How you should act – now
Targeted worming is one of the most effective ways to limit resistance. This means testing your horse for worms and only treating if necessary, with the correct type of wormer. “The more a population of worms is exposed to a particular drug, the more likely resistance is to develop,” explains Claire. “Only use wormers when absolutely necessary — and make sure you’re using the right drug for that worm. “A small worm burden isn’t a problem for horses. At Westgate, we recommend that
levels below 200 eggs per gram are fine and don’t require a wormer.” There are a couple of tests for worms that horse owners need to be aware of. The first is a worm egg count. This is a sample of your horse’s droppings that’s placed in a pot and sent off to a lab for testing. The second is a saliva test for tapeworm. This involves taking a sample from your horse’s mouth and sending it off to the lab. Whichever test you do, you’ll receive the results back, plus information on whether or not to worm. “If you do have to worm, it’s important to check that the wormer has been effective,” says Alistair. “Repeat the worm egg count a couple of weeks after worming to check that there’s been a significant reduction in the number of worm eggs.” Worm egg counts will need to be repeated several times throughout the year, roughly three to four times per grazing season.
Repeat Re the worm egg count a couple of weeks after worming to check that there’s been a significant reduction in the number of worm eggs