Worming in the field - anyone else tried it?

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pennyturner

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Feeling quite happy with myself. I just went out into the field with 5 tubes of wormer and a headcollar. Managed to worm 10 ponies in the field without a drama.

The Hackney x of course thought I was trying to kill him with, and seemed to know when it was coming, even when blindfolded, so I had to bring him into the yard and out-wit him with a carrot :)
 
I think you will only be able to smile when you go back out into the field again to try to catch those that you have wormed!!

I fear if I tried this with mine she would never let me near her again ha ha!
 
Those that have their horses out 24/7 must have no choice but to do this I guess.

I hate worming, I always end up wearing most of it!!
 
Yeah we always do it that way generally although the two oldies (sadly now no longer with us) had to be caught first before they got an inkling of what was going on otherwise you stood no chance!!
 
We're out 24/7, but I normally administer with them tied up in a line to the fence. That way the quiet ones exert a calming influence on the ones who aren't sure. I just couldn't be bothered catching and bringing in 11 on my own.
 
I can worm my boy anywhere at all as long as he has a headcollar on . . . however, I wouldn't want to try and do a whole field - surely they'd catch on and beggar off/refuse to be caught?

P
 
I am a worming ninja! I worm in the field, without head collars, relying on speed, cunning and stealth. I honed my skills on herds of TB young stock, so I am super quick! If i put head collars on and they realise what I'm up to - that's when the fun starts.
 
Auslander said:
I am a worming ninja! I worm in the field, without head collars, relying on speed, cunning and stealth. I honed my skills on herds of TB young stock, so I am super quick! If i put head collars on and they realise what I'm up to - that's when the fun starts.
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Worming ninja indeed. I thought I was fast, but I couldn't do that - I'd end up punching them in the nose or poking the syringe in their eye.


***doffs hat with respect***
 
Most wormers contain chemicals which poison wild life and horses should be kept in for 24 - 48 hours after worming them.
Unfortunately worms are building up a resistance to wormers so they should only be used where an excessive worm burden is demonstrated.
Modern practice is to carry out worm counts every 3 month to establish each horses worm burden and then where required use a specific wormer.
(Tape worms, Bots and Encysted Small Redworm will not be detected in a worm count so a blood test is required for them).
 
my concern about worming in the field is that the horse has a mouthful of grass, you scoot the wormer in and inevitebly some clumps of grass are in there, which some of the paste sticks to and ends up either falling out of their mouths or being spat out.
 
OWLIE185 said:
Most wormers contain chemicals which poison wild life and horses should be kept in for 24 - 48 hours after worming them.
Unfortunately worms are building up a resistance to wormers so they should only be used where an excessive worm burden is demonstrated.
Modern practice is to carry out worm counts every 3 month to establish each horses worm burden and then where required use a specific wormer.
(Tape worms, Bots and Encysted Small Redworm will not be detected in a worm count so a blood test is required for them).
Click to expand...

This^^^^^
 
OWLIE185 said:
Most wormers contain chemicals which poison wild life and horses should be kept in for 24 - 48 hours after worming them.
Unfortunately worms are building up a resistance to wormers so they should only be used where an excessive worm burden is demonstrated.
Modern practice is to carry out worm counts every 3 month to establish each horses worm burden and then where required use a specific wormer.
(Tape worms, Bots and Encysted Small Redworm will not be detected in a worm count so a blood test is required for them).
Click to expand...

100% this.
 
OWLIE185 said:
Most wormers contain chemicals which poison wild life and horses should be kept in for 24 - 48 hours after worming them.
Unfortunately worms are building up a resistance to wormers so they should only be used where an excessive worm burden is demonstrated.
Modern practice is to carry out worm counts every 3 month to establish each horses worm burden and then where required use a specific wormer.
(Tape worms, Bots and Encysted Small Redworm will not be detected in a worm count so a blood test is required for them).
Click to expand...

Pretty much common knowledge! I'm sure it was meant with the best of intentions, but you really need to take into account that it isn't always possible for everyone to adhere to the ideal. Many people don't have the facility to bring horses in for/after worming, so they do the best with what they have. Whilst worm counting is the ideal, again, with mixed livery yards, not everyone can be trusted to worm count, and where large herds of horses are kept together, it simply isn't possible to take a sample from every horse. s long as people are taking the trouble to worm, rather than not bothering, who are we to condemn them for not doing it the "modern" way.

There is a saliva test for tapeworm now which can be carried out by owners.
 
Auslander said:
There is a saliva test for tapeworm now which can be carried out by owners.
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Very interesting, thank you - I will ask the vet about this :)

We worm count to minimise the amount of wormer we need to use, and usually it's just the winter dose for encysted redworm - I have blood tested for tapes.

Horses live out and we don't have an "in" - we poo pick, so the contaminated poo ends up on a muck heap... and don't forget that's exactly what happens to the poo from the horses wormed in a stable and kept in.

I also just rock up to the field with wormer and have only ever had one horse who needed a headcollar. That's taking into account the fact that most of them are large enough to need more than a single tube, so cooperation from the horses is essential in the procedure :)
 
Brightbay said:
Very interesting, thank you - I will ask the vet about this :)

We worm count to minimise the amount of wormer we need to use, and usually it's just the winter dose for encysted redworm - I have blood tested for tapes.

Horses live out and we don't have an "in" - we poo pick, so the contaminated poo ends up on a muck heap... and don't forget that's exactly what happens to the poo from the horses wormed in a stable and kept in.

I also just rock up to the field with wormer and have only ever had one horse who needed a headcollar. That's taking into account the fact that most of them are large enough to need more than a single tube, so cooperation from the horses is essential in the procedure :)
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They may not know about it yet - I've just reported the launch in the magazine I edit. it's called Equisal - and they have a page on Facebook. While we're on the subject of new stuff, Equest and Equest Pramox now come in syringes that treat horses up to 700kg.

I worm count too, but don't blood test for tape - I just treat for it autumn and spring. Haven't needed to worm at all other than that.
 
we always do it in the field, always have. never had any problems until recently with my just turned four baby. tried and failed to worm her today. food of every kind. at a loss and thinking of buying a worming bit. hey ho, always something new to deal with!

i have worm counted and poo pickd daily for yars so only usually need to do for tapeworm.

youngster needs pramox this time according to vet, just to be sure
 
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always done mine in the field right from babies, they pretty much all form an orderly queue and wait there turn. Never had a problem with them spitting it out or getting it on me. ......jobs a gudden
 
I did indeed try this once. Wild baby arab couldn't care less - no head collar / rope / restraint required.

Pony did her usual scarpering off refusing to be caught, but then was fine to worm once I had run around the field a few times after her.

My old wise extremely 'sensible' (using that term in the loosest possible sense) had seen the preceding events, decided that I was intact the devil incarnate and flatly refused to let me get even remotely near her, using her favourite trick of subtly turning away from me at every opportunity to avoid eye contact... Still couldn't catch her the next day either and in the end had to send mother down to catch her in as she was still in a huff with me! I hadn't even attempted trying to worm her at that point ;)

Lesson learned - worm the old wise horse first, and always always do it in the stable ;)
 
I always worm in the stable, as I am paranoid that the JRT may otherwise lick up any dropped or spat out remnants.

Seeing as the JRT detects and rejects his own Drontal wormer, even if its mixed in with strongly flavoured yummy food (parmesan, kippers), I really don't know why I think he's likely to eat Equest!
 
Yeah I do mine all loose, obviously I only have a field but no need to tie them up, just shove it in and maybe give them mints after if I remember or cow parsley if I don't, either way they're happy. Probably one of the benefits of tall person and not very big horses :-)
 
OWLIE185 said:
Most wormers contain chemicals which poison wild life and horses should be kept in for 24 - 48 hours after worming them.
Unfortunately worms are building up a resistance to wormers so they should only be used where an excessive worm burden is demonstrated.
Modern practice is to carry out worm counts every 3 month to establish each horses worm burden and then where required use a specific wormer.
(Tape worms, Bots and Encysted Small Redworm will not be detected in a worm count so a blood test is required for them).
Click to expand...

This is a fair point, but also true of many other household and pharmaceutical chemicals most people use on a daily basis - so get off your high horse if you've ever taken the pill or use biological washing powder.

For those of us who don't have stables, it isn't an option. Testing has its place, but is far from accurate. For myself, I worm twice a year (because this should be enough in a stable herd), and make sure that:
1) the whole herd is done together, before being moved onto fresh grass.
2) the type of wormer is varied to avoid establishing a resistant population

I figure this is a reasonable compromise between the welfare of the horses and over-use of chemicals.
 
pennyturner said:
This is a fair point, but also true of many other household and pharmaceutical chemicals most people use on a daily basis - so get off your high horse if you've ever taken the pill or use biological washing powder.

For those of us who don't have stables, it isn't an option. Testing has its place, but is far from accurate. For myself, I worm twice a year (because this should be enough in a stable herd), and make sure that:
1) the whole herd is done together, before being moved onto fresh grass.
2) the type of wormer is varied to avoid establishing a resistant population

I figure this is a reasonable compromise between the welfare of the horses and over-use of chemicals.
Click to expand...

Wow, that's a bit uncalled for. I think that Owlie was probably just trying to relay some useful information.
 
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