Spring has arrived and we know you’re eager to spend more time with your four-legged best friend. It’s important to make sure your horse is healthy and feeling his best all year. Annual vaccinations are key to ensuring your horse’s health and well-being against potentially fatal equine diseases. But what vaccines does your horse absolutely need?

Every horse is unique, and every environment is unique. To determine what vaccinations your horse needs, talk with your veterinarian first. Your veterinarian can advise you on the potential disease risks in your area, the best time for core disease vaccination and what risk-based vaccines are right for your horse.

Equine influenza virus (EIV) outbreaks can be frightening for how quickly it can spread in horses. Imagine being at a horse show or at a barn where a few horses come down with fevers of 102°-105° F and nasal discharge. You suspect EIV. But how can you know for sure? And how can you quickly identify inflammation due to infection?

This was the position Holly Helbig, DVM and owner of the Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic, found herself in while caring for horses at a show. She suspected EIV due to the signs presented, and knew she needed to act quickly to protect the other horses.

“Once a case of EIV is confirmed, horse owners worry that their horses could have been exposed or possibly infected,” Helbig said. “Horse owners are looking for a quick response for peace of mind. That is where SAA testing with Stablelab comes in.”

‘Steeling’ your horse against degenerative joint pain, inflammation, and injury has taken on a whole new meaning. Steel Horse Formulations, an equine supplement company focused on systemic enzymes, has spent 25 years in developing the ultimate whole body, healthy inflammatory response enzyme therapy. Backed by a wealth of clinical studies and testimonials from every discipline and more than 80 countries, their Serraquin ES15 combats just about every equine ailment and lameness known to equine-kind: scar tissue removal, positive inflammatory response to exercise and exertion, quicker recovery from performance related injuries, promoting healthy muscle and connective tissue development, reduction in stiffness and soreness, and proper gastrointestinal and digestive health are just a few of the benefits.

Serraquin ES15 consists of a potent enzyme blend that helps support joint & connective tissue in both performance horses and pasture ornaments and companions. Serrapeptase, a fundamental ingredient in Serraquin ES15, is known worldwide for it’s ability to promote a healthy inflammatory response and maintaining healthy fibrin levels that in excess can cause a build-up of scar tissue and adhesions. With more than 50 years of success around the world, systemic enzymes are a natural and effective way to provide a first line of defense and next level post-workout or injury recovery for the stress and work put on our equines.

Steel Horse Formulations’ Serraquin ES15 is a unique product found only on their shelves. The premium level ingredients include a proprietary blend of enzymes combining in a ground-breaking formula that has put horses back to work and back to soundness.

All horses are exposed to the five potentially fatal core diseases — West Nile virus, Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis, tetanus, and rabies. However, of these core diseases, rabies presents the most serious threat for horses because it’s 100% fatal. Yet only one in seven horses is vaccinated for rabies, leaving many horses exposed to this devastating disease. ¹,²

Alarmingly, horses are nearly four times as likely as dogs to get rabies.³ Horses across the U.S. can be exposed to rabies through infected wildlife, commonly bats, raccoons, foxes and skunks. Whether kept in a barn or pasture, the risk is real for all horses.

Protect your horse from tetanus

Tetanus is one of the five potentially fatal core equine diseases, determined by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). The best way to protect your horse against tetanus and the other core diseases – rabies, West Nile virus, Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis – is through annual vaccination, as recommended by the AAEP vaccination guidelines.² CORE EQ INNOVATOR® is the first and only vaccine that protects horses against five potentially fatal core equine diseases, including tetanus, in a single injection.

Every adult horse needs to be vaccinated against tetanus each year. Work with your veterinarian to schedule a spring wellness appointment to help ensure your horse is set up for success all year. Wellness appointments are an ideal opportunity to provide comprehensive care for your horse. In addition to vaccination against the core equine diseases, a spring wellness appointment should incorporate a dental exam for your horse to catch any potential dental problems and can lead to earlier diagnosis, treatment and improved health and wellness for your horse. A wellness check also is the perfect time to talk to your veterinarian about your horse’s individual deworming needs and have a FEC test conducted to build your horse’s deworming program.

Middleburg, VA – Pegasus, the new game-changing equestrian platform, is officially taking off this December. The mission of Pegasus is to empower and connect the entire equestrian community by providing a platform that solves the industry’s biggest challenges.

Middleburg-based co-founders, Jen Tankel and Sam Baynes, created the company with one goal in mind: to serve the community. As an avid three-day eventer and former Pony Clubber, Jen grew up with a sport that she says has been ‘quite antiquated.’

When describing the status quo, Jen says, “booking lessons with even world-renowned riders has meant back-and-forth text messages and hand-written notes in a diary – add multiple trainers at one stable with numerous arenas, and this unorganized and inefficient coordination only multiplies.” She adds, “There hasn’t yet been a social networking platform tailored to the horse world. To buy or sell a horse or tack, you might be posting a listing on hundreds of archaic websites with confusing and expensive classified pricing structures, only to receive inquiries from unqualified or non-serious buyers. Most equestrian services or clubs are difficult to find on the internet or have unknown qualifications, which is a barrier in the customer search journey. Pegasus is fixing all of these headaches and more.”