What Horse Wormer For Autumn

Worming and undertaking worm counts is part of good stable management and your horses digestive health support all year round. In What Horse Wormer For Autumn (also applies to horse wormer for winter) we ask what horse wormer should you use for autumn. Your worming plan should target parasites at crucial times of the year in adult horses, and as we move into the autumn months, there are certain parasites that you should target:

Small Strongyles (Small Redworms)
Large Strongyles (Large Redworms)
Ascarids (Roundworms)
Bots
Tapeworms
Pinworms

Other equine parasites include;

Threadworm
Lungworm
Neck threadworm
Lungworm (although mainly found in donkeys)

You should carry out a saliva test for tapeworms and an FEC (Faecal Egg Count) for roundworms from September- October. Same horse wormer for winter of course. Exposure to tapeworm is far higher during long periods of grazing and is generally recommended every six months if your horse tests positive to tapeworm treat with a double dose of pyrantel or praziquantel based wormer.

Pyrantel-based wormers effectively control and remove mature infections of large strongyles, small strongyles, pinworms, and large roundworms.

Sally Toye who is a highly respected Endurance GB rider found that the egg count changed in her two horses on Aloeride: “P.S. just worm tested both ponies and they have the lowest count ever which is nil, I think their guts are just fab… their counts have improved all year and I have used minimum wormers this year… so there is definitive proof that Aloeride works xx” Sally is of course not the only rider who noticed this, many others noticed that meaningful, everyday servings feed a healthily inhospitable environment.

Autumn/Winter Worming Plan

In September, October or November, you need to treat your horse against encysted and inhibited small redworm larvae to reduce these encrusted larvae hiding in the horse’s gut wall. Treating your horse with a moxidectin based wormer of a five-day course of fenbendazole based wormer is recommended.

During the winter months, treat your horse for botflies after the first frost just as the adult flies die off.

Treat your horse with a single dose of moxidectin or an ivermectin based wormer.

As we move into the later months of the year, horse wormer for winter, treating your horse against encysted small redworm can be done with a single dose of moxidectin based wormer or a five-day course of fenbendazole based wormer.

Worm Counts & Prevention

Worm counts should be done every three months regardless of whether your horse has been treated for worms or not at the end of the last three-month interval.

A faecal egg count taken from a small sample of faeces will determine the most common equine parasites such as roundworms and small and large strongyles. When you are collecting a sample, you take it from several balls within one pile of droppings to ensure you get a clear indication.

Understanding your worm egg count results is essential and will determine your worming programme. For example, 0<50 EPG No Eggs Seen results would mean that no worm eggs were seen in the sample tested so that you can follow a reduced worming programme. However, a 200EPG – 1150 EPG (Medium Count) would require the horse to be wormed.

ELISA blood tests and Equal Saliva tests can also be used to detect the presence of tapeworm.

Always weigh your horse before deworming, so you give the correct dosage.

Alongside the above, careful management of your horses’ pasture is also essential; regular removal of faeces, rotation of pasture to allow fields to rest and mixed grazing with other animals such as cattle or sheep can also help.

*This advice does not replace the advice of a qualified professional. Always consult your vet to determine the best deworming program for your horse.

If You Enjoyed Reading This Blog, You May Like Reading The Problem With Parasites.