Although the worming of horses is something that I’ve done regularly, I hadn’t considered horse anthelmintics for Equus Education. Indeed, it is something I read about regularly, too! Yet it has taken me awhile to consider it for a post here.
Anthelmintics are products that are often used by horse owners. Given regularly when needed, they can be very effective in lowering worm count levels in horses. These products are often made up of one of six main ingredients:
- pyrantel
- moxidectin
- praziquantel
- febendazole
- ivermectin
- mebendazole
I have no doubt that most people who work in the field of creating these wormers, selling them and educating others about their use, have a background in science. Perhaps it’s an Equine Science Degree or an Animal Science Degree in which they’re able to focus on horse health and equine parasitology.
For those who are familiar with using horse anthelmintics, they may be aware that owners used to be encouraged to worm every 12 weeks – and perhaps to change the active ingredient once a year.
Using Horse Anthelmintics
The current practice encouraged is to only use when needed. How do we know when a horse needs to be wormed? Faecal Worm Egg Counts can be carried out to determine the worm burden within a particular animal. Anything above 200 is considered reasonable enough to treat the horse. If figures are below this, then it is advised not to worm the horse. This is to avoid using a paste that is costing money when it isn’t needed.
Knowing this information – and how to use it effectively – can come about by being educated. This is possible through people studying worms in horses and anthelmintic products. There are people within the horse industry who do exactly this. They study and they teach others about how to use worming products efficiently and effectively. If this area of horse care appeals to you, perhaps such a job role would also be appealing.
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