Skinny body..bloated belly..not a happy healthy horse! Horses and parasites have had a relationship probably that goes back to the dawn of time…..you’ll never kill all of them,and you don’t want to. You could follow your horse around 24-7 with a can of disinfectant spray and still never get them all!
You can,however keep them at bay.Have your horses fecal’s checked once a year to determine whats goin on in there! Look at his body condition. Does his tummy appear to be bloated,yet there are ribs visible? Does he have a dull hair coat? Long hairs mixed in with short even tho it may be mid summer? This could be telling you your horse has more worms than he can handle. The worms take all the nutrients and your horse gets maybe 10%!! Where there is horse poop…there are worms!
The feces carry the eggs which hatch and then climb to the top of the grass stems and wait patiently for your horse to come gobble them up and the whole thing starts all over again!! GRRR!!!! Heat will help kill the larvae so if you clean your paddocks regularly keep it in a pile away from where the horses can pick at it. Some larvae can burrow into your horses tissue and lie dormant for years….eeewwww!!!
It is very important for you as caregiver to keep your horse on a regular worming routine and follow directions for your horses weight. Worms are serious business folks,especially for the young,old or sickly horses. Be sure to contact your vet whenever you get a new horse to establish how much of a “worm load” he is carrying before you kill them off.
Too many worms dying at the same time can cause your horse to colic or even go blind. I’ve attached an easy to follow chart to help clear up confushion. Of course ask your vet before changing anything your currently doing. A little preventitive medicine is definatly worth a pound of cure!