12/08/2025
I have taken a few days to really consider what I want to say here. This is it.
💣Please let a veterinarian vaccinate your horses. AND PLEASE follow their recommendations. 💣
Vaccinations, similar to antibiotics are Regional. Depending on the area in the country you live depends on the recommendations. Example: In Florida they vaccinate for Encephalopathies every 3-4 months. Technically the AAEP guidelines are once a year.
In my opinion, if you can’t tell me what you are vaccinating for, what it actually is, or how it infects your horse you SHOULD NOT BE VACCINATING. If you just read encephalopathy and thought what is that? You should not be vaccinating your horses.
I recently went to a farm who does their own vaccines. When asked the time frame between vaccinated I got “hmm I think I vaccinated for that.”
Sadly, either they didn’t, OR at some point the handling of the vaccine was not correct and it became ineffective. Now we have a contagious disease on a farm with several horses to manage and treat.
When a vaccine is given by a Veterinarian, it comes with a guarantee. If your horse contracts the disease, the drug companies help clean up the mess.
Please stop the “veterinarian’s are in it for the money,” “you over vaccinate,” “ I just gave a 5 way from Tractor Supply, they said I just need a 5 way,” crap. Because it’s all crap.
For the sanity of this Veterinarian, please just let me vaccinate. I do have a longer, more explicit soapbox, but will leave this for now.
***For starters, Influenza and Equine Herpes Virus 1 and 4 are once a year vaccines for barns with NO movement. That includes YOU! You aren’t traveling to other barns, visiting friends at a horse show, taking lessons. I mean no other possible contact ever. Other wise it should be given twice a year to every horse at a farm in which horses come and go. (Not just the ones coming and going, but even the old retired guys.) ( Doesn’t anyone remember we JUST had multiple barn outbreaks of EHV LAST SPRING?) ***
I am sick of treating PREVENTABLE DISEASES!
Trust me! The vaccine is WAY cheaper than the disease, and much safer for your horse.
**Steps down off Soapbox 📦 for now***
Please just let your veterinarian vaccinate your animals…. I’m tried, please don’t give me more work. Just let a veterinarian vaccinate your horse. You won’t be saving money if you do it wrong… or someone handled the vaccinate inappropriately. Not to mention horses do die from the things we vaccinate against…..That’s WHY there are vaccines… but I digress.
Personally, my BARE MINIMUM is vaccines twice a year, because we live in OHIO with A LOT of water sources especially that big water body called Lake Erie. (Potomac Horse Fever really could be 3 times a year.)
Just let me do it… or one of my colleagues. I beg you.
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