Have Equestrian Researchers Uncovered Key Insights into Core Equine Diseases?

Horses face a very high risk of catching fatal diseases. Equines are mainly exposed to five core diseases which include Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE & WEE), Rabies, Tetanus, and West Nile. The fatality rate of Rabies is highest, 100%.  For EEE, Tetanus, WEE, and West Nile, it is 90%, 75%, 50%, and 33% respectively. While equestrian sport has become such a big industry, it is rather bizarre that equine health is being ignored.

Hundreds of dollars are awarded in prizes to equine owners. Only if a bare minimum of that sum is spent on horses, a lot of lives could be saved. In such a big billion-dollar industry, equine health should and must be a priority. However, it doesn’t seem to be yet. To better the equine well-being, researchers seem to have revealed some key insights on World Rabies Day.

Effect of Rabies on Equines

Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) organizes World Rabies Day each year on 28th September. Rabies Day is celebrated on the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur. He was a French chemist and microbiologist credited for developing the first Rabies Vaccine. All for 1, One Health for All,  was the official theme for 2023 chosen by GARC.

With equines being continuously exposed to mosquitoes that potentially transmit the disease, it becomes necessary to provide time-to-time vaccination. Timely vaccination doses for core diseases are highly recommended to keep equines safe and sound as per research by the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Despite being a major hub of the equestrian industry, only a few percentage of horses are rabies vaccinated in North America.

According to Kevin Hankins, a senior technical services veterinarian, a core disease contact can prove to be a death sentence for equines. “And alarmingly, with exposure to an animal infected with rabies-family members, friends and any other persons exposed are also at risk of losing their lives to rabies disease, which is always fatal.”

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Hankins further added that a horse owner’s best preventive measure against these diseases is annual core vaccination. However, the equestrian industry is still lagging despite all the awareness.

The equestrian industry needs to wake up

Rabies is considered the deadliest disease among the five core equine diseases. It affects both horses and those who handle them. One of the primary prevention mechanisms is vaccination. According to the MSD Veterinary Manual, Broodmares should be vaccinated 4-6 weeks before foaling. Later, foals from vaccinated mares need to be again vaccinated when reaching 6-7 months of age, and again on their ‘first birthday’.

Both preventive measures and effective vaccines are available. What is lacking then? Awareness among horse owners. As much as equestrian sports are growing, more and more awareness programs need to be organized to safeguard the industry, and more importantly the equines.

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