Blogs Horses

A manure test alone does not determine whether a horse needs treatment. The questionnaire, the horse’s health and age, seasonal parasite pressure, and existing records also help assess whether treatment is appropriate.

It can be confusing: you have a fecal test done and the result comes back positive. Yet, the advice is not to treat. How is that possible? We’ll explain.

Giardia is a common intestinal parasite in dogs and cats. The parasite is microscopic and settles in the small intestine, where it multiplies and can cause symptoms. Not only young animals, but also adult dogs and cats can become infected.

When you deworm your horse, you naturally want to be sure that the treatment is actually working. A manure follow-up test gives you that confirmation.

After a deworming treatment: pay attention to pasture management!

Effective parasite control doesn’t stop with giving the treatment.

In recent weeks, we’ve received several photos from our clients showing horses with round spots around the mouth caused by Habronemiasis.

In the Netherlands, it is rarely dry or cold enough for long periods to completely kill larvae. Worm larvae do not survive well in high temperatures combined with drought, or during prolonged frost.

Worm resistance means that worms are no longer sensitive to certain deworming treatments.

The red bloodworm is a parasite found in pastures where horses graze. Infection occurs when a horse ingests infected larvae from the grass.

We haven’t had any autumn frost yet, and although it may be tempting to deworm now with a broad-spectrum product to target encysted red bloodworm larvae, it’s too early!

Horses can ingest sand in various ways without you or the horse even noticing. This can happen when they stand on a sand paddock, graze on sandy soil, or eat hay from the ground.

Acorns contain tannins that are toxic when consumed in excess. Small amounts are usually harmless, but large quantities can cause poisoning.

The adult horse botfly is a brown, hairy fly with only one pair of wings and a body length of about 2 cm. In summer, we often see and hear adult botflies buzzing around horses.

Did you know that mild winters affect the infection pressure of worm infestations in horses?

Have you ever heard of the deer ked? These annoying parasites can drive even the calmest horses crazy.

Frequent fecal testing is essential to monitor the worm cycle. In summer, infection risk is higher — test every 2 months to prevent recurring infections.

To prevent a worm infection, it’s essential to work preventively. One of the most important tasks is removing manure from the pasture.

We are the proud owners of our Lusitano gelding, Zartouche. In the summer of 2023, we noticed for the first time that he reacted more strongly to flies in the field, something we hadn't seen before.

Ticks can transmit diseases, such as Lyme disease. In the Netherlands, Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick and can occur on all mammals.

This parasite is rarely seen in horses. Adult worms live in the nuchal ligament and can live up to 10 years. They are long and thin (6–30 cm) and transmitted by bites from infected midges (Culicoides).

Sometimes, we see horse owners choosing not to treat, even when treatment is advised. Reasons vary, including fear of resistance or thinking the problem is not serious.

Worm resistance is still often underestimated, mostly because horse owners think: it's not that bad, or it won't happen to me. As long as it doesn’t affect us, we assume it’s fine.

Many people routinely administer a stronger dewormer with moxidectin at the start of winter — targeting redworms, tapeworms, and bots. HELTIE horse asked us whether this is truly necessary and how to determine that.

Not all worms can be detected through fecal testing. In this blog, we explain which gastrointestinal worms are or aren’t detectable and when extra testing is recommended.

Aarsmade wordt vaak verward met spoelworm, ze lijken qua vorm ook veel op elkaar maar wijken in grootte veel af van elkaar. 

The active ingredient in Equest Pramox and Equest oral gel is moxidectin. Every year, horse owners contact us about side effects after giving one of these treatments.

Our team is happy to explain why preventive deworming is recommended and what the alternatives are.

The end-of-year deworming is approaching, and we often get the question: how much dewormer should I give my horse? It's hard to tell from a distance, but we’re happy to assist in estimating your horse’s weight.

The EquiSal tapeworm test is an innovative saliva-based test that shows whether your horse has a harmful tapeworm infection.

Stomach ulcers are inflammations of the stomach lining that occur when the protective mucosal layer is damaged.

We’re currently receiving many questions from horse owners about when to treat for botfly larvae and whether treatment is always necessary.

So, is manure testing in winter really useful or not? Let’s be clear: manure testing is always useful – even in winter.

How should you approach deworming? Foals are vulnerable — should you deworm them routinely or not? We answer the most frequently asked questions.

Has your horse been showing vague symptoms for some time, but manure tests keep coming back negative?

A worm aneurysm occurs regularly in practice but is unfortunately often not recognized.

Maybe you’ve experienced it yourself. Your horse wasn’t quite fit, and the vet suggested doing a blood test.

At Worm&Co, manure samples are always routinely tested for sand, but this remains a snapshot. That’s why we recommend testing yourself for three consecutive days from time to time.

All our clients always receive an email reminder when it’s time for fecal testing or preventive deworming.

For veterinarians, equine dentists, osteopaths, farriers, physiotherapists, and holistic practitioners.