02/19/2026
Focus on health: Vaccines
Our location in Virginia is very prone to biting insects, so knowing what vaccines are important, as well as the frequency they should be given is an important lesson to learn.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?
Vaccines protect against diseases that can be devastating โ neurologic disease, respiratory outbreaks, fatal infections.
But not every horse needs every vaccine.
At Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals, we divide vaccines into two categories: core and risk-based.
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ
These are recommended for every horse, regardless of lifestyle.
They protect against diseases that are:
โข Widespread
โข Severe or fatal
โข Public health risks
โข Not dependent on travel or exposure
Core vaccines include protection against:
โข Tetanus
โข Eastern & Western Encephalitis
โข West Nile Virus
โข Rabies
Even the retired pasture horse needs these core vaccines.
๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ค ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ
These depend on your horseโs exposure and lifestyle.
We consider:
โข Travel frequency
โข Show participation
โข Boarding environment
โข Breeding status
โข Geographic disease prevalence
โข Herd turnover
Risk-based vaccines may include protection against:
โข Strangles
โข Influenza
โข Rhinopneumonitis (EHV)
โข Potomac Horse Fever
โข Botulism
A traveling show horse has different needs than a retired companion.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ?
It is so important to schedule vaccine appointments with your veterinarian, instead of buying them from online for a few important reasons:
1. Proper Storage and handling- If vaccines sit in the mail box or are mishandled at the feed store- they may be ineffective.
2. Safe Administration- proper technique reduces the risk of injection site reactions.
3. Medical Oversight- If a reaction occurs, a veterinarian can treat it immediately and document it properly, as well as have contact with the manufacturer.
4. Verified medical records- Many shows, boarding facilities and legal situations need proof of veterinarian- administered vaccines.
5. Disease Prevention Strategy-
At BVEH we tailor each protocol based on:
โข Age
โข Health status
โข Metabolic or endocrine disease
โข Pregnancy status
โข Exposure risk
The goal is smart protection.
Is your horse traveling this year? Boarding somewhere new? Retiring? Breeding? Tell us what their year looks like โ weโll help you build the right plan. โ Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals
