Worming Regimes and Saving the Pennies

Hi All!
I haven't posted before (other than for sale items) really because I couldn't think of anything interesting to say. However, Over the last couple of months, I've been reading up and putting into practice an "intelligent worming regime". Salees' blog spurred me on after her terrible experience, despite following a worming regime (hope she's continuing to improve Salee). I'll apologise now to all those who already understand and appreciate the concept.

We have 27 horses here (2 stallions,mares and foals) and have always been very strict with our worming regimes. Because of the reported resistance problems with other products, we have used PRAMOX and EQUEST - not cheap. Towards the end of last year, an American mare arrived after 1 month in quarantine in the States, flight to Amsterdam and then more travelling and stops offs be fore arriving here. She was 6 and had been in training since a 2 year old. Well, she looked apalling and I didn't know if it was the hard training, lack of quarantine care, fatigue or what. We did all the usuall things, worming, teeth, nutrition, vaccines, blood tests which didn't show anything abnormal. She has improved slowly but all my others are in good condition and she still looks on the lean side. I was searching through possible causes and although she had been wormed, I did wonder if this could be a problem. After reading lots of interesting articles (and feeling not at all intelligent for not having looked it up before!) I had the whole lot tested (fresh dung samples collected in little plastic pots supplied by the vet) with surprising results. All the adult horses had zero counts. 3 of the foals had "medium count" and required worming. The clearest explaination I found was this:
[url=http://www.woodvet.co.uk/uploads/asset_file/Equine Faecal Egg Count Explanation.pdf][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

You may be worming your horse unnecessarily or not effectively, both cases wasting lots of money!
The worm count cost 12€ inc TVA. I calculated a decent saving on worming products and obviously a big contribution to delaying resistance to worming products, helping the environment and keeping your horses healthy.

As a foot note, the American mare is totally healthy and we (us and vets) have decided that her lean frame is as a result of 4 years hard training (possible drug mis-use) - she is in foal and has put on 64kg since arrival.

Thank you debra, I'll read and get back to you later... physio now  

pen

sorry, but can't get into the page   I for one, am sure that we have been conned by pharmaceuticals into believing that we must worm our horse's every 6/8 weeks, when in fact it does more harm than good   we wouldn't take a paracetamol every day just in case we stub our toe   Wormers are STRONG drugs, that can cause irreversible damage   worm counts every time for me (well mine)  

pen

Someone had put on facebook about this, it was a woman that used this as a wormer she had all her horses poo counted as she said not all have the same problem with worms, so they all had different amounts in their feeds> I know I have some of this as it was recommended for horse with feathers that pick up feather mites. Its a product that comes out of the sea I think and it dries the mites up and kills them. This woman used it for own health she put it on her cornflakes it lowered colestrole and lots of other things. I will see if I can find out where the write up was  from but I`m not very good with computors as you know

No I can't open it either. It says '404 error. Page cannot be found.'

Sorry the link isn't working. I've justed tested this and it seems to work. Go to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]  then click on LABORATORY on the main top menu - then click on EQUINE WORM EGG COUNTS on the left handside menu - then scroll towards the bottom of the page and you will see - FOR EGG COUNT EXPLAINATION AND RESISTANCE INFORMATION CLICK HERE - this will bring up the pdf file. It's only 2 pages and I found it quite clear - some of the other articles I read were quite confusing.
I've saved the pdf file so if anyone has any further problems I can email it.

  Thank you for taking the trouble to sort that debra, will look this eve.

pen

Yes thankyou Debra , thats very useful info

I remember being taught the worm every couple of months regime, then it changed to twice a year, which is what we do. Works for us (or rather, them).

These recommendations change so often, difficult to keep up but always good to have a swot up every now and then.

Can't help thinking I wouldn't take cough mixture if I didn't have a cough.  

pen

I'm not saying worm counts are a waste of time, far from it, but worming regimes do depend very much on the individual situation. Some places have so much land for turnout they could never find all the muck and remove it. Some have so many horses that it becomes an almost impossible job. And some have horses coming and going so worms could be picked up off the property, or brought in by an incomer.

The eggs of large roundworms can survive in the soil and in stables for many years. So it can also depend on who or what was on the land before the current occupier, and how recently.

I've never kept donkeys but remember being taught that they always have a high worm count. 



Here is the BHS link for pasture management. Some lovely close up pics of all sorts of worms:

[url=http://www.bhs.org.uk/~/media/BHS/Files/PDF Documents/Worm Control.ashx][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

as they say get 100 vets in 1 room & ask about wormers & timing & so on & you  would probably get 100 different opinions. & yes to the other poster their advice changes like the weather forcast.

Cilla is on the mend thanks, i have posted about her today.

 but as follyfoot said with different individuals coming & going the worm 'calendar' in each will not be in harmony with the rest so unless you  have had all your horses from a foal born on the same day having had the same wormer on the same day all their lives you  are going to have an imbalance, & even if you  had individuals in a group vary in their natural resistance.

it's a hard one this.....do we risk over dose or risk worms getting a head start?

in my last place we tried a system where we ran out goats & farm birds to cross graze with the horses as each can digest the other species worm eggs so keeping the land 'cleaner' my worm counts were clear on horses i had had for a while so i thought it was working & the vet approved. but i still wormed the heck out of everything too, maybe not now though?

i think i am leaning towards still  keeping the megga worm blast doses in spring & autumn for bots & tape worm but doing counts before general worm time in summer to try to hit the middle ground in all this?  

well thats my pennies worth, but if anyone else disagrees bring it on i am always open to ideas thats what forums are for to share experiences & pass on info. bye