Vaccination Guidelines, Correct as of 06/02/2024
FEI Influenza vaccination requirements
Vaccination Intervals for Equine Influenza
1st Vaccination: day 0
2nd Vaccination: day 21-60
Horses that have only received the first vaccination of the primary course are not allowed to compete or enter the FEI stables.
Horses that have received the primary course can compete provided that the vaccine has not been given within 7 days of arriving at an event venue.
First Booster Within 6 months and 21 days of the 2nd vaccination of the Primary Course
Horses must have been vaccinated to comply with the requirements for the Primary Course
Horses that received their primary course before 2005 are exempt from the first booster requirement within 7 months. Subsequent boosters are to be given at intervals of no later than 1 calendar year after the primary course.
Horses can compete for up to 6 months +21 days after the 2nd vaccination of the Primary Course, however they cannot compete if they have been vaccinated within 7 days of arriving at an event venue.
Subsequent Boosters
MINIMUM: within one year of previous booster vaccination.
COMPETING: must usually be in the 6 months +21 days of previous booster vaccination.
There is currently no requirement to vaccinate against Tetanus by any governing body but it is a minimum which should be completed to protect all horses against this deadly disease. At the time of writing there is not a requirement to vaccinate against EHV
Pony Club Rules
No horse / pony may attend an activity, compete or be present as a companion unless it has a Record of Vaccination against equine influenza completed by the veterinary surgeon who gave the vaccination, signed and stamped line by line, which complies with the Minimum Vaccination Requirements set out in the Equine Influenza Vaccination Schedule below.
All horses and ponies receiving a new primary course of vaccinations from 1 January 2024 must be vaccinated according to this schedule: • initial primary course of two vaccinations (V1 and V2) must be given: the second vaccination (V2) must be administered within 21-60 days of the first initial vaccination (V1) • Horses may attend activities 7 full days after receiving the second vaccination of the primary course (V2). • A first booster vaccination (V3) must be administered within 120 – 180 days of the administration of the second vaccination of the primary course.
• Thereafter booster vaccinations must be administered at a maximum of 12 months intervals. Horses and ponies must not attend activities within 7 days of receiving any vaccination. For clarity: no horse or pony may compete on the same day as a relevant injection is given or on any of the 6 days following such an injection. NB: This is the minimally appropriate booster schedule; it is highly recommended that horses and ponies competing regularly and travelling around the UK and abroad follow an optimal schedule and receive a booster within 6 months +21 days prior to arrival at the event or activity, in line with the FEI protocol.
Riding Club Rules
Vaccination courses started before 1 January 2024 may follow either of the intervals set out below.
Intervals before 1 Jan 2024 Intervals (V1) 0 (V2) 21-92 (V3) 150-215
Intervals from 1 Jan 2024 1st Vaccination (V1) 0 (V2) 21-60 days (V3) 120-180 days
Booster Not more than 1 year apart Not more than 1 year apart
No injection should have been given on any of the 6 days before the competition and/or entry to competition stables. For example: if the horse is vaccinated on the Monday, the horse will not be eligible to enter championship stables, or compete until the following Monday.
Horses may compete providing that they have had the first two primary injections providing the second vaccination (V2) is not in any of the 6 preceding days of entry to the competition or competition stabling.
The vaccination section of the horse’s passport, and any alterations made, must have been completed and signed/stamped by a Veterinary Surgeon. In the event of failure to comply with any of the requirements of this rule see G7.4
BRC will continue to strongly recommend a 6 month vaccination when attending BRC qualifiers and championships and maintaining good biosecurity. BRC reserve the right to amend these vaccination rules.
British Dressage
1st Vaccination: day 0
2nd Vaccination: day 21-60
3rd vaccine within 120-180 days
Horses that have received the primary course can compete provided that the vaccine has not been given within 7 days of arriving at an event venue.
British Showjumping
1st Vaccination: day 0
2nd Vaccination: day 21-60
3rd vaccine within 120-180 days
Horses that have received the primary course can compete provided that the vaccine has not been given within 7 days of arriving at an event venue.
British Eventing
Vaccinations – National Competitions No Horse may take part in a BE National Event (which includes entering competition stables) unless it has a current vaccination against equine influenza which complies with the following conditions: •
Prior to 2024 an initial Primary Course of two vaccinations (V1 and V2) must be given with the second vaccination being administered within 21 - 92 days of the first vaccination. •
The first booster (V3) must be administered within 7 calendar months of the date of the second vaccination (V2) of the primary course.
*New for 2024* Any horse receiving a new Primary course as of 1st January 2024 must be vaccinated as follows; • V1 - (initial vaccination) • V2 - (second vaccination) must be administered 21 - 60 days after V1. • V3 - (first booster) must be administered within 6 months and 21 days of V2. •
Subsequent booster vaccinations must be given at intervals of not more than 12-months. • However, in order to compete a horse must be vaccinated in accordance with the above rules and MUST also have had a vaccination within 6 calendar months and 21 days of the competition, BUT; • A horse may not compete if it has been given a relevant injection on any of the seven days before it is to compete at the event. Thus, a horse vaccinated on Friday 1st, may not compete before Saturday 8th.British
Horse Racing
From 01 January 2022, the following changes have come into effect:
HISTORIC INTERVALS
INTERVALS FROM 1 JANUARY 2022
V1
V2
21 – 92 days
21 – 60 days
V3
150 – 215 days
120 – 180 days
Booster
Not more than 1 year apart
Not more than 6 months apart
- Horses that have a compliant primary course and compliant subsequent boosters up to and including 31 December 2021 do not have to re-start the vaccination process.
- Any horse which started a new primary course up to and including 31 December 2021 should continue with the Old Intervals, even if V2 and V3 are administered in 2022.
- Any horse starting a primary course from 01 January 2022 must comply with the New Intervals.
HPA Rules for Polo Ponies Playing or umpiring
The HPA vaccination rules are designed with the short polo season in mind and allow for a small amount of flexibility for annual boosters to be given within the March/April window, but you are reminded that these rules may not be in line with other associations, disciplines, or jurisdictions.
Any horse receiving a new primary course as of 1 January 2024 must be vaccinated as follows:
V1 (initial vaccination);
V2 (second vaccination) must be administered 21-60 days after V1 and;
V3 (first booster) must be administered 120-180 days after V2.
Once a horse has completed its primary course (V1, V2 and received V3), it must then receive a booster vaccination annually thereafter, either within 365 days OR anytime within the calendar window of March and April (having been vaccinated in the March/April window the previous year).
Any horse playing polo, or being used for umpiring, must have received either a second primary or a booster vaccination within the preceding 6 months and 21 days, but not within the preceding 7 days.
If the deadlines for the second primary vaccination, first booster vaccination, or annual booster are missed, then the pony will need to restart the primary course.