Horse care schedule: how often is each task due?
A healthy horse in Australia runs on a handful of repeating cycles — farrier, worming, dental, vaccinations and a regular condition check. This page lists the typical intervals used by Australian vets and farriers, so you can plan the year ahead. Horsify's free Care Assistant tracks every one of these for each of your horses and reminds you before they're due.
Routine care intervals at a glance
| Care task | Typical interval (Australia) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farrier — shod | Every 4–6 weeks | Shoes loosen and hooves overgrow the shoe; performance horses sit at the short end. |
| Farrier — barefoot trim | Every 6–8 weeks | Hooves grow roughly 8–10 mm per month; growth is faster in spring. |
| Worming | Every 8–12 weeks, or targeted | Best practice is faecal egg counts (FEC) twice a year with targeted treatment; all horses should get a bot and tapeworm treatment in late autumn/winter. |
| Dental check | Every 12 months | Every 6 months for horses under 5 or over 20, or with known dental issues. |
| Annual vet check | Every 12 months | Usually combined with vaccinations and a dental exam. |
| Body condition score | Every 4–6 weeks | Henneke scale 1–9; most ridden horses should sit at 4–6. |
These are general guidelines for adult horses — your vet or farrier may set a different schedule for your horse's age, workload, climate and health.
Vaccination schedules in Australia
Australian horses are commonly vaccinated against tetanus and strangles, with Hendra virus vaccination strongly recommended in Queensland and northern New South Wales. Each vaccine runs on its own cycle:
| Vaccine | Primary course | Boosters |
|---|---|---|
| Tetanus | 2 doses, 4 weeks apart | Booster at 12 months, then typically every 5 years (booster immediately after any deep wound). |
| Strangles | 3 doses, 2 weeks apart | Annual booster; 6-monthly in high-risk environments such as agistment and competition yards. |
| Hendra virus | 2 doses, 3–6 weeks apart | First booster 6 months after the primary course, then annual boosters. Many QLD and northern NSW events and vets require a current Hendra vaccination. |
Horsify tracks each vaccine on its own independent cycle — a Hendra booster and a tetanus booster don't share one "vaccination" reminder — and completed vaccinations are saved to the horse's vaccination records, ready for events that require proof.
A year of horse care in Australia
- grass growth peaks — watch weight and laminitis risk in ponies and easy keepers; hooves grow faster, so farrier cycles often shorten.
- peak competition season in most states — keep Hendra and strangles boosters current for event health declarations; check water intake daily (25–55 L per horse per day).
- the bot and tapeworm treatment window — every horse should get a mectin-plus-praziquantel wormer in late autumn or early winter.
- feed requirements rise as pasture quality drops — recheck body condition monthly and adjust the feed plan before condition slips.
Common questions
How often does a horse need the farrier?
Shod horses typically need the farrier every 4-6 weeks; barefoot horses need a trim every 6-8 weeks. Hooves grow roughly 8-10 mm per month, faster in spring, so many owners shorten the cycle over the growing season.
How often should I worm my horse in Australia?
Traditional rotation is every 8-12 weeks, but current best practice is faecal egg counts (FEC) twice a year with targeted treatment of high shedders, plus one bot and tapeworm treatment (a mectin plus praziquantel wormer) for every horse in late autumn or early winter.
How often does a horse need its teeth done?
Adult horses need a dental examination every 12 months. Horses under 5 (shedding caps) and over 20, or any horse with known dental issues, should be checked every 6 months.
What is the Hendra vaccination schedule?
The Hendra virus primary course is 2 doses given 3-6 weeks apart, a first booster 6 months later, then annual boosters. Hendra vaccination is strongly recommended in Queensland and northern New South Wales, and many events and veterinary practices there require it.
How often should tetanus and strangles boosters be given?
Tetanus: 2-dose primary course 4 weeks apart, a booster at 12 months, then typically every 5 years - plus an immediate booster after any deep wound. Strangles: 3-dose primary course 2 weeks apart, then an annual booster (6-monthly in high-risk environments).
How do I keep track of all these different schedules?
Horsify's free Care Assistant tracks farrier, worming, dental, vet and vaccination cycles per horse, each on its own interval, and sends you a reminder before each task is due. You log completions in plain English - 'wormed Bella today' - by text message or in the app, and the next due date rolls forward automatically.
Stop keeping this in your head
Horsify's Care Assistant is free for riders. Add your horses, tell it what you've done ("wormed Bella today"), and it works out when everything is next due — with a reminder by text or in the app before each task.