THE CASE FOR WINTER VACCINATIONS

Immunizations aren’t just a spring thing. Some horses, depending on where they live and what they spend their time doing, need certain vaccines and boosters to protect their health year round. Plus, with changing weather patterns, vaccinations may need to be done more frequently. Here are four reasons a horse may benefit from a winter vaccination plan:

• If you live in an area where mosquitoes persist year-round, the risk for encephalitic diseases continues into the fall and winter. In these places, boosters for West Nile encephalitis, eastern and western encephalitis may be a good idea.

• Similarly, if you live in an area of the country associated with Potomac Horse fever, the aquatic insects that are part of the life cycle may persist well into the late fall and early winter months, making vaccination prudent.

• If your winter plans including showing, clinics or other events where your horse will be traveling and mingling with others, you may want to give boosters for influenza or rhinopneumonitis. Even if your horse doesn’t go anywhere, barnmates who travel may bring pathogens home with them, making vaccines for all a wise choice.

• If you plan on feeding round bales this winter, a botulism vaccine can protect your horse from toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which can thrive in the anaerobic environment inside the bales.