Tetanus: the one nobody skips
Tetanus sits at the top of every equine vaccination conversation for a simple reason: the bacteria that cause it live in soil and droppings, horses meet both daily, and the disease itself is frequently fatal and miserable. Any puncture wound, foot abscess or surgical procedure is a possible entry point, so vets treat tetanus cover as the universal baseline for every horse and pony, from a retired companion to a competition horse. If a horse with unknown vaccination history gets a wound, that unknown status itself changes how the vet responds, which is one more reason the record matters as much as the injection.
Influenza and herpesvirus: the travelling horse's cover
Equine influenza spreads through shared airspace, so it matters most wherever horses mix: livery yards, shows, fun rides, shared transport. Most competition bodies and many yards require influenza cover as a condition of entry, with boosters at set intervals, so a horse who travels usually has this built into his year. Yards also ask to see the record on arrival, and a horse whose influenza cover has lapsed may be turned away or isolated until it is sorted out. Equine herpesvirus is commonly discussed alongside it — certain strains are linked with respiratory disease, abortion in pregnant mares and, rarely, serious neurological disease — and vets often recommend cover for breeding stock and busy yards. Whether your horse needs it depends on who he lives with and where he goes, which is why this is a conversation with your own vet rather than a fixed national recipe.
Risk-based additions, set by geography and lifestyle
Beyond the core, vaccination becomes local. Rabies is routine in regions where the disease exists in wildlife and irrelevant in countries free of it. West Nile virus cover is discussed where the virus circulates via mosquitoes. Strangles vaccination enters the conversation for yards with frequent arrivals, dealers' yards and horses who travel to many venues, weighed against the yard's history and biosecurity. Pregnant mares, foals, veterans and horses in hard work all shift the calculation again, and your vet adjusts timing — for example around foaling, so that protection passes to the foal through the mare's first milk.
Building the schedule with your vet
What a general guide can give you is the structure: a universal tetanus baseline, influenza and often herpesvirus for horses who mix, and extras matched to your region and lifestyle. The dates, intervals and combinations belong to your vet, who knows your horse's history and your yard's disease picture, and who will also tell you what records venues will ask to see. Keep foals' primary courses, annual boosters and any lapsed periods honestly recorded; a gap is useful information for a vet, not something to tidy up.
The record is where owners most often come unstuck, turning up at a show or a new yard with cover they cannot prove. His KinsLe Pet Passport keeps his vaccination record with the rest of his health history in one portable packet, ready to show a vet, a show secretary or a yard manager without a scramble through old invoices.