A horse's health relies on understanding horse-pharmaceuticalsThe health of a horse is vital to its performance. Modern horse-pharmaceuticals is a huge advantage that the cowboys of old didn't have.
Horses back then had a high mortality rate. Often, simple cuts, parasites, and disease would end a horses life but things since then have changed. Horses now are like a member of the family, but horses of old were a vital part of human existence. Now days if your horse dies you're sad but back then you were out of a job or on foot or worse. The healthier the horse the more alert and interested it is in everything going on around her/him.
Potentially deadly horse diseases
Influenza: This is an airborne virus. A horse with influenza may have a runny nose and a cough. Just like in human viruses this one can spread to other horses. 
This influenza vaccine is just one brand of shot available to protect your horse from this disease. Two or three shots a year is normal for this type of virus.
Encephalitis or Encephalomyeclitis: These pictures above allow us to see what this deadly virus looks like. The horse that contracts this virus from mosquitoes, becomes paralyzed because the central nervous system steadily declines.
One shot a year of encephalomyelitis vaccine will save your horse for this horrible disease. Just think about it, one shot a year! 
The West Nile is another virus that is spread by mosquitoes. It effects your horse's brain and nervous system. There is a vaccine for horses but humans aren't as lucky. No vaccine. 
The West Nile vaccine is another horse-pharmaceuticals that should be given yearly. Protecting a horse from a virus by giving him/her a shot shows love and responsibility for the animal. Just like when humans give their children vaccines to save them from suffering a horrible sickness or even death. 
The rabies virus is spread from one infected animal to other by a bite. The route of infection is usually, but not necessarily, by a bite. In many cases the infected animal is exceptionally aggressive, may attack without provocation, and exhibits otherwise uncharacteristic behavior. So a good knowledge of pharmaceuticals well help you administer the proper horses medicine. 
The rabies vaccine is given to a horse only if there has been reported cases of rabies in the area. If unsure about the rabies virus in your area check with your local veterinarian for details. Now I would like to discuss Equine Infectious Anemia virus. There isn't any horse-pharmaceuticals that can stop this deadly virus, it is just as horrible as its name sounds. 
This disease equine infectious anemia breaks down the red blood cell. The photo on the right allows a comparison between the good and bad blood cells. The left test tube contains normal blood. The middle test tube has normal red blood cells that has been separated out. The right test tube has the bad red blood cells that have broken apart because of this deadly disease.
I hope the information that I have provided has increased your awareness of the diseases that can effect your horses health.A regular veterinary checkup and vaccinations each year is the only sure way to protect your horse's life. There are other horse-pharmaceuticals your horse might need but I will cover these on the horse medicine page as well as the effects of simple cut and parasites on your horse. A horse's health relies on understanding horse-pharmaceuticals top of page
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The biggest change in horse health care today is the vaccines that are available which safeguard are horses from diseases,infections and death.
