my view, all horses should be protected by vaccination against tetanus without question.

“Horses are unlikely to die of equine flu, but it remains a serious infection that can spread rapidly with devastating consequences. Vaccination reduces the risks enormously.”

To find your nearest participating vet and download the discount vouchers, visit www.nvmonline.co.uk.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (12 May, 2011)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now