Worming your horse

You can download faecal worm egg count submission forms here:

Worms are internal parasites that can do irreversible damage to the gut and other organs and be responsible for poor body condition, respiratory issues, colic and even fatalities.

Developing a diagnostic-led, risk-based approach to worming your horse is incredibly important for their welfare. There is a growing problem with worm resistance to our existing worming products. We need to fight this problem and preserve what products we have, as there are no more in development. In order to achieve this there are a few steps you can follow to keep on top of worm burdens and reduce the build-up of resistance.

We advise to only treat horses that need it; this can be managed by worm egg counts (WEC), tapeworm tests and a worm risk assessment.

We do not aim to eradicate all worms from your horse. Horses can carry a small worm burden and be healthy. It is also important to maintain a small population to help reduce resistance.

Every horse is an individual, even horses sharing the same paddock should be treated individually. Some horses are more susceptible to higher worm burdens than others. Giving too small a dose could increase the risk of resistance and there is no additional benefit from giving too large a dose. Therefore it is important to dose accurately.

The Horse Health Programme includes 4 faecal worm egg counts, an autumn tapeworm saliva test, a Worm Risk Assessment and an appropriate autumn wormer (if one is needed) as some of its many benefits.

Top Tips for Worm Control

Effective worm control relies on the correct and responsible use of wormers combined with good pasture management.

Use Faecal Worm Egg Counts (FWEC) during the year to assess which horses need worming. Generally treat horses with a worm egg count greater than 200 eggs/g.
Use a tapeworm saliva test in the autumn to assess whether your horse needs to be treated for tapeworm.
Ask your vet to carry out a Worm Risk Assessment each year to determine whether your horse is at low, medium or high risk of small redworm larvae infection.
Only worm your horse when tests indicate it is necessary to do so and ensure you use an appropriate wormer to treat the worms you are targeting.
Target the following worms at the correct time of year:
- Encysted Redworm Larvae - late autumn/winter;
- Bots - winter;
- Tapeworm - autumn.
Worm all horses and ponies at the same time with the same product.
Use the correct dose: the recommended dosage will vary according to the horse’s weight. Estimate weight as accurately as possible using scales or a weigh tape.

A well-managed pasture will help to reduce the worm burden. The following points should be followed where possible:

Remove droppings on a regular basis (preferably daily, but at least twice a week)
Don’t use horse manure as fertiliser on pasture grazed by horses.
Don't harrow pasture.
Don’t overstock pastures: ideally 2 acres per horse is recommended.
Graze horses of a similar age together – young horses are more susceptible to a higher worm burden.
Sub-divide grazing areas into smaller paddocks and graze on a rotational basis.
Rest pasture for a minimum of 6 months if possible.
Graze paddocks with sheep or cattle. This will dilute the horse worm burden on your pasture.

DON’T FORGET, OUR VETS ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO GIVE FREE ADVICE ON WORMING AND A SUITABLE WORMING PROGRAMME FOR YOUR HORSE.

We offer faecal worm egg counts, tapeworm saliva tests and have a range of wormers available at very competitive prices. Contact your local B&W Clinic for prices and further details.

Why getting worming right is easy with the Horse Health Programme

Get the best preventative health care for your horse and spread the cost in equal monthly payments.

The Horse Health Programme includes four faecal worm egg counts, an autumn tapeworm test, a Worm Risak Assessment and an appropriate autumn wormer (if needed) as some of its many benefits, making it easy to adopt a diagnostic-led, risk-based approach to worming your horse.

Contact your local B&W Clinic to register.