Worming...teach me!

ownedbyaconnie

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So worming is an area of horse care I am shamefully lacking knowledge in. It’s always been dealt with for my by the yard I have been at and I’ve trusted them to do what is best.

Yard I am currently at do a fecal egg count 2/3 times a year and we get given a wormer based on the result. They’ve now just told us they aren’t going to organise that going forward and it’s up to us.

So. What are my options? I don’t like the idea of worming without doing an egg count as she’s not needed a wormer for the last year due to a low egg count whenever she has been tested. So are there any recommendations for places I send my mares poo t

Also what times of year should I be doing this? And what wormers do you recommend should she need one? I have seen threads about a particular one that seems to cause a nasty reaction in some horses but the name escapes me.

many thanks!
 

HappyHollyDays

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You can send your samples off to Westgate Labs who will advise or get your vet to do the job. This time of year you do need to worm for encysted redworm which will erupt once we go from cold to warmer weather and it is the only time I worm my two. On great advice on here I changed from using Equest Pramox due to colic issues to using Equimax for tapeworm in December and will use a less aggressive Equest for redworm in February.
 

GinaGeo

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My four get faecal worm counts through Summer and wormed if necessary. I use Westgate Laboratories for my tests.

They get the Saliva Tapeworm Test in December and wormed if necessary. I alternate between Equixmax or a double dose of Strongid P if they do need doing.

And they all get wormed at some point after Christmas with Equest to get Encysted Redworm.

You’re right to want to know you need to worm. Not only is it better for the horses, but we need to use the wormers we’ve got as little as possible to avoid the worms becoming more resistant to them.
 

milliepops

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Though what I do is similar to above, I count throughout the year, generally do something like equimax for tape in autumn as number of horses make that test a bit uneconomical. And they've all just had an equest for encysted small redworm.

Based on their history I am not expecting the adults to need worming again until autumn. They youngsters prob will do.
 

HeyMich

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I do FECs 4 times a year at 3 monthly intervals (1st Feb, 1st May, 1st Aug, 1st Nov) and then worm them, usually with Equest Pramox, on 1st Nov too. It seems to work well. If any of them have high counts they get extra/specific wormers, but as I do the counts via the vets, they advise what is necessary and when.
 
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