Horse Health Records: What to Keep, From Vaccines and Coggins to Foaling

Horse health records are the dated, written history of everything done to and noticed about one horse: vaccinations, Coggins (equine infectious anemia) tests and travel papers, vet exams, farrier and dental visits, deworming and fecal egg counts, weights, medications, breeding and foaling, and registration papers. Keep them in one place per horse, record each entry the day it happens with who did it and what they found, attach the paperwork, and set the next due date before the vet or farrier leaves the yard.

The quickest way to start is a free profile for each horse on Creatures: add your horse, then log each visit as a record with its paperwork attached and a follow-up date that turns into a reminder. The rest of this guide covers what to write down for each kind of care, with example entries, and how the free horse gestation calculator and horse pedigree chart maker fit in.

What belongs in a horse’s health record

A complete file tells the story of how the horse has been managed, not only which shots it had. Start with the fixed facts, then add each event as it happens.

Identity. Registered name and number, barn name, date of birth, sex, breed, color and markings, microchip or brand if any, and a set of current photos (both sides, face, legs). Clear identification stops mix-ups when records move between barns, vets and buyers, and it is what a registry or a state inspector compares against the horse in front of them.

Standing alerts. Allergies and known reactions to any drug, vaccine or product, plus handling notes a new caretaker must know. Put these where anyone opening the file sees them first.

Feeding and management. Current ration and supplements, hay type, turnout and stabling routine, and the date of every change. Feed changes are among the first things a vet asks about when a horse colics or goes footsore.

People. Owner, emergency contacts, your regular veterinarian and farrier, and the insurer if the horse is insured.

Events. Every vet visit, vaccination, Coggins test, dental exam, farrier visit, fecal egg count, dewormer, medication, injury, illness, weight, breeding and foaling. For each one, write:

• the date (and time, for medications and anything acute);
• who did it (vet, farrier, dentist, you);
• what was done, by product name where there is one;
• what was found or observed, in plain words;
• how the horse responded;
• when it is next due, or what would trigger a recheck.

A useful record answers three questions fast: what happened, when, and how the horse responded. “Vet visit” is not enough. “Spring vaccines by Dr. Lee, product names and lot numbers on the attached invoice, mild swelling at the neck site next day, gone by day three, next due in spring” is.

Vaccination records

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) lists four core vaccines for horses: tetanus, Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis (EEE and WEE), West Nile virus and rabies. Risk-based vaccines, such as equine influenza, equine herpesvirus, strangles and Potomac horse fever, depend on where the horse lives, travels and who it mixes with. The AAEP is clear that the attending veterinarian decides the actual program for each horse, so the record’s job is to show what was given and when, not to set the schedule. Our core horse vaccines guide explains each disease and the typical timing.

What to write down for every dose:

• Vaccine and manufacturer, and the lot number and expiry if the vet gives them to you (they are usually on the invoice or a sticker from the vial).
• Date, and who gave it. This matters for rabies in particular: the AAEP’s rabies guidance notes that most states require rabies vaccine to be given by, or under the supervision of, a licensed veterinarian for it to count, so a vet’s record is your proof.
• Any reaction: swelling, stiffness, off feed, fever, and how long it lasted.
• Next due date.

Example entry: “Apr 12. Spring core vaccines (EEE/WEE, West Nile, tetanus, rabies) by Dr. Lee. Lot numbers on attached invoice. Slight neck swelling left side, resolved in 48 hours. Next due before mosquito season next spring.”

If a boarding barn, show or clinic asks for proof, the invoice or a vet-signed record is what they want to see, so photograph or scan it and keep it with the entry.

Coggins tests, health certificates and travel papers

What a Coggins test is. A Coggins is a blood test for equine infectious anemia (EIA), a viral disease of horses, ponies, mules and donkeys. USDA APHIS describes EIA as sometimes fatal, with no treatment or vaccine. Horses that survive infection carry the virus for life and must be either euthanized or permanently isolated from other equids. It spreads through blood. Biting flies such as horseflies and deerflies are the classic natural route, but in APHIS’s 2023 report most US cases (40 of 61) came from reused needles, syringes or blood products, mainly in current or former Quarter Horse racehorses. That is one more reason to record who gave each injection. The test is named for Dr. Leroy Coggins, who developed it in 1970, and according to an APHIS information sheet it remains the standard other EIA tests are compared against. Newer ELISA tests are also used.

EIA is rare in tested horses. APHIS’s 2023 EIA report counted 1,364,247 tests that year and 61 positive horses on 45 premises. The testing is what keeps it that way, which is why so many barns, shows and states ask to see a current negative result.

Why you need it on file. A vet draws the blood and sends it to an approved laboratory, so a Coggins is not something you can get the morning of a trip. Keep the official report (paper or the lab’s digital copy) and log:

• date the blood was drawn (the validity window usually runs from this date);
• laboratory, test type and result;
• accession or report number;
• the date your state or event will want a new one.

Health certificates (CVI). A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, often called a health certificate, is a vet’s record of an inspection before the horse moves. The US Equestrian Federation’s interstate travel page notes that most states want a CVI issued within 30 days of travel, and that some states want the Coggins dated within six months, others within 12 months, and some go by calendar year. Utah State University Extension’s horse travel requirements adds that a CVI covers a single destination and that proof of ownership should travel with the horse; some western states also need a brand inspection. Many states also accept an Extended Equine CVI (EECVI). The Alabama Department of Agriculture explains that it stretches a CVI from 30 days to six months from the inspection date or until the Coggins expires, whichever comes first, and that the owner files a short Health Declaration and Movement Permit online before each trip. Participation varies, so check your destination; Florida’s agriculture department, for example, lists its equine movement documents and points owners to the EECVI. For the record, log an EECVI with its expiration date and keep each movement permit.

Rules differ by state and change, so before each trip, check the destination state’s animal health office (your vet can do this) rather than relying on a list. Our guide to livestock health certificates walks through who issues a CVI and when you need one.

The horse test and certificate reminder guide shows how to keep the sampling, report and expiry dates separate from the task of booking the next test.

Example entry: “Mar 3. Coggins drawn by Dr. Lee, sent to state lab. Negative, report attached. Next due before March next year (show requires 12 months).”

Farrier and hoof care records

Hoof problems tend to build slowly, so a farrier log is where patterns show up: a crack that comes back every summer, an abscess after every wet spell, a shoeing change that helped. Utah State University Extension’s basic hoof care guidance gives rough intervals: shod horses every 6 to 8 weeks, unshod horses in light or no work every 10 to 12 weeks, and barefoot horses in regular work more often. Your farrier will adjust that for your horse, and the record lets you both see whether the interval is working.

For each visit, write down:

• date and farrier;
• trim only, or shoes (front, all four, pads or special shoes);
• what the farrier noticed: flares, cracks, bruising, thrush, abscess, uneven wear;
• photos of the soles and each hoof from the side, taken the same way each time;
• the next visit date.

Example entry: “Jun 2. Trim and reset fronts, Sam. Small quarter crack left fore, no heat. Photos attached. Next visit Jul 14.” More on hoof care is in our horse hoof care guide.

Dental records

Horses’ teeth keep erupting through life, and uneven wear leaves sharp points and hooks. The AAEP’s owner guide to equine dentistry says horses should have a dental exam at least once a year, and that horses over about 10 may need visits every 6 months, especially with known dental problems. Signs it lists that are worth noting in the log between visits include dropping feed or struggling to chew, weight loss despite good feed, head tossing or fussing with the bit, and a foul smell from the mouth.

Record the date, who did the work (a veterinarian, or a dental provider working with one, depending on your state), whether sedation was used, what was found and done (floating, extractions, wolf teeth), and when to recheck. Our horse teeth and floating guide covers the why and how often.

Deworming and fecal egg counts

Deworming records have changed shape. The AAEP’s internal parasite control guidelines tell owners to stop deworming every horse on a fixed calendar and stop blindly rotating products. Instead, every horse gets a low baseline of deworming (once or twice a year, as your vet advises), and fecal egg counts (FEC) once or twice a year sort horses into low, moderate and high strongyle shedders so the high shedders can be targeted more often. Most adult horses tend to stay in the same group over time, and a minority shed most of the eggs, so these results are worth keeping as a history. The guidelines also recommend a yearly fecal egg count reduction test (a count before deworming and again about 14 days after) to check that the product is still working in your barn.

Treat each count as an observation to discuss with your veterinarian, not a treatment rule. The AAEP also warns not to use a fecal egg count to diagnose disease, because it does not reflect every parasite stage that can make a horse sick. For each entry, record:

• sample date and who ran the count;
• eggs per gram (EPG) and the egg types reported;
• the dewormer given, if any, and the date;
• any follow-up count 14 days later, and the result.

Example entry: “Apr 20. FEC by clinic: 650 strongyle EPG. Discussed with Dr. Lee; treatment given per vet. Recheck count May 4: 0 EPG.” Our horse deworming guide explains strategic deworming in more detail.

Weight and body condition

A weight history tells you whether a horse is holding condition through winter, and your vet will want a current weight whenever a medication is dosed by body weight. Without a livestock scale, owners use a weight tape or a formula.

New Mexico State University’s extension horse specialist writes in an extension guide to estimating horse weight that a weight tape can be off by as much as 100 pounds either way, and is of little use for pregnant mares, foals and miniature horses. Heart girth plus body length gives a better estimate than girth alone. The free horse weight calculator uses both measurements; for ponies there is a pony version.

What matters most for the record is consistency: the same tape or formula, the same person, the same time of day, logged as a series so you see the trend rather than one number. Add a body condition score on the Henneke 1 to 9 scale each time (see our body condition scoring guide), plus a photo from the same angle. Our horse weight guide covers typical weights by type.

Illness and injury log

Routine entries can be short. When a horse is sick or hurt, the log should be tighter, because the vet will ask for a timeline. Note in plain terms:

• Onset: when you first noticed the problem, and what was normal before it.
• What you saw: temperature, appetite, manure, which leg, swelling, sweating, rolling. Describe signs rather than guessing a diagnosis.
• What was done: cold hosing, stall rest, walking, a call to the vet, any medication given on the vet’s instructions, and the time.
• Response: better, worse, unchanged, and when.
• What would trigger another call.

If several people handle the horse, write for the next person, not for yourself. Keep a short summary entry for anything major (a surgery, a hospital stay, a long rehab) with the diagnosis, key dates, discharge instructions and restrictions, and attach the detailed paperwork. For older horses, keep any endocrine (hormone) test results your vet runs, so later results can be compared with earlier ones.

Breeding and foaling records

For a broodmare, the breeding record is also her health record. Log each heat and cover or insemination date, the stallion (with his registration number), any cultures or breeding soundness exam, every pregnancy check and what it showed, and vaccines or treatments during pregnancy. Mares carry for about 11 months, with a wide normal range, so the due date is an estimate: put the cover date into the free horse gestation calculator (or the pony gestation calculator) and read our horse gestation guide for what the range means and when to start foal watch.

At foaling, the first hours are the part most worth writing down with times. Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine describes newborn foal benchmarks: the foal standing within about an hour, nursing and the mare passing the placenta within about two hours, and the first manure within about three. Foals can only absorb antibodies from colostrum in their first 18 to 24 hours, so Cornell advises a veterinary check within the first 12 to 24 hours, including a blood test of the foal’s antibody (IgG) level. If a foal has not nursed within about two hours, or the placenta has not passed within three hours (Cornell’s cut-off for a retained placenta), call your vet now; the times you wrote down are exactly what they will ask for.

Record for each foaling: date and time, how the delivery went, when the foal stood and nursed, when the placenta passed (and whether it looked complete), the vet check and IgG result, and the foal’s sex, color and markings. That foal entry becomes the first page of the foal’s own record. More detail is in our foaling guide and, if you are planning a breeding, the guide to stud fees and breeding costs.

Registration papers, pedigree and ownership

Registration papers are part of the record, not a separate drawer. Keep a scan of the registration certificate, any DNA parentage or genetic test results (for example, a draft breed’s PSSM1 status, covered in our Percheron guide), and the markings diagram. When you buy, check that the age, color and markings on the papers match the horse in front of you. Ownership on registry papers is changed through that registry’s own transfer process, so keep the signed transfer paperwork and bill of sale with the rest of the file.

A pedigree belongs with the papers. The free horse pedigree chart maker builds a printable three-generation chart with registration numbers and colors, and it can later be attached to the horse’s profile.

When a horse changes hands, the record is part of what you are selling or buying. A UK study of pre-purchase exams, published in PMC, found that 76 of 133 horses (57.1%) had findings the vet judged relevant to their suitability. Good records do not make those findings go away, but they give the buyer’s vet context: a documented hoof history, a treated ulcer with a clear timeline, a vaccine reaction that was noted and managed. Ask for the full history before a pre-purchase exam, and be wary of papers that cannot be checked; our guide to horse scams online covers faked Coggins and vet records. Buyers can read more in where to buy a horse, and if you need a new vet after a move, see how to find an equine vet.

How to keep horse health records on Creatures

Creatures gives each horse a profile with a Records tab, so the whole history lives with the horse rather than in a folder or a phone gallery. Records are free, and the setup takes a few minutes.

1. Add the horse. Create a free profile with its registered name, number, date of birth, color, markings and photos.
2. Log each event as a record type. For a horse, the ones you will use most are:
   – Vaccination for each dose, with the lot number and who gave it;
   – Test Result for Coggins reports (with the expiration date), fecal egg counts and lab work;
   – Routine Care for farrier and dental visits;
   – Examination for vet visits and pre-purchase exams;
   – Medication for anything prescribed;
   – Physical Measurement for weights, which build into a chart over time;
   – Breeding & Reproduction for covers, pregnancy checks and foaling;
   – Certification for a health certificate or EECVI, with its expiration date;
   – Feeding for the ration and any feed change;
   – Registration for papers and registry numbers.
3. Attach the paperwork. Photograph or upload the Coggins report, the vet invoice with lot numbers, the CVI, the registration certificate.
4. Set the next due date. On vaccinations, medications, exams and routine care, the follow-up date creates a linked reminder, so the next booster, recheck or farrier visit shows up before it is due. On a Test Result (your Coggins) or a Certification (a CVI or EECVI), enter the expiration date and a renewal reminder is added to upcoming care as it approaches. Repeating Reminder records suit a farrier cycle.
5. Use a care plan for the routine. For daily or weekly jobs (feeding, turnout, medication rounds), a care plan puts the tasks on the Today board, and you can give a barn helper limited access to tick them off.
6. Share it when someone needs it. Add a co-owner or team member, download the horse’s records as a PDF packet for a new vet or barn, and when you sell, transfer the horse to the buyer with its full record history.

Medication and exam records start out private, and you choose what appears on the public profile. If your old records are on paper, start with each horse’s current status (vaccines, last Coggins, last farrier and dental visits, active medications, known conditions), then work backwards through the history that changes decisions: surgeries, recurring lameness, allergies, colic episodes and breeding history. Name scanned files so you can find them later: “2024-03 dental float” beats “IMG_4837”.

Horse health records FAQ

How long should I keep a horse’s health records?
For the horse’s whole life, and then hand them to the next owner. Old entries become more useful with time, because they show trends: how a horse wintered, which farrier interval worked, when a problem first appeared.

Do I need a Coggins test if my horse never leaves home?
It depends on where you live and what you do. Many boarding barns, clinics, trail parks and events ask for a current negative Coggins, and a sale or move across a state line usually needs one. Check with your vet and state animal health office.

Is a Coggins the same as a health certificate?
No. The Coggins is a lab test for one disease. The health certificate (CVI) is a vet’s inspection document for a specific move. Interstate travel usually needs both.

What records should I ask for when buying a horse?
Vaccination history, the current Coggins, recent vet, farrier and dental records, any lameness, colic or surgery history, medications, registration papers and transfer paperwork. Share them with the vet doing the pre-purchase exam.

Can I keep records for a pony, mini or donkey the same way?
Yes. The record types are the same; only the tools change (pony calculators for weight and gestation for ponies; for donkeys and miniature donkeys, the donkey pages plus the donkey weight and gestation calculators). The weight tape caution applies especially to miniature horses.

For the wider picture across species, see our livestock record keeping guide, and the horse species page for breed guides.

Do this next on Creatures

Start with the horse you are most likely to need records for soon: the one traveling next, due for spring vaccines, or in foal.

This guide summarizes published veterinary and extension guidance for general information. It is not a substitute for your veterinarian, who sets your horse’s vaccination, deworming and dental plan, or for your state animal health office, which sets travel requirements.