Nasty Horrid Worms!!

Firewell

Firewell

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I'm probably being a really dumb blonde here but I need some advice about horrid worms!!

Say for example ;) you have a horse that is regularly wormed in the proper way and is kept on a poo picked, appropriatly sized paddock.

However next to this nicely wormed horse is an acre paddock with 4 horses on it. This paddock is FULL of horse poo, it's like everywhere
because paddock isn't poo picked and never has been. The 4 horses in this paddock have had worm counts and they all have a heavy worm burden. Said horses have since had a double dose of tapeworm wormer BUT are still looking wormy and are still in this filthy paddock.

Would the worms in those horses and probably all over the paddock floor infect the next door paddock and the next door properly wormed horse?

Am I being dumb but I'm assuming the worms would cross into the next door field or do they remain around the poo?

And advice appreciated
 
Oooh I wouldn't do that, she's a nice lady who just doesn't have the time to poo pick. She got them worm counted and went to the effort of double dosing but then put them back on their poo ridden field?
They are in that field as they are fatties and they need to be on a really grazed paddock.
She is quite novicey and I don't think she understands about implications of not poo picking or worming properly.
I'm just really scared that my horse is going to get a worm burden too from the next door field?
My last horse was PTS with worm damage, not with me I hasten to add but she wasn't wormed as a youngster which weakened her digestive system and ultimately ended her life. If this happened with my current horse I, well, I just couldn't go through all that again! It keeps me up at night worrying :(
 
It is unusual for horses to pass live worms with their faeces. You will only see dead ones. BUT the manure in the fields will be riddled with worm eggs which when ingested by the horses will develop into adult worms and the cycle begins again, so unless they are trampling through your yard leaving a trail of manure from off their hoofs, you should be okay. Nevertheless I would worm yours regularly regardless.
 
Sorry but nowt 'nice' about a lady who allows her horses to be kept in that manner. Either instruct her in her equine management skills or call out someone who will.

Don't know if your horses will 'catch' the worms but I'd certainly not be sleeping soundly knowing those horses were suffering.
 
Worm eggs are present in the droppings, they will infect the pasture and stable that they lie in and only be clearing the droppings will you reduce the risk significantly.
If the horses in question have high counts now and are on an infested pasture then the field ideally needs to rest for over 6 months once cleared, if this is not possible then the horses will need to be wormed every 6-8 weeks with different chemicals and the owner needs to speak to her vet to determine the best plan of action.

As it has been said, the lack of time is not an excuse and can be seen as neglect :(
The owner can pay for someone else to clear the paddocks, if this is not going to happen can you be sure that the horses are be wormed on a regular basis? It can take over 3 years to break the cycle completely especially if they are grazing on infected pasture.

With regards to your original question about the risk to your horse... birds can spread the droppings over an area of about 1m2 - how close do the horses poo along the ajoining fenceline? If they leave droppings within a metre then you could fence along the inside of your fenceline to keep your horse away from any risk around the areas that these horses use. :)
 
Worm counts do NOT cover tapeworm. So by double dosing for tapeworm she hasn't done anything to deal with the other myriad of worms these horses may have. No wonder they are still looking "wormy".

This is a welfare issue. Horses can and do die from worm infestations. If she won't listen to experienced people about this then WHW need to be involved. Now! Being a nice person is no excuse for ignorance over something as key as this.
 
Mmmm ok guys. She has another field that she swaps them over to from time to time but she's been at the yard 5 odd years I think and has never poo picked.. No one else uses her fields just us..

Yes there is more then a metre between her field and mine. Mine wasn't poo picked before I got it but as far as I'm aware it has never housed her horses at least not for a very long time and it was harrowed, rolled and then rested for about 6 months before I got it, there were no poos in it by the time I got it so hopefully it's ok?!

I'm sure the vet would have told her what to do when she got worm count back.. I will maybe say something, it's just hard telling people what to do with their own horses! I know one of her sharers has being trying to poo pick but 8-12 wheelbarrows has barely touched the surface :(. It still had all the poos in it from last summer when she moved them in to there :o.
It is pretty horrendous, she's not the only one who doesn't poo pick at our yard and I do think it's pretty gross and lazy!
The trouble with being on a small, private DIY, there is no-one to tell them to do it and they won't listen to me, why should they?! The owners of the property aren't horsie at all and don't like to get involved.
At least my horse isn't eating their worm eggs that's one thing at least.
 
I asked my vet reently how far the worms could crawl from the dung heap where I leave the poo pickings. She wasn't actually sure! What I wondered was how far away does the poo have to be taken before it is no longer a risk?
 
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