Highly Recommended Vaccinations

This at-a-glance vaccination chart shows you the vaccinations recommended for your horse, based on his lifestyle.
By the Editors of Practical Horseman magazine

For your purpose of choosing the best vaccination and deworming strategy for your horse, these are the three basic equine lifestyles:

Open herd: This is your horse's situation if he travels frequently to shows or other events where he comes in contact with unfamiliar horses whose worming and vaccination schedules you don't know. Even if he's stay-at-home, he's in an open herd if he boards in a large facility with a high turnover and even more so if manure is not removed regularly from the turnout areas.

Semi-open herd: If your horse and those around him are on regular vaccination and deworming schedules and their fecal egg counts are monitored and all newcomers to the barn are immediately vaccinated and dewormed, your horse fits here.

Closed herd: This lifestyle gives you horse the least exposure to worms and germs. He qualifies if he's in an extremely controlled environment with rare exposure to unfamiliar horses, is turned out in regularly cleaned paddocks and benefits from regular vaccination and deworming program that includes fecal egg counts.

Now that you know your horse's herd type, use the chart below to develop a custom plan that optimally immunizes your horse against disease and controls his exposure to parasites.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VACCINATIONS
(Don't Leave Home Without Them)
Disease Description Protocol/Comments
TETANUS TOXOID When a wound such as a deep puncture is contaminated, toxins from the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani, which thrives in the equine environment, cause lockjaw and general muscle spasms, usually resulting in death. For all herd types: Vaccinate yearly.
Give a booster vaccination at the time of penetrating injury or surgery if most recent dose was more than six months earlier. Broodmares should receive a vaccination four to six weeks before foaling.

EE/WEE Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis, aka Sleeping Sickness, is a vector-borne viral disease causing inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. For all herd types: Vaccinate yearly, in spring (before insect season).
Where Encephalomyelitis is common and/or where there are two annual mosquito "blooms," give a booster EEE/WEE vaccination every six months about a month before the onset of the mosquito season. A vaccination for Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis is also recommended for horses in U.S border areas of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.

RABIES Invasion of the central nervous system by a virus that is fatal if untreated; it also transmits to other animals--including humans. For all herd types: Recommended yearly, especially in areas where rabid wildlife is reported or areas considered to be endemic.
WEST NILE VIRAL ENCEPHALMYELITIS A mosquito-born encephalitis that can be deadly to horses and has been reported in all but a few states. For all herd types: Vaccination recommended very six months.
Two West Nile Virus vaccines are now available; consult your veterinarian about the best choice for your horse. If you're vaccinating your horse against WNV for the first time, he'll require a booster after the initial injection.

INFLUENZA Acute, contagious, viral respiratory-tract inflammation; occurs in isolated cases or in epidemics. Your veterinarian can recommend which form of the vaccine is suitable for your horse. Intranasal Vaccine
Open herd: Every four months.
Semi-open herd: Every six months.
Closed herd: Every six months; add booster two to four weeks before anticipated exposure, such as a show or a long haul.
Intranasal vaccine gives a good immune response when properly applied but can be tricky to administer. If your horse is fussy about substances sprayed up his nostrils, consider using the injectable form.
Injectable Vaccine
Open herd: Every four months.
Semi-open herd: Every four months.
Closed herd: Every six months; add a booster two to four weeks before anticipated exposure.


RHINOPNEUMONITIS Caused by a herpes virus, a contagious infection of the respiratory tract; often induces abortion in pregnant mares. Open herd: Every other month.
Semi-open herd: Every four months.
Closed herd: (Optional) Every six months.
Rhinopneumonitis and Influenza vaccines are sometimes administered in a single combined dose. If your mare is bred, consult your veterinarian about a Rhino vaccination schedule to safeguard her pregnancy.



This chart originally appeared in the article "Protect Your Horse from Worms and Germs" in the April 2005 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

Here is some Good advice for all Horse owners in all parts of the World.

Disaster Preparation for Pets and Horses
Flood. Fire. Hurricane. Do your horse--and yourself--a favor. Plan now for potential disasters.

You never forget the gut-wrenching scenes. An anxious horse entangled in a barbed-wire fence as floodwaters swirl ever higher around him. A dog clinging desperately to a rooftop, inches from the rising water. Bloated livestock corpses bobbing alongside sodden logs or debris. Half-buried animals struggling to escape from mud.

"Whether it's a hurricane, flood, wildfire, or other natural or manmade disaster, an animal evacuation plan can make the difference between life, death, or tremendous suffering for pets and livestock," says Dr. Mark Michalke. He's a field veterinarian for the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and leader of the Evacuation Committee for the Texas Emergency Response Team (TERT).

Here, we'll share with you tips for developing a disaster plan. While some of these were developed by TERT, they apply to problems anywhere.

Tip: Depending on the disaster, you may need to evacuate your horse or try to ride out the ordeal at home. Either way, we suggest that you put your plan in writing, and give copies to your family, neighbors and barn helpers. That way, if disaster threatens when you're not around, they'll know what to do.

Map An Evacuation Plan
If you should need to evacuate your horses, where would you go? Now's the time to decide--before disaster strikes. It may be as simple as hauling them to higher ground, or you might need to find stabling options elsewhere.

Contact show grounds and fairgrounds, to see if they have unused blocks of stalls. (Have several options in different areas.) Says Dr. Michalke, "Establish a relationship with facilities outside your area before a crisis, and keep phone numbers and addresses handy."

Once you've identified a place to take your horses, be proactive, should a crisis strike. "Calling ahead to reserve space will increase your chances of gaining space for your animals," advises Dr. Michalke.

Map several routes (one could be blocked), and determine how you'll get your horse there. Check with your regional disaster planning and emergency services for routes and other evacuation ideas.

Do you have a trailer? If not, make other plans for emergency transport. If you'll be using your rig, keep it evacuation-ready. Perform a weekly check to be sure tires are aired up, trailer floorboards are solid and safe, and that the hitch is in working order. Keep your truck gassed up.

Adds Dr. Michalke, "Leave early and allow time for hauling. Don't wait until roads become congested or impassable, as this will stress your animals."

Don't forget to plan for yourself and your pets. "Most shelters will not accept pets, so it's important to know ahead of time where animals can be housed," says Dr. Michalke.

Make An Emergency Evacuation KitIf waters are rising or flames are licking at the barn door, the last thing you want to be doing is scrambling around trying to find halters, lead ropes and buckets. Assemble an evacuation kit before the crisis strikes, advises Dr. Michalke, and keep it in an easily accessible place (such as your trailer, if you have one).

In your kit, include:

At least a 3-day supply of food (hay and grain), plus two buckets (for food and water) for every horse.
If you have a way to transport water, such as the specially designed, watertight plastic saddle stands made for trailer travel, or other such large, watertight containers, fill them. Water can be hard to come by in a disaster, so you'll better ensure that your horse has a safe supply.
A halter and lead rope for every horse. Add stud chains in case you need them for extra control. Tip: Have dog i.d. tags made, with the horse's name, plus your name, address, and phone number. Or, write the info on each halter with a permanent marker. That way, if your horse should escape or be moved, you'll have a better chance of him being returned to you.
Copies of registration papers, brand-inspection records, and health records--including a negative Coggins
At least a 3-day supply of any medications your horse might need.
Several photos of each horse, to aid in identification. Horses and pets may be shuffled from one site to another during a chaotic situation.
Riding It Out
If you can't evacuate, or doing so would be more dangerous to you than staying put, use the following tips:

Before water lines break or power goes down, fill several large, clean 30- to 55-gallon plastic garbage cans with drinking water for your horses. (Don't forget your family and pets!) You'll need a 3- to 10-day supply. (The average adult horse drinks about 10 to 15 gallons a day, so let that be your guide.)
Set out flashlights and lanterns, along with a supply of fresh batteries.
Consider turning out your horses into a safely fenced pasture with shelter. Generally, they'll be safer in a pasture than in a barn, which could burn or collapse.
Outfit each horse in a leather halter outfitted with either an ID tag or hand-written contact information. (See "Emergency Evacuation Kit," above.)
Close barn doors, so panicked horses can't run back inside.
Turn off power and gas lines.

TERT AT A GLANCETexas Emergency Response Team members quickly recognized the need to address animal evacuation in disasters, particularly after Texas' devastating October l998 flood, in which more than 23,000 cattle drowned. Another 400 hogs, sheep, horses, and poultry also were killed in the violent storm that struck 21 counties in south-central Texas.

TERT was originally formed by the TAHC (the state's livestock health regulatory agency), and Texas staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Services. The team was developed to address devastating foreign pests, diseases, or bio-terrorism. On the governor's emergency management team, TERT serves with the Texas Department of Health in collaboration with the Texas Veterinary Medical Association and other livestock and health agencies.

For more online equine emergency and disaster preparedness resources, visit www.aaep.org/emergency_prep.htm.

Shirley & I thank Dr. Mark Michalke & Equus Magazine for this post.

Your Comments are appreciated.

Fly Control and your Horse

This is the Time of Year we all suffer form pesky Fly infestations in our Barns and pastures. In addition to repellents and other fly-foiling measures, giving your horse access to open, breezy pastures can help keep flies at bay.

Photo by Darrell Dodds

How to Identify, Control Pesky Flies

Do you know what's buzzing by? There are many different types of flies, and a product that controls one might not control another. Here's a who's-who to help you identify--and control--pesky flies.


Fly season is fast approaching, and while you may not see too many flying insects right now, early spring is the time to get a jump on the fly population. In the April 2006 issue of Horse & Rider we took a look at the different types of control methods--from barn spray systems to fly parasites. But knowing which flies you have is an important step in controlling them. Bill Warner, an entomologist and new product development manager for Farnam, offers these tips about some of the flies your horse may (literally) be facing:

Biting Gnats
Black flies (or buffalo gnats) and punkies or no-see-ums are small and often overlooked by horse owners. They can carry parasitic worms, disease organisms and may cause allergic dermatitis.

Use fly repellents containing pyrethrins or pyrethroids, or a combination of the two. Apply to frequently attacked areas, especially the ventral midline (chest and belly) and ears.
Drain marshy areas and make banks of stock tanks and ponds steep to reduce breeding areas.
Allow horses access to more exposed breezy areas.

Eye Gnats
Adult Chloropid gnats are non-biting flies but they feed on secretions around a horse's eyes and nose, and have been implicated in the transmission of pink eye, yaws and other diseases.

Good sanitation (see article in Horse & Rider, April 2006) can help reduce breeding sites.
Use repellent wipes, sprays and roll-ons on the horse's face.
Some fly baits can help, but aren't effective as the sole control technique.

Horse and Deer Flies
Horse flies (those big, nasty biting flies up to 1 1/4-inch long) and deer flies (smaller, with black bands across their wings) cause painful bites that can make your horse (and you) miserable.

Pasture horses in breezy, open (non-wooded) areas.
Use fly repellents and wipes.
Drain wet, low-lying areas to reduce breeding areas.
Some fly traps--like Farnam's Epps Biting Fly Trap (farnam.com), or Horse Pal (from Newman Enterprises; bitingflies.com)--are effective.

Horn FlyThese blood-sucking flies are generally only a problem if your horses are pastured near infested cattle.

Use fly repellents, insecticidal sprays and wipe-ons.

Stable FlyIf you hear a lot of stomping, you've got stable flies. This common, blood-feeding fly usually feeds on the lower legs (especially forelegs), and horses will stomp their feet in reaction to painful bites. (Foundered or lame horses that can't stomp are especially vulnerable).

Use feedthroughs, fly parasites, repellents, spray systems and sticky traps.
Remove or compost old bedding, manure and wet hay.

Face FlyOccasionally a problem where horses are stabled near cattle, face flies feed on secretions around the face.

Locate horses far away from pastured cattle.
Use fly masks or repellents.

House Fly
The most common fly pest, house flies love horse manure and the mucous secretions and wounds on horses.

Barn spray systems, traps, feedthroughs, fly parasites, repellents and masts/sheets are all effective.
See the April 2006 issue of Horse & Rider for sanitation and control tips.

Bot Fly
Horse bot flies lay eggs on a horse's coat or skin. When a horse licks his legs, he ingests the eggs, which mature into larvae in the horse's stomach lining.

Treat horses with ivermectins or organophosphates labeled for bot control.
Some feedthroughs (specifically tetrachlorvinphos) can control larval bots.
Apply fly repellents.
Use a bot block, bot knife or even your fingernail to remove the eggs.

Chuck & Shirley Bartok
EQUINE-FUN BLOG
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Farnam Sponsors EQUUS Wellness Guide


Farnam is celebrating its 60th anniversary with an exclusive sponsorship of EQUUS magazine's first-ever special issue, an equine wellness guide.
May 4, 2006 -- Farnam Companies Inc., the largest marketer of equine products in the United States, announced May 2 that in celebration of its 60th anniversary, it is the exclusive sponsor of EQUUS magazine's first-ever special issue, "Healthy Horse: A Wellness Guide."

The special issue, which hits newsstands May 9, underscores Farnam's commitment to its consumers and to the industry it has served for more than 60 years. Farnam, a longtime advertiser in EQUUS, has appeared in every issue since the publication's inception in 1977.

In addition to approximately 10,000 issues available on newsstands at a cover price of $3.99, the wellness guide will be mailed to EQUUS' more than 140,000 subscribers, including more than 7,000 equine veterinarians. The guide can also be purchased for $3.99 (plus $2.95 shipping and handling) by calling 1-800-237-8191.

"Throughout its 60-year legacy, Farnam has demonstrated a commitment to consumers that echoes our dedication to the horse and our service to a significant and growing number of horse owners," said Susan Harding, vice president and group publishing director of the PRIMEDIA Equine Network, publisher of EQUUS. "Together, we saw this as an opportunity to deliver a guide that better educates horse owners and enthusiasts nationwide." The guide is being mailed to all EQUUS subscribers at no additional cost.

What a great Opportunity to have this valuable reference Avaialable. We encourage you to get a copy.

Chuck & Shirley Bartok
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SOME GREAT IDEAS FOR SPRING CLEANING

*Strip your stalls, pull up the mats and clean underneath them.

*Re-tamp the floors & fill in any holes.

*De-cobweb everything, including hayloft.

*Disinfect walls & remove last yr's fly poop by scrub brushing with hot water & Nolvasan Premesis disinfectant.

*Sweep hayloft, throw away loose shraff

*Wash windows

*Empty horse vacuum, disinfect brushes

*Safety check all your tack, disassemble, clean, polish & reassemble.

*Send winter blankets to be cleaned & repaired

*Walk the fenceline & make repairs

*Reseed fields ~plan for rotation or buy portable electric fencing to save new grass

Have fun & enjoy a Good Horse,
Shirley Bartok
SAVE MORE, EARN MORE