WORM CONTROL:
and why we shouldn't panic!
There's a minefield of information regarding the worming regime of horses, and how you choose your own strategy depends entirely on your horse and how he is kept.
A large yard, for example is likely to have it's own shedule which you'll likely follow, and how that treatment manifests depends on the enlightenment of the yard manager and how much 'work' is required, because regular poo-picking acres of land grazed by twenty horses or more, takes an agonisingly long time.
People, like me, who keep their horses at home have other problems, with no organised plan to follow we must develop our own strategy.
Of course your vet will help, my own vet practise will send you a detailed year planer with exactly what worm to target at a given season and the precise chemical needed to treat it, they'll even send you the wormers in a timely fashion to deliver their strategy.
BUT, this may not suit everyone's own philosophy or horse, and if like me you prefer a less invasive approach then worm counting is for you.
I poo-pick twice every day regardless of the weather.
This keeps my pasture in brilliant condition, thats aproximately 20 poos every day for Tom & Henry,.
I send T&H manure samples to a lab periodically without fail, and the lab I use: Westgate even email me a reminder, which is brilliant.
And though always happy with these results, I am also aware of the parasites it can't tell you about: like encysted small redworm larvae or tapeworm, so every few years I worm them with an oral gel paste in Winter and Spring containing moxidectin and praziquantel. as I have just done this week (3rd week November), and the next Spring dose will be 13 weeks from that date.
The boys don't much like being wormed, and they sulk once it's done it puts them off their food for 5 minutes, and generally they have loose droppings the next day too, then they are back to normal again.
another job done.
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