Autumn

Every horse is different. So is their parasite risk.

Parasite control isn’t a one-and-done process. Regular worm egg counts throughout the grazing season and an EquiSal saliva test for tapeworm every six months, are essential for staying ahead of parasites.

Autumn is traditionally known as ‘tapeworm time’ as this was a good point in the year to worm hunting horses coming in from a summer at grass. It can be a useful way to remember to target tapeworm but there’s no reason to stick to this routine if another serves you better – and certainly no point in giving a wormer for the sake of it without knowing if there are parasites present to treat and if so, which ones?

Put Your Horse First This autumn

As responsible horse owners our job is to keep parasite levels in check so that our horses remain healthy and to use the drugs we have responsibly to minimise the build-up of resistance to worming chemicals. 

This autumn the laboratory has seen an increased number of worm egg count results necessitating treatment, with weather conditions a likely contributing factor. 

Autumn parasite control means:

• Risk assess every horse
• Worm egg count every 8-12 weeks for redworm and ascarids
• EquiSal test for tapeworm if you haven't in the last six months
• Look out for bots, pinworm and ticks
• Monitor sand levels in the gut with a faecal sand test
• Manage dung, grazing, treatment and biosecurity to reduce risk and reinfection.

What to do when will depend a little on your management routine and personal choice along with the parasite risk factor of your horse. Young, old and rescue horses will need more consideration at this time of year than healthy adult horses.

SHOP WORM CONTROL TESTS

Not all horses carry the same parasite risk, with age, grazing conditions, and management practices all influencing whether a horse falls into a low, medium, or high-risk category.

You may be surprised by how these factors can affect parasite risk, as anything that adds extra pressure on the body, such as underlying illness or environmental conditions, can make it harder for horses to cope with parasite challenge. With grazing quality reduced and many paddocks burnt off, horses are cropping closer to the ground and dung piles in search of forage, which further increases the chances of infection.

Best-practice approach is to first plan a test-based programme, the interval of testing based on a horse’s relative parasite risk profile as low, medium or high for disease caused by worm burdens.

If your horse is considered high risk then consider testing for large redworm which is an emerging threat and particularly recommended for studs and breeding operations with youngstock, competition and sales yards, highly stocked land, horses on minimal or selective worming schedules. Find out more here: Large Redworm

If in doubt about the best plan for your horse, please call our friendly helpline to speak to one of our qualified expert advisors, or chat to your prescriber to plan a best course of action.

SHOP WORM CONTROL TESTS

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A bit about Tapeworm

Tapeworm should be targeted twice a year, every six months with an EquiSal Tapeworm test to determine whether your horse is one of the minority (fewer than 29%) of infected horses requiring treatment. Whether you test now in conjunction with your autumn worm egg count or at the same time as you treat or test for encysted redworm depends on your schedule and preferred wormer choices.

Horse Worm Treatment Prescribing Options

If treatment for just tapeworm is indicated then a praziquantel only wormer would be the preferred choice, now available only as a 'special' through your vet. Alternatively, a double dose of pyrantel can be recommended for administration if;

• ascarids are also present (more likely in foals or youngstock)
  or
• the redworm population in question is known to not be resistant to pyrantel.

Where treatment for redworm is indicated at the same time as tapeworm treatment, then an ivermectin + praziquantel combination wormer would be the recommended selection through Spring, Summer and Autumn.

TESTING FOR WORMER RESISTANCE

Where you do need to step in and give a chemical to target redworm (strongyles) it is a useful exercise to do a reduction test at least once per year to check whether any resistance to the chemical is present on the grazing land. Following a positive test result, give a wormer then 10-14 days later conduct another worm egg count to check that treatment has been effective.