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It’s always a good idea to talk to your veterinarian about vaccination schedules for foals. “There is not really a set protocol for all situations and
all foals. A foal vaccination program really needs to be tailored to your own farm and circumstances and exposure to diseases. This would include any previous outbreaks of certain diseases. It’s wise to work with your veterinar- ian to figure out what’s best for the foals on your farm.”
Tetanus is always a concern since this disease can crop up any time, and the bacterial spores can be dormant for years in the soil. The tetanus vac- cine is very reliable, creates a good immunity, and foals can be success- fully vaccinated at a fairly young age.
“If the mare has unknown vac- cination history, or has not been vaccinated in the last 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy, we generally move up our foal vaccinations to 3 to 4 months
of age for the initial series, especially the diseases they would be at high risk for at an early age. For tetanus or botulism, you can give these vaccines to foals at 1 month of age. In a high risk situation, tetanus antitoxin can be given at birth,” says Wilson.
It always helps to know the foal’s situation and risk and vaccinate accordingly. “There are vaccines for many different diseases, and some may not be needed, if your foals don’t have exposure and would be unlikely to get those diseases. On a large breeding farm this could save a lot of money if there are some vaccines you don’t need,” she says. It’s also good to know each mare’s vaccination history, especially if you purchase a broodmare or a mare with a young foal at her side.
If possible, vaccinate before weaning or utilize a weaning strategy that is less stressful for the foal—such as mare and foal in adjacent stalls, or fence line weaning where they can be next to each other.
“There are many diseases and many different vaccines, and this
is good reason to work with your veterinarian to determine which vac- cines should be used and which ones might be best for the mares and foals on your farm,” she explains.
Carrie Hammer, State Horse Extension Specialist and Director
of the Equine Science Program at North Dakota State University, has two sets of recommendations for horsemen-those who are raising their own foals and those who are buying weanlings or yearlings. They need
to know the vaccination history on those young horses, if possible.
It is important to follow label directions on every vaccine and give the booster doses at appropri- ate intervals. Adult horses that have already been vaccinated—having
gone through the booster series as foals and having received annual boosters thereafter—only need one shot to kick up the immunity. “Almost all vaccines, except rabies, are generally a 3 dose series ini- tially. You start with the first one at 4 to 6 months of age, then a booster 4 to 6 weeks later and then the foal should get the third dose at about 10 to 12 months of age. After that, they are good for a year or 6 months, depending on which vaccine it is and how frequently it needs to be boostered,” she says.
Timing and when to start the vaccines can sometimes be a hard decision. “We talk about vaccinat- ing about weaning time (4 to 6 months), but doing it at the same time you pull the foals off the mares, when you handle the foals
SPEEDHORSE CANADA, Spring 2019 27
EQUINE HEALTH