The myths of deworming a horse

There are many different ideas floating around out there for treating your horse for worm. Here we try to dispel some of the myths of deworming a horse.

“I worm my horses all the time, so they aren’t a problem”

Truth: most wormers are only effective on certain types of worms. Selecting the correct wormer for your particular worm is half the problem.

“There’s no point in removing manure from the pasture”

Truth: manure can be full of the worm’s eggs, so removing it from a horse’s environment is a very effective preventative measure.

“Putting sheep and cattle onto a horse’s pasture is harmful”

Truth: sheep and cattle worms are not harmful to horses but using these animals on a horse’s pasture is a very useful way to decrease a build-up of worms that are harmful to horses.

“Horses should be isolated after they’ve been wormed”

Truth: there is currently no evidence proving that this makes a wormer any more effective.

“Wormers cause colic”

Truth: a wormer does not cause colic, however…if a large number of worms are killed this can cause irritation to the gut and signs of colic.

“Harrowing the pasture makes no difference”

Truth: harrowing the pasture on a dry, hot day will scatter the manure and the larvae will dry out and die. Harrowing the pasture if it is warm and damp can spread the larvae into the grazing area and increase the problem.

In summary; there is no single solution to deworming your horse.  However, as always, this is general information and always speak to your veterinarian for a more specific worming program for your horses and your location.