Rabies Vaccinations for Horses

Horse owners who are considering skipping their horse’s rabies vaccination might be interested in these facts: Each year there are hundreds of confirmed cases of rabies in animals, with 92% occurring in wild animals. Many more cases are never recorded, as the animals die before anyone knows they are sick. In 2011, there were 44 confirmed cases of rabies in horses. Thus far in 2013, there have been 12 cases of equine rabies in addition to numerous cases in cats, dogs, cows, foxes, bats, raccoons, and skunks.

With these figures in mind, owners should understand that their horses are always at some risk of getting rabies, a disease that is virtually 100% fatal. Horses turned out in pastures can easily come in contact with a variety of wild animals, and even stalled horses may be visited by bats, raccoons, and other potential carriers of disease.

Rabies affects the horse’s nervous system. Clinical signs include depression, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, backing off feed, lack of coordination, aggressive behavior, colic, hyperexcitability, convulsions, or paralysis. No treatment will cure the infection, and the only certain prevention is by vaccination.

The Equine Disease Communication Center indicates confirmed cases of disease in horses and other species. Owners who are planning to travel with their horses can use the resource to avoid areas with a high incidence of rabies, West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, influenza, Potomac horse fever, and equine herpesvirus.