Wormers

[Jade_labamba]

Hi, so I’m moving my horse to a new yard on Sunday, she hasn’t been wormed since September 2022, before I bought her, I’m still not sure on wormers even though I’ve owned horses for 14 years, I’ve never gotten my head round it, any advice or which wormer will be best?
Thank you!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Equimax? Just wormed my mare with it because she always has a high tapeworm count.

‘It is effective against tapeworm; small strongyles (although not larvae encysted in the gut wall); large stronglyes; ascarids (roundworm); lungworm; stomach bots, pinworms; intestinal threadworms; adult hairworms; large-mouth stomach worms & neck threadworms’

 

[paddy555]

I wouldn't use anything until I had found out what level of worms (if any) you were looking at. I would order a worm count kit and an equisal tapeworm kit from say Westgate and worm based on the results. Alternatively if you take a dung sample to your vet they will probably do a quick count for you.

It is no longer common practice just to worm them, In fact it is frowned upon due to the resistance problems of many wormers. If you want to know more then have a read of the Westgate labs site. Many of us only need to worm once a year for encysted redworm but we do do regular worm counts instead of constant worming.

 

[IrishMilo]

Like Paddy said, it's no longer advised to just routinely worm as it builds resistance (it's akin to us taking antibiotics if we don't need them). You can get a worm count kit from your vet or online and then send it off. This will tell you everything you need to know: https://www.westgatelabs.co.uk/info-zone/what-do-my-results-mean/worm-count-results/

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Many of us only need to worm once a year for encysted redworm but we do do regular worm counts instead of constant worming.

That’s the ideal, although my mare always seems to have a high tapeworm count (over 10) so has had to be wormed 3 times since June 22.

Hopefully one day it will be a lot less!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Although if you’re moving this Sunday that will be long enough for a worm count result but not a tapeworm result to come back.