Horses and horse owners constantly deal with pesky bugs, especially mosquitoes. Aside from being annoying, certain types of mosquitoes carry West Nile virus, a disease that can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. West Nile virus is commonly seen in humans, birds and horses.

Signs and symptoms of West Nile virus in horses include incoordination, twitching of the muzzle, lower lip, neck, shoulders or pectoral region, behavioral issues, fever, weakness, impaired vision, and more. The severity of West Nile virus depends on the areas of the central nervous system that are affected and the age of the horse (older horses have a less favorable outcome). There currently isn’t a treatment for horses with West Nile virus, however, it can be prevented with a vaccine.

Forgotten Horses Rescue currently has 20 horses that need to be vaccinated. It costs $25 to vaccinate one horse, which is why we are aiming to raise $500 to vaccinate these horses at the rescue.

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