Absolutely gutted what a bad owner :(

[Lintel]

When we arrived at our own little yard we decided to only do worm counts rather than worm and till now they have been 0 with both the boys. I stupidly forgot to send away their count in Jan/Feb and sent their count away this week.
Got the results back today and they both have a high count! I am absolutely gutted...

Vet has recommended Novopraz and a recount in 6 weeks for them both.

Summer pasture management is fine but the winter is a disaster and I cannot get a wheelbarrow into the field to poo pick when it is so wet. I will clearly have to think of a better winter plan... cant believe how stupid I have been

How do you all pasture manage in winter?
2 fat ponies, around 1 acre for summer and the same for winter.

 

[eggs]

We poo pick ever day all year round for 7 horses. Usually whizz around with the quad bike and a trailer but sometimes use a wheelbarrow. In the winter we don't take the quad in through the same gate that the horses use and that is a great help in getting in and out of the field.

To be honest if you have been regularly poo picking before with low worm counts I am rather surprised that you have a high count now. Have you previously wormed annually for encysted red worms?

 

[poiuytrewq]

I had to make a muck heap in my field. Absolutely no way I could get a full or even half full barrow out.
Have you been using a reliable company for your worm counts? Apparently pretty much anyone can set up and advertise without the expertise.

 

[SEL]

I make heaps in the corner of the winter fields and clear when the ground is frozen or its dried out.

Did you worm for encysted after first frosts? Is it redworms coming up in the counts?

 

[Leo Walker]

We dont poo pick in winter and every single horse came back with a no eggs seen count apart from one under 200 and one under 1000 that was treated, so I'm not sure its that. It does sound like encysted if they were clear and then its risen dramatically in the spring.

 

[Tiddlypom]

What are the counts?

 

[Ceriann]

We don’t poo pick winter but they have a pretty big field that’s rested all summer. They don’t typically have higher counts in spring. I did realise I’d messed up their winter worming so had to re-worm for encysted redworm later than usual. Do you worm for encysted over winter? I’ve only recently had my vets ok to move a horse to worm counting (charity pony and had been v poorly with v high worm burden) but I still have to worm every winter for encysted (even if counts are clear). Don’t be hard on yourself - you are treating now and planning for next time.

 

[Lintel]

Worm count was over 1000 for both.. cannot remember the exact. It's my local vet practice so pretty reliable I'd hope.
I haven't wormed them for two years, with anything. So should I have been woming for redworms regardless?

That's a great idea to move it all to one area of the field I'll maybe do that next winter and we can just collect it with the tractor in the spring!

 

[milliepops]

The general advice is that you should worm for encysted small redworm periodically regardless of what the counts say.
I give a dose of equest late winter/early spring. Have you tested for tapeworm during that time, because that also doesn't show up in a FEC.

Don't feel bad, now you know and it'll be different next time

 

[Lintel]

Thanks all for your advice.. cant believe I've been so stupid. Will get them sorted and keep better tabs on my worming, what does everyone use? I used to be 3 month equest and pramox does anyone use anything else?

 

[ester]

have you tested them for tapeworm too? (I suspect novopraz might have praziquantel in it? but it's not a name I am familiar with (and google doesn't like it either).

You should always treat for encysted redworm during the winter period (before the spring emergence) regardless of count- a series of low summer counts should mean you don't have much of a problem but there is no real way of telling.

Personally I use equest to treat encysteds in winter.
I rotate whether I use pyrantel or praziqauntel for tape worms.
I only use one ivermectin treatment in summer as our fields are usually poo picked twice daily, I have used worm counts when I was able to do them myself.

 

[milliepops]

Novopraz is Ivermectin and Praziquantel .

OP I'd give Westgate labs a call and get them to help you design an intelligent worming programme so you have all the bases covered but aren't using unnecessary doses.

 

[Hack4fun]

The higher worm counts may not be due to Jan/Feb or even reinfestation from the field. You could use a service such as Intelligent Worming that formulates a programme based on worm counts and monitoring. One of my horses came with a higher count than the other two and so he is on a slightly different programme. It appears to be working - counts are low and stay low now.

 

[ihatework]

I’d lay money you have had an encysted burden emerge which would make sense if they haven’t seen a wormer for 2 years (which company advised you on that??)

Really you should do them at least once a year for encysted and tapeworm