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SPRING SUMMER
WINTER
Springtime sees many horses turned out onto fresh pasture after a winter of being stabled or with restricted turnout . The arrival of warmer weather also means that worms will start reproducing in greater numbers .
If you haven ’ t already done so over the late autumn / winter , treat for :
• Encysted small redworm
• Bots
In addition :
• February / March is the perfect time to start conducting faecal worm egg counts ( FWECs ), every two to three months .
• Tapeworm – do not reliably show up in an FWEC . Dose now , or test using a blood or saliva antibody test .
WHY ARE FAECAL WORM EGG COUNTS SO IMPORTANT ?
FWECs save the cost of worming horses unnecessarily , help to protect the health of those that do need worming and help maintain the effectiveness of the wormers that we use . FWECs are very useful for identifying which horses are shedding high numbers of redworm eggs and are therefore contributing most to contamination of the pasture . Regular FWECs throughout the grazing season will in time build a clearer picture of your horse ’ s shedding patterns but remember they will not identify encysted small redworm , tapeworm and bots so you will need to treat for these separately .
FOALS AND WEANLINGS
If you have foals or weanlings , they will need to be wormed more regularly than their adult counterparts ; as a rough guide they should receive a minimum of four worming treatments per year . Roundworms ( ascarids ) are an additional concern in young foals . FWECs are useful to indicate if this parasite is present , as well as guiding the need for extra treatments for redworm .
In addition to conducting an FWEC every two to three months , you should poo-pick the paddock at least twice a week to reduce pasture contamination .
Treat your horse in summer for :
• Redworms – treatment is usually recommended if FWECs > 200epg
• Roundworms – foals should receive at least two doses effective against roundworms in the first six months of life . Speak to your vet or SQP for specific advice regarding timing and the most appropriate wormer for your foal .
AUTUMN
During the autumn , the larval stages of the small redworm can stop developing inside the horse ’ s gut and enter a type of hibernating state known as encysted small redworm . Because many of the larvae don ’ t develop into adult worms , fewer eggs are produced and passed in droppings . On this basis , FWECs can be misleading simply because large number of encysted small redworm can be present without eggs being seen in droppings .
There are three common parasite threats that will not show up in a FWEC , that need to be tackled during the late autumn and early winter :
• Encysted small redworm – dose all horses (> six months of age ) in November / December regardless of the FWEC , using a specifically indicated wormer
• Tapeworms – do not reliably show up in an FWEC . Dose now , or test using a blood or saliva antibody test
• Bots – the bot fly lays eggs in late autumn and bot larvae develop in the horse ’ s stomach so they should be treated now .
This is a deceptively quiet time of year for horse parasites . Roundworm eggs can lie dormant in the soil for long periods , even in freezing weather . Small redworms can ‘ hibernate ’ in their encysted state in your horse ’ s gut wall and won ’ t lay any eggs so an FWEC will not reveal them .
Treat your horse in winter for :
• Encysted small redworm - dose now if not previously treated in the late autumn .
• Bots – dose now if not previously treated in the autumn
In addition to these seasonal threats it ’ s important to ensure at least one of the doses given throughout the year is effective against large redworm . Pinworm , liver fluke and lungworm may be a concern for some horses – it ’ s best to talk to your prescriber to check if your horse may be at risk of these .
Always talk to your vet or SQP
Make sure you choose the right worming methods and products for your horse ’ s circumstances by discussing your worming programme with your prescriber or vet .
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ISSUE 38 • OCTOBER 2018 • EVERYTHING HORSE MAGAZINE 27