With all the equine vaccines available these days, how do you know which are best for your horse?

Core vaccines are those designated as medically necessary by veterinary authorities, such as the American Association of Equine Practitioners. This designation is based on how widespread a disease is, how dangerous it can be for horses and whether it can affect people, too.

A rabies vaccine is core because the disease can be transmitted to people and is almost always fatal in mammals. Tetanus vaccine protects horses from life-threatening infections that can develop in deep skin wounds. Other core vaccines protect against serious mosquito-borne viral diseases: Eastern and Western equine encephalitis and West Nile virus.

Beyond these, ask your veterinarian which other vaccines might be recommended to keep your horse in top form.