Horse First, Every Time, Every Season
20 August 2025
A tailored, test-based parasite control programme can help keep your horse in peak condition
For Anna and her horse Roo, dressage is about more than learning new movements, it’s about partnership, progression, and keeping Roo happy and healthy so he can perform at his best. From their first unaffiliated outings to now competing at affiliated elementary level with British Dressage, Anna has come to see that good results in the arena depend on much more than training.
“Alongside regular saddle checks, physio, and nutrition, one of the biggest pieces of our puzzle, that I’m so passionate about sharing, has been parasite control, guided by Westgate Labs,” she explains.
From blanket worming to individual care
Like many owners, Anna once relied on yard routines when it came to worming. But parasite resistance is now one of the most serious threats to horse health, with treatments becoming less effective every year. Blanket worming risks accelerating that resistance.
That’s why Westgate Labs champions a test-based approach to parasite control. Their newest campaign, Horse First. Every Time. Every Season, is built on a simple but powerful principle: every horse is different, and so is their parasite risk.
Risk profiling with CANTER
To understand Roo’s needs, Anna worked with Westgate Labs to assess his risk profile using the CANTER framework:
- C – Clinical history (underlying health conditions or past problems?)
- A – Age (young and older horses are more vulnerable)
- N – Number of horses on the grazing
- T – Test results (is the horse a high egg shedder?)
- E – Environment (pasture rotation, poo picking, cross-grazing)
- R – Risk profile (low, medium or high overall risk)
By considering these factors, owners and prescribers can build a clear picture of their horse’s individual parasite risk and make informed decisions on testing and treatment intervals.
Roo’s tailored programme
Roo is a 15-year-old gelding with no underlying conditions. He grazes with just one companion, and his pasture is poo picked regularly. Historic worm egg counts have consistently been low.
Pulling these elements together, Westgate Labs classify Roo as low risk. His tailored programme is structured around:
- Worm egg counts every three months
- Saliva tests for tapeworm twice a year
- Blood testing or targeted treatment for possibility of encysted small redworm in winter
Treatment only follows a positive test. This approach reduces unnecessary use of wormers, helping preserve their effectiveness for the future.
Confidence through support
“When I first took on Roo’s parasite control, I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” Anna admits. “I used to rely on what others on the yard were doing. Reaching out to Westgate Labs gave me the knowledge and confidence to take control.
“The expert guidance, backed up with straightforward testing kits, has been simple, understandable and really reassuring. Now I know I’m making the right decisions for Roo’s welfare, and helping to protect worming medicines for the wider horse population too.”
Why testing matters this autumn
Autumn is a critical time in the parasite control calendar as we assess egg shedding after a grazing season and begin to think about our approach to encysted stages of small redworm in the late autumn/winter.
Starting with a worm egg count allows owners to safeguard their horse’s health while avoiding unnecessary treatments.
Anna’s story shows how a test-based approach doesn’t just protect medicines; it protects performance too. With a tailored plan in place, Roo stays in peak condition to dance down the centre line.
Take the first step for your horse
Every horse is different. Every risk is different. This autumn, why not take the first step in protecting your own horse’s health?
Start with a risk assessment using the CANTER framework and a worm egg count with Westgate Labs. Evidence-based testing is the simplest way to keep your horse healthy and safeguard vital worming medicines for the future.
For free resources from CANTER: https://canterforhorses.org.uk
For a pdf. of the full CANTER Risk Profile table click on this table image.
