# Question on foal shots



## happy appy (Aug 9, 2013)

What does every one use as a guide for their foals first year of shots?


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## chandab (Aug 9, 2013)

I don't know if I should even answer, I don't vaccinate my foals til they are yearlings; I've raised 3 very healthy saddle horse foals and 4 mini horse foals this way. All my foals have been from mares with up to date vaccinations, so the foals should have gotten their necessary initial immunity from their dams, and so far this has worked well for me. I know others do differently. Your vet might be the best place to start with this, as he/she will know what is best for your area.


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## happy appy (Aug 9, 2013)

All I do is a Vit E shot in the first week then at 6 months I start regular shots for my area. I have the vet do which ever shots are required for my area but was wondering what other peoples opinions were on them.


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##  (Aug 9, 2013)

Went back to check my records since I haven't had a foal born here in the past couple of years and haven't bred any for next year either. But, I also vaccinated my mares within 30 days of delivery (or so -- LOL) and used to give the following to the foals:

A 4-way shot with West Nile Virus -- at 3 months and 4 months, EHV-1 at 2 months, 3 months and 4 months, Rhodococcal vaccine at 2 months and 3 months and began worming them at 2 months and 3 months (with Safeguard) and at 4 months with Ivermectin then added them to the regular worming schedule. At the end of 4 months they were weaned and went to their new homes.


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## paintponylvr (Aug 10, 2013)

Funny how we all do things differently!

I follow our vet's protocol. It has changed recently. Current one is starting with the "mosquito shots" (WNV, EEE, WEE & Tetanus) at 4 months, again at 5 & 6 months (I've never given so many so close together before - but may very well be due to our current weather. Mosquitos have been active since MARCH and we just had 3 horses die not 20 miles from us from EEE - 2 no vax, 1 not regular, histories).

She has them also receiving the flu/rhino shots at 8, 9 & 11 months. I don't typically give these unless I know that those ponies/babies are being hauled.

Rabies at 6, 8 & 11 months. That caught me by surprise - I've ALWAYS had Rabies done by the vet (can't get it here in our state w/o vet) - and no mention has ever been made that they needed more than one dose. She does our foals usually in the fall - not always at the earliest month that this new protocol states.

All of our ponies receive Rabies shots annually. The vet gives them. I have rotating groups that get them at various times of the year - when their coggins is due. Rabies is an active disease here in our county with both fox and raccoons recently found infected with rabies. I do worry more about the cats than the ponies....

Based on breeding dates, I give the mares their "foal vax" 4 - 6 weeks out from foaling (thanx for the reminder - I didn't have the two due now on my calendar!). Everyone else always gets their annual shots in the spring - March/April time frame. The last couple of years, we haven't done shots in the fall on older than yearlings - this year due to the heavy infestation of mosquitos, we are doing them again next month....


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## drmatthewtaylor (Aug 10, 2013)

A good place for general recommendations is the AAEP website. Then I would contact your local Vet for local and 'your farm' considerations.

Dr. Taylor


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##  (Aug 11, 2013)

paintponylvr said:


> Funny how we all do things differently!
> 
> I follow our vet's protocol. It has changed recently. Current one is starting with the "mosquito shots" (WNV, EEE, WEE & Tetanus) at 4 months, again at 5 & 6 months (I've never given so many so close together before - but may very well be due to our current weather. Mosquitos have been active since MARCH and we just had 3 horses die not 20 miles from us from EEE - 2 no vax, 1 not regular, histories).
> 
> ...


Maybe because of living here in Florida, we started our "mosquito shots" a month earlier at 3 months, than a second at 4 months. Usually the foals left here at that point, or I would have given another dose at 5 months (did to a few I kept for a while).

I always give the mares the Pneumabort EHV-1 and the stallions/colts the Rhino EHV-4 every six months whether they go anywhere or not, just as a precaution because I live in a high "quarter horse" breeding and showing area where the Florida "Big Daddy" Rodeo is held twice a year, and big horses are coming and going out of the county continuously for events. I also give the obviously pregnant mares Pneumabort in their 7th, 9th and 11th months of pregnancy. Since I pasture breed, and sometimes was unsure of "pregnancy" at the 7 month mark, all mares got the Pneumabort 7 months after breeding--just in case. By the 9th month I was pretty sure who was and wasn't bred (by ultrasound or other obvious changes), so I discontinued the shot for the non-pregnant mares.

I do/did the Rhodococcal Vaccine because I once purchased a colt weaned at 3 1/2 months (who became a herd sire/show horse) that within 5 days of me picking him up I got a call saying that 4 foals had died at that farm in the last week of Rhodococcal Pneumonia. He was immediately started on treatment, and it was a very expensive and long treatment (4 months+) and my vet said it was better to treat all foals under age 6 months than risk another active exposure.

I've never done Rabies here. Perhaps not good, but never did. All dogs/cats on the farm had their rabies shots, and the farm is pretty secluded, but haven't had an active case of rabies in the "wild" in all the years I've lived here.

I do recommend giving the Strangles vaccination for any horse going out on the show circuit, and all my show horses were given the shot 2-3 weeks before leaving the farm.

Everyone does it differently I'm sure, but this was what my equine vet recommended and it worked for me.

Thank you again Dr. Taylor for your advice. Nice to know you peruse our threads.


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## Gone_Riding (Aug 14, 2013)

The thought of giving a 100 lb mini foal a full sized horse dose scares me. It just seems wrong that they should have the same dosage as a 1200 lb QH... I had every intentions of doing a shot schedule like that of a QH foal, but then after my mini was born, I just can't do it to her when she's so young. Do you aunties use a partial dose or do you use the whole doses? My vet clinic gets excited when I bring in my mini mare, because they never get to see a mini (a bad sign, but then they always take good care of her). I just don't think they are informed enough on minis for shot questions.


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## paintponylvr (Aug 14, 2013)

Viola -

I hope that Dr. Taylor weighs in on this matter. I know that I was very concerned about this as well when I started with the ponies/minis in 1995.

My vet said that all horses get the same dosage of shots - just the same as a human baby would get the same dosage as an adult (for diseases not for illness/treatment). I wish I could remember where I found the article on equine immune response! It was very detailed and took me a while to get thru it (even though it wasn't terribly long) and then I had to reread it in order to understand it. BUT it made sense!

If I'm not mistaken - dogs and cats are the same. Puppies and kittens get the same amount in a shot as a full size dog/cat would get. All BREEDS regardless of size.



Gone_Riding said:


> The thought of giving a 100 lb mini foal a full sized horse dose scares me. It just seems wrong that they should have the same dosage as a 1200 lb QH... I had every intentions of doing a shot schedule like that of a QH foal, but then after my mini was born, I just can't do it to her when she's so young. Do you aunties use a partial dose or do you use the whole doses? My vet clinic gets excited when I bring in my mini mare, because they never get to see a mini (a bad sign, but then they always take good care of her). I just don't think they are informed enough on minis for shot questions.


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##  (Aug 14, 2013)

The dosage is the same for the foals or their parents. There is no problem with the little ones, so don't fret. All is well, and they will do fine.


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## drmatthewtaylor (Aug 14, 2013)

Vaccines aren't drugs. So the dose is not dependent on size, rather it is based on an immune response which is the same regardless of size or age.

Dr. Taylor


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##  (Aug 15, 2013)

Thank you so much Dr. Taylor. Again, just the perfect explanation! We so appreciate you're watching over us!


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## Gone_Riding (Aug 15, 2013)

Thank you for letting me know!


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