Worming advice - moving to Ireland!

[laura_nash]

Hi

I am about to embark on a foolhardy / brave (not sure which yet) move to Ireland. My partner and I have sold our boring 2 bed semi and bought a farmhouse and 8 acres in county Mayo (with money left over!). I will be taking my cob with me (wouldn't be surprised if he was returning to his birth country), I am waiting to hear on a shared load with a professional transporter.

Anyway, I am not sure what to do (if anything) about worming. The grazing on the land we have bought has been used for sheep only for 40 years plus so should be totally worm free. He has always been clear on a worm count but I haven't done one recently (he is over-due) and he has been in a new field for the last month - I last wormed him for tapeworm in autumn.

Would you worm him before / after the move? Slightly worried about compounding any ill effects from the long journey, but the last thing I want is to infest my new land. Any advice very welcome.

Thanks

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I think that worming for tapeworm last year does not count as a "worming program" lol.
One horse 8 acres, nothing to worry about there ...........
I think i would worm count.

 

[Equi]

Id give him a wormer anyway just to get him on an actual programme. Don't let the land get to your head, he is still a cob and won't need a lot of ground in summer.

 

[stroppymare153]

ooh, lucky you!

I'd worm count and probably get a tapeworm blood test. No point in giving unnecessary wormers. The blood test is about 20quid so more expensive than a wormer (especially paying callout as well) but mine are a nightmare to worm and the vet is out regularly anyway so its worth it for me - not for everyone though!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

ooh, lucky you!

I'd worm count and probably get a tapeworm blood test. No point in giving unnecessary wormers. The blood test is about 20quid so more expensive than a wormer (especially paying callout as well) but mine are a nightmare to worm and the vet is out regularly anyway so its worth it for me - not for everyone though!

Westgate labs are doing a saliva test for tapeworm now.

 

[laura_nash]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I will be worm counting again once I've moved, just considering whether to worm this once since a worm count is overdue (problems at the livery yard - we normally count altogether at the same time) and I now don't have time to do a count before the move (its all ended up a bit last minute - blame the Irish lawyers!). I think I probably will worm him - don't worry equi his grazing is VERY strictly controlled and that won't be changing.