Horse Vaccines

Reviewed by Dr. Teresa Manucy, DVM

Horse vaccines are the key to reducing your horse’s risk of serious disease or death from common equine diseases like rabies, tetanus, and encephalitis. Vaccines for horses are divided into two categories: core vaccines and risk-based vaccines. All horses require the core vaccines, while vets may only recommend certain risk-based vaccines for individual horses depending on where they live, how they’re used, their age, and their health history. The five core horse vaccines needed by all horses are:

• Rabies: A viral disease transmitted through the bite of an infected animal
• Tetanus: An infection caused by bacteria found in soil that enter the body through open wounds
• Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE): A rare but nearly always fatal viral infection transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes
• Western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE): A viral infection similar to EEE but with a much lower mortality rate
• West Nile virus: A mosquito-borne virus that causes neurologic disease with potentially fatal consequences

Most veterinarians recommend annual vaccinations each spring, though some horses may require booster shots or additional risk-based vaccines at other times of year. Consult your veterinarian for advice regarding your horse’s schedule of horse vaccines. If you choose to administer certain vaccines yourself, using Chewy’s Autoship ensures you get them right on schedule, as often as your vet recommends.