Thursday, November 28, 2013

The Benefits Of Horse Wormers

By Angela Briggs


Every owner and barn manager should understand the importance of using good quality horse wormers throughout the year. Horses are very beautiful animals who have a lot of self preservation instincts. However, once they are domesticated and live in barns and paddocks they often loose a lot of their ability to fend for themselves.

Living in close proximity to other horses presents a number of health challenges. Horses are naturally infected with worms because they are grazers. They eat the short juicy grass closest to the ground. As a result of this they naturally ingest small amounts of dirt and soil. If this soil is contaminated with worm larvae they quickly make their way into the animals intestines and begin their life cycle all over again.

Vigilant stable management is essential to stop the worms becoming a serious health problem. Regularly cleaning up the manure is an important first step. However, even if this is done every day the horses will still need to be kept on a strict schedule of worming medication.

In the wild horses instinctively know not to eat close to dung. But once they are kept in barns they are forced to eat in contaminated paddocks that are often over used and lack enough grass. In these cases a very stringent worming program is vital. Horses should be treated with a different product every six to eight weeks.

In recent years modern science has really been able to help. A host of worm treatments has been developed that are both safe and effective. A number of active chemicals is necessary to treat each different type of worm. The ingredients to look for are ivermectin, bimectin, fenbendozole, pyrantel and moxidectin. These chemicals are used in many different worming products and buyers should educate themselves about the different brand names.

One thing for owners to keep in mind is that small ponies do not need the full dose. Studies have shown that by routinely over using a product the animal will quickly develop immunity and in consequence suffer from more worms. The best line of defense remains in good stable management.

Owners are well advised to clean their stalls and paddocks every day. This prevents the animals form coming into contact with the eggs and larvae. Many people also practice rotation grazing that allows the ground to rest. In summer the heat and dry conditions will often kill the larvae and eggs.

It does not take a lot of time or money to keep up to date with a worming schedule. Many companies sell a years supply of horse wormers that is both handy and economical. The owner just needs to keep track of when each dose was given and their animals will be in the best of health.




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