Worming

[121kelly121]

Just looking for a little advice really....
Basically, we are meant to be on a worming plan set up from the vets.
We wormed about a month ago, but the yard owner has told us to put the horses back in the same field....
We did worm and keep the horses in for 24 hours, but surely if the horses had worms before, they will pick them up again if they are in the same field??
Am i correct in thinking this?....
I just feel like i am wasting my money keep buying wormers, just for the yard owner to tell us to put the horses back in the same field?
Do you think i should tell the vets that my yard owner isnt sticking to the worm program correctly?

 

[Gillb]

The thinking nowadays is that you should go back to the same field after worming. This is because the wormer treats susceptible worms only, any untreated ones at whatever stage go on to reproduce. So if you move to a clean field the horses are then only exposed to the worms that the last wormer did not deal with. Next you have a greater population of worms resistant to the dose.

If you go back to the old field the horse picks up both susceptible and non susceptible worms, slowing down the development of resistance. Google 'refugia' for more info.

In reality there may have been few worms in the first place so no great deal (did you worm count?).

Hope yours is a good programme. Yesterday I (Gill from Westgate Labs) tested 18 horses from a yard on a vets worming programme and the counts ranged between <50 epg (basically clear) to 5000 epg. Something going wrong there I think.

I think if you have concerns about your worming programme you should talk to the YO rather than the vet.