Worms means wormers…

What are horse worms? There are several species of internal parasites for horses. The most common are Redworms (large & small), Round Worms, Tapeworm & Bots. Pinworms used to be a rare occurrence, but they are becoming more and more common amongst equines. Different species of worm are more active at different times of the year. Let’s look at the 12 months of worming.

JANUARY & FEBRUARY in these colder months we need to be targeting Redworm and encysted redworm. Redworm can be particularly damaging as when the weather turns cold, they burrow into the intestine lining and remain dormant there until the spring. Upon the arrival of the warmer weather, they emerge in mass, and this can then lead to colic and anaemia. This emergence can also cause scarring and inhibit the horse’s ability to absorb nutrients.

MARCH is when we need to be thinking about tapeworm. Tapeworm is particularly difficult to diagnose as they cannot be easily detected in faecal samples. Instead, a saliva sample will need to be taken. Horse tapeworms are actually quite small (roughly 1” long by ½ “wide) unlike their human equivalents!

APRIL TO AUGUST The summer is when the roundworms are most active. They can be controlled by a regular routine worming if your horse has a burden

SEPTEMBER - Tapeworms are back!

OCTOBER & NOVEMBER – Treatment for redworm during these months will reduce the risk of encysted redworm becoming a problem in the spring.

DECEMBER – This is when we want to be targeting Bots.

Which Wormer

We always recommend that you use faecal egg count kits throughout the year. This reduces the risk of over-worming and also means that you can make sure you’re getting the right wormer for your horse. As encysted redworm and tapeworm don’t show up on egg count kits, it’s a good idea to target these worms at least twice a year. For advice on which wormer to use when, please come and speak to one of our in house worming experts.