Just Say “Neigh”: Preventing Disease with Annual Equine Wellness
- Dallas Duncan
- Feb 25
- 6 min read
The groundhogs may have predicted six more weeks of winter weather for 2026, but no matter when those warmer temperatures do settle in to stay, there’s no doubt a rise in mosquito population will soon follow. That’s a leading reason why the equine veterinarians at Custom Livestock Solutions think this is the ideal time of year to vaccinate horses, donkeys, and ponies against mosquito-borne diseases.
“In the Southeast, mosquito season is all year,” says CLS veterinarian Dr. Rachel Anders, DVM. “While it does get cold down here, it also stays warm through the months of December and January. We cannot definitively say that horses will not be exposed to the vectors that carry those diseases. For that reason, best practice is to booster the core vaccine every six months.”
As part of annual wellness care, CLS equine patients receive this core vaccine biannually, which protects against rabies, tetanus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, and West Nile Virus. For equines that travel, or ones that are around traveling equids, they will also need the flu-rhino vaccine, which protects against influenza and herpesvirus. This is particularly important these days in light of last year’s equine herpesvirus type-1 outbreak, Anders says.
Once-annual vaccination mid-summer or toward the end of a calendar year could prove a risky decision, cautions CLS veterinarian Dr. Caitlin Quinn, DVM CVMMP.
“We actually see some of the heaviest infection rates with some of the encephalitis viruses in the late summer to early fall,” Quinn says. “I would say that July to September is probably when we saw the most of that. If we’re talking about a vaccine having a strong six- to eight-month titer, if you got vaccinated in November, your horse is likely not under appropriate titer coverage by the time we reached peak season.”
That potential gap in titer, or immunity status, makes a big difference on the back end in terms of protecting horses against disease, she says. Each disease covered in the core vaccine, as well as the flu-rhino shot, can be severe or even fatal. They are also expensive to treat, Anders says, adding that treatment results are highly patient-dependent and in most cases are more symptom management than cures.
“As much time, effort, and love that our owners put into their horses, nothing feels worse than diagnosing something in their horse that could have been prevented by a twice-a-year vaccine,” Anders says.
Let’s get physical
Vaccinations are only part of what an annual equine wellness routine looks like. Other key aspects include a physical exam, a sedated oral exam and teeth floating, and a fecal exam for parasite monitoring, Anders says.
The physical exam is similar to a human yearly check-up. Vets listen to the heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract, inspect skin and lymph nodes, assess body condition, and take a general overview of an equine’s ocular and dental appearance.
“It’s establishing a new baseline for your horse’s health and physical status,” Anders says. “Legally, in order for us to dispense medications or make any medical advice and decisions, they have to have a physical exam done at least yearly by a veterinarian on site.”
That’s called a Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship, or VCPR, and like an equine wellness exam, it needs to be updated annually by a veterinarian.
“A lot about your horse can change in the course of a year. Not only does age affect health, but so do the conditions they’re living in: nutrition, activity, if they have developed any age-related or diet-related diseases. Horse owners see their horse every single day, so they may miss subtle changes versus if I’m coming in and seeing this horse in a snapshot of time, I may notice she is a little bit on the under-conditioned side or his coat looks a little woolier than it is supposed to for this specific season,” Anders says. “Annual physicals allow me to keep a finger on the metaphorical pulse and let you know when something starts drifting from normal.”
CLS client and horse owner Catherine-Anne Martin of Harlem, Georgia, likens this to the saying that it takes a village to raise a child. In her mind, it takes a team of professionals to raise a horse.
“I trust Dr. Quinn and everyone in the practice with one of the most precious things in my life. I absolutely trust their knowledge and how much they care about my horse. It matches the level of care I have for him,” she says. “Horse owners don’t have a veterinary degree. We’re not doctors. We don’t know when even the slightest little thing could indicate a bigger issue.”
CLS introduces spring equine package
Quinn and Anders developed the first Custom Livestock Solutions equine wellness package, running through March 31, 2026, as a way to promote the importance of horse owners making sure they have safeguards in place at the right time of year. The package offers a discounted wellness exam fee and includes the core vaccine, flu-rhino vaccine, a fecal exam, and a Coggins.
The Coggins test is to ensure animals are negative for equine infectious anemia, or EIA, a bloodborne virus that causes severe illness and has no treatment or vaccine. Globally, EIA is a threat to all equids and is screened for by several countries to track spread. A Coggins test requires a US Department of Agriculture-accredited veterinarian to pull blood and submit it to a diagnostic lab to test for the virus. Coggins testing is required yearly for horses that travel across state lines or off their owner's home property for any reason, reside in a boarding facility, or attend competitions and events.
Though CLS client and donkey owner Amy Norris of Watkinsville, Georgia, doesn’t typically need a Coggins for her non-traveling equines, she does make sure they receive all other recommended annual care.
“My animals’ health is majorly important to me,” Norris says. “I used to work in healthcare and for me, I like to know a baseline for my patients. I think it’s good to give the vets sort of a baseline idea of the animals themselves, and they can only know that by seeing them once or twice a year.”
Norris’ donkeys have also undergone regular fecal exams ever since she learned that some internal parasites are spread because livestock eat grass from the same area they defecate in. Fecal exams like those included in the CLS spring equine package tell the vet team what, if any, parasite load an animal might carry, and how an infestation might be treated or prevented. Quinn says equines should receive a minimum of twice-annual deworming treatments, depending on results of their fecal exams.
“Some horses may need an additional two or so dewormings a year, just depending on the rate they shed eggs in their feces,” she says. “Then you have additional external parasite management depending on the time of the year. But that can be environmentally dependent: horses that are stalled versus horses that live in really wooded areas, swampy areas, etc.”
She and Anders hope that by encouraging CLS equine clients to participate in this package, their animals will become more consistent with preventative care and assessment each year.
“Consistency is easier when you have everything all at one time,” Anders says. “The specific package that we are recommending right now is going to be the best of the best for your horse’s care. You’re getting both of the vaccines, you’re getting a fecal done for screening, you’re getting a full annual wellness exam. If you invest in this program, you’re going to get all of your bases covered.”
Martin’s horses receive biannual vaccines in addition to other annual wellness care through CLS.
“My horse was just there and he will see [Dr. Quinn] again in August,” she says. “I have horses who leave my property and come back, and I have training horses coming in. I want to make sure I’ve vaccinated my horses as much as possible to keep them healthy.”
Interested in scheduling your horse, donkey, or pony's appointment for the 2026 spring equine package? Call the Custom Livestock Solutions office at 706 783 8128. Please note, the spring equine wellness package is not available through the CLS Northwest satellite truck.
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