Changes to worming for horses in the 21st Century
- 21 Aug 2019
- 0 Comments
Advice on the best ways to control worms in horses has changed in recent years, and it is important to keep up with new advice to ensure a healthy and happy horse. The best way to keep up with advice is to speak to your vet or an SQP at your local equine store.
What has changed about worm control?
Worming every horse on the yard every few months is now seen as old fashioned and not very effective. The modern way to worming is to tailor a specific plan for each horse on the yard by conducting frequent faecal worm egg counts FWECs to guide targeted dosing in the summer and dose strategically for specific worms that don’t show up in egg counts. There are important scientific reasons for the changes.
What’s wrong with the old way of worming?
Scientists have discovered that worms are becoming resistant to the drugs in wormers and can survive, in the same way that antibiotics are becoming less effective in humans and animals. The development in these resistant worms increases if wormers are used indiscriminately. At the moment, there are only four drugs used in equine wormers, so it is vital for use to preserve their effectiveness by using them in a targeted way.
The role of vets and SQPs
Vets are highly qualified to advise you on all aspects of horse care, but SQPs also have special qualifications so they can advise and prescribe wormers. SQPs must maintain their qualifications by attending lectures and providing their knowledge throughout the year. Vets and SQPs have the knowledge to guide and advise you on the most up to date methods of worming and it is important to ask their advice before making any decisions about worming your horse.
What is 21st Century worm control?
Faecal worm egg counts - These should be used every 8-12 weeks during the grazing season from around March to October and horses are to be treated with a targeted worming programme according to the results.
Encysted small redworm - (These do not show up in FWECs) These should be targeted in the late autumn or early winter using a single dose of moxidectin or a five-day course of fenbendazole. There is widespread evidence of resistance in small redworm to fenbendazole, including the five-day dose so a resistance test is recommended before use.
Tapeworm - (Tapeworm eggs do not show up in FWECs) These should be targeted twice a year, usually in the autumn and spring using a single dose of praziquantel or a double dose of pyrantel or a specific test for tapeworm conducted.
Bots - (These do not show up in FWECs) These should be treated once a year after the ‘first frost’.
Weigh before worming - This is to ensure you buy and give the correct amount of wormer. Under-dosing can encourage worms to become resistant to the wormer and not be killed by it. This can create a strain of resistant worms on your yard.
Use faecal egg count reduction tests - Use these during the grazing season. The best way to ensure that your wormers are working properly is to ask your vet to perform one of these tests each year. This involves taking a FWEC immediately before and two weeks after worming to assess the number of worm eggs being shed.
Good pasture management - Daily poo-picking, regular rotations, resting of fields and cross grazing with sheep or cattle will help keep pasture worm burdens under control.
Keep a record - Keep a record of wormers used and the results of tests so that you have a history of what’s been used and what has worked or not. This can then be shown to your vet or SQP to avoid overuse of the same types of wormer.
Seek advice - If you’re unsure, it is best to ask for advice from your vet or SQP to discuss the best worm control for your horse and its environment.
Advice on picking which brand of wormer you should use
It is illegal to advertise wormers to horse owners, in the same way as for antibiotics. Only the medicine prescriber, namely your vet or SQP, can advise you on which brand of wormer your horse requires. They must ask certain questions to make sure that the correct wormer is prescribed at the right time of year and that it is the most suitable one for your horse’s individual needs.
