Worming Your Horse - Our Top Tips!

Worming Tips

by Patrick Traill

Worms can seriously affect your horses’ health, causing colic, weight loss and in the worst cases even death. Worming is therefore vital for maintaining a healthy and happy horse.

Here are just a few of our tips:
 

DOSE YOUR HORSE ACCORDING TO ITS WEIGHT

Do not guess your horse’s weight; use either a weighbridge or a weigh tape.
 

WORM AT THE SAME TIME

All horses on the same yard/pasture should be wormed at the same time with the same product to ensure no ‘carriers’ are left to contaminate your pasture.
 

WORM ALL NEW ARRIVALS

Keep new horses stabled for 48 hours after worming to ensure that any eggs are passed before being turned out to avoid contamination of the pasture.
 

REMOVE DROPPINGS FROM YOUR PASTURE REGULARLY

Poo pick at least twice a week during the grazing season. A 450kg horse produces 5-12 heaps or approx 24kg of dung a day, that's around 10 tonnes a year.
 

WORM PREGNANT MARES BEFORE AND AFTER FOALING

Foals have a low resistance to worms and can quickly acquire massive worm burdens. Worming should start between 4 to 6 weeks of age.
 

ALWAYS FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS

Dosing intervals vary from 4, 6, 8 and 13 weeks depending on the active ingredient. Always read the product information before use.You should treat for roundworms through the summer and spring as required and for tapeworms at least twice a year (autumn and again in spring). Bot fly larvae needs to be treated in autumn and in late Autumn/Winter you need to treat for encysted small red worms (cyathostomins), using a single dose of moxidectin or five days of fendendazole.
 
 

Patrick Traill
BSc BVSc MRCVS
Veterinary Services Manager
Mole Valley Farmers