When discussing rabies, horses aren’t usually the first animal that comes to mind. Instead, it’s often images of dogs, raccoons, coyotes or foxes becoming suddenly aggressive and attacking. However, humans are more likely to contract rabies from a pet than a wild animal.
On July 28, 2025, a 24-year-old Quarter Horse gelding in Kentucky tested positive for rabies. The owner stated the gelding was not eating and was losing weight. On July 23, clinical signs included head pressing and biting inanimate objects. The horse also appeared in pain, agitated, aggressive and was neurologic. The horse was euthanized. Two additional horses were exposed. In 2025 so far, there have been two additional cases of rabies in the United States. One in Florida, and one in North Dakota.
Rabies is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be spread between animals and humans. It is always fatal in humans, making prevention and preparedness crucial.
“Early clinical signs of infection include muzzle tremors, pharyngeal paralysis, anorexia, depression, colic and ataxia (lack of muscle control and often associated hind-end weakness),” according to Rutgers University’s New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. “As the disease progresses clinical findings include abnormal posture, frequent whinnying, aggressiveness, kicking, biting, striking, head tossing, transient lameness and apparent blindness. Horses in the final stages of the disease lay down with their head and neck still upright. This progresses to the horse lying flat out with paddling tremors and eventually systemic paralysis and death. Signs and symptoms of rabies are very similar to other conditions such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis, West Nile, and Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1). Any horse with neurological signs, especially if not currently vaccinated for rabies, should be considered a rabies suspect.”
If the first symptom is lameness, the horse owner may call a farrier. John Wenzel, a veterinarian with the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, recalls that the Kansas State University veterinary hospital had 10 cases of equine rabies while he was a student there.
“Eight of them presented for lameness, and we didn’t know they had rabies until later, after they were euthanized,” says Wenzel.
Amy Johnson, a large animal, internal medicine and neurology veterinarian at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, says there have not been many studies published on rabies in horses.
“The largest study had only 21 cases, and 10% of those horses showed colic as the initial sign. Another 24% showed lameness,” she says.
Dr. James L. Alexander, former regional zoonosis-control veterinarian with the Texas Department of State Health Services, says that initial lameness in just one leg might be expected if the horse was bitten on the leg.
“Once the virus reaches the spinal cord or brain, however, bilateral lameness would be expected,” he says, adding that spinal cord involvement often results in subtle hind limb lameness, or causes the horse to continually shift weight in the hind limbs.
Current American Association of Equine Practitioners guidelines recommend annual vaccination. Foals and weanlings can be initially vaccinated at 4-6 months from vaccinated and unvaccinated mares.
Learn more about biosecurity measures here.
