Group turnout worming

[Muddywellies]

One of my horses is out at grass, and it is herd turnout. It is a very content herd of 6 My frustration is that I'm the only one one that does egg counts and worming. It's a large field so droppings aren't picked up from the field. Feels like I'm completely wasting my time worming (though I certainly won't stop worming!) if I'm the only one doing it. Last worm count was 2200 .

 

[meleeka]

Everyone else’s horses are probably carrying a higher burden than that, so definitely not wasting your time. It’s not as if wormers are expensive!

 

[tda]

Can you at least get owners together and worm 4 times a year, even if they don't do worm counts

 

[Sossigpoker]

If the others do nothing, you are fighting a losing battle.
Could you ask the others do at least worm their horses , together as a herd ?
Red encysted worms can actually be lethal so it's very stupid of them not to administer any wormers .

 

[expanding_horizon]

I’d try mentioning to the others your horse has come back high on a worm count, and it’s likely others have at least a medium level of worms. I’d offer to organise worm counts and then ordering wormers for everyone (with the proviso they each pay costs). It’s cheaper if order 6 in one go.

Worming solo and not poo picking is pretty pointless.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Id just keep worming to be honest. Just done BBs and his burden is 125

 

[expanding_horizon]

Id just keep worming to be honest. Just done BBs and his burden is 125

Surely repeatedly worming one horse with worms in a herd situation where droppings aren’t picked up is just going to create wormer resistant worms?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Surely repeatedly worming one horse with worms in a herd situation where droppings aren’t picked up is just going to create wormer resistant worms?

Christ sake .. I dont know, but Id be keeping my horse safe thats for sure or moving it… worm 4 times per year

 

[Sossigpoker]

Surely repeatedly worming one horse with worms in a herd situation where droppings aren’t picked up is just going to create wormer resistant worms?

Yes it will but what else can you do if other owners are morons and won't worm /egg count ?

 

[Jambarissa]

Do they refuse to worm or don't they understand it is important? A 2k worm count is worrying.

I dont fuss over poo picking on huge pastures, but all horses get counted and wormed.

I'd really try to persuade them to worm every 3 months, you can get workers for £6 online. Much cheaper than colic or worse.

 

[claracanter]

Do they refuse to worm or don't they understand it is important? A 2k worm count is worrying.

I dont fuss over poo picking on huge pastures, but all horses get counted and wormed.

I'd really try to persuade them to worm every 3 months, you can get workers for £6 online. Much cheaper than colic or worse.

I worm count my horses. I have six and 5 of them repeatedly have 0 and one particular horse always has worms. He takes the worm burden. Maybe your horse is the same? Just because he is high doesn’t mean all the others are

 

[expanding_horizon]

I worm count my horses. I have six and 5 of them repeatedly have 0 and one particular horse always has worms. He takes the worm burden. Maybe your horse is the same? Just because he is high doesn’t mean all the others are

this is true but less likely if none of the other five owners are doing worm counts or worming.

 

[expanding_horizon]

Personally once I had got a HIGH worm count for my horse, the situation is not tolerable.

It would sort of be okay to have your horse in a undesirable worm management situation if your horse’s counts were always nil / low.

Options for me would be

Persuade yard owner on the basis of your high count to instigate a requirement to worm regularly. You could offer to organise counts and organise ordering wormers.

Persuade other owners on the basis of your high count to instigate a requirement to worm regularly. You could offer to organise counts and organise ordering wormers.

Move to a situation with a worm programme

Worm the other 5 horses (not a serious suggestion).

 

[Fransurrey]

Surely repeatedly worming one horse with worms in a herd situation where droppings aren’t picked up is just going to create wormer resistant worms?

Resistance builds by using sub-optimal dosage in the single horse. It shouldn't actually make a difference to the population of horses as a whole, as even if you wormed all of them at a low dose, they would still all shed resistant worms at the same rate. If anything, the opposite is true. Worming one horse repeatedly (at too low a dose) generates resistant worms in that horse. The others will just have a general worm population i.e. a mix of resistant and anthelmintic susceptible (assuming in your case they aren't crowded around your horse's droppings and your horse is wormed appropriately!).

OP, are you able to convince them to pay for a worm count? If you buy the kits in bulk they're cheaper - you just need them to collect a sample and give it to you. You're not necessarily wasting your time, as in any given herd, a minority of horses carry the majority of the worm burden anyway. Neither of mine ever generate a high count, so I only worm once a year, mid-winter (including Moxidectin to ensure encysted redworm are targeted).

It's not an ideal situation, but to be honest I get more worried by those who worm 4 times + per year 'just in case'. Resistance to anthelmintics is a massive problem globally, just as with antibiotics.

 

[Jambarissa]

I think I'd give them wormers for Christmas Tbh.

My horse is always <50, other horses in the field are often in the thousands. The owners all take it seriously, weigh horses, count and worm appropriately and recount 2 weeks later yet they've never once managed to get a count below 500.

What we have noticed is that the traveller born horses are the ones with the continuing issue - 3 cobs and a friesian. I wonder whether genetically these are horses that tolerate a higher worm burden.