Vaccination Planning is Key

Prevention is Kinder than Cure

Your horse’s vaccination plan shouldn’t be built on what you did last year. Risk isn’t static and neither is your horse’s life.

New horses arrive at barns. Old ones move on. Show schedules change. Boarding arrangements shift. Even climate patterns influence disease risk. Vaccination decisions made in isolation, or out of habit, can quickly become outdated.

A thoughtful vaccination program recognizes that risk evolves, and staying current means regular reassessment.

Learn how to build a vaccination plan that adapts to your horse’s lifestyle during Equine Guelph’s March Vaccination Education Month with the FREE Vaccination Equi-planner (TheHorsePortal.ca/VaccinationTool), and sign up for Equine Guelph’s on-demand Sickness Prevention in Horses online course – both kindly sponsored by Zoetis.

This innovative tool provides a starting point to discuss a comprehensive vaccination schedule with your veterinarian that will be tailored to each horse’s unique needs, aiming for optimal health and performance.

Vaccination protects more than one horse

Vaccination is both an individual and a community decision.

While vaccines help protect your horse from serious disease, they also reduce the spread of infectious agents within barns, lessons programs, boarding facilities, and show grounds. One under‑vaccinated horse can unknowingly raise risk for many others—especially youngsters, seniors, or immune‑compromised horses.

Vaccinating isn’t just about compliance; it’s about collective responsibility within the equine community. Vaccinations can let owners rest easy that their horses are safe while providing social interaction with other horses.

Discover how informed vaccination choices can support herd health using Equine Guelph’s Vaccination Equi-planner.

Core vaccines aren’t the whole story

Core vaccines are essential, but they’re only the starting point.

Geography, travel, discipline, frequency of horse‑to‑horse contact, and local disease trends all influence which additional vaccines may be appropriate. Two horses living in the same province might still need very different vaccination strategies.

The question isn’t “What does everyone else do?”

It’s: What does your horse need, right now?

Lifestyle-based planning can guide smarter vaccination conversations with your veterinarian.

Informed owners make better healthcare decisions

Vaccination shouldn’t feel confusing or like something you blindly check off once a year.

When owners understand why certain vaccines are recommended, when boosters are needed, and how lifestyle affects risk, they’re better equipped to have meaningful conversations with their vet and to advocate for their horse’s health.

Good vaccination decisions start with good education.

“Understanding the risks your horses face is essential to making informed decisions,” says Tamara Quaschnick, DVM, Veterinary Services Manager, Zoetis. “When one considers the serious implications of preventable viral diseases like West Nile, sleeping sickness, and rabies, deciding to vaccinate your horse against them is one of the easiest decisions you can make as a horse owner! Vaccination against core diseases can not only save your horse’s life, but it can save them from suffering through horrible disease complexes, and save you from the burden of intensive medical care costs. Working with your veterinary care team to incorporate coverage against core and risk-based diseases is a critical part of maintaining your horse’s wellness.” 

Vaccinations should not be thought of as a luxury, or cost-cutting measure. Instead, they should be considered a baseline/non-negotiable when thinking about the welfare of the horse that can save thousands of dollars, reduce down time and protect good health.

Explore Equine Guelph’s Vaccination Equi‑Planner—developed to support informed, evidence‑based decision‑making.

Then, make sure you are doing everything to optimize your infection control strategies, sign up for the on demand, Sickness Prevention in Horses online course on TheHorsePortal.ca.

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Media Contact:
Jackie Zions
jbellamy@uoguelph.ca