Stallions - Harnesslink

Controlling worms in horses - The need for change
Worms in horses have generally been considered to be well controlled
and not a concern to many horses owners. This general opinion has occurred
because horse owners for the past 20-30 years have relied on
the routine use of highly effective drenches to control the emergence
of any worm problem. This approach and the drenches (chemicals)
used are similar to those used in other livestock systems. Sheep and
cattle farmers around the world are now having to come to terms with
the development of widespread drench resistance in their industry
and understanding how permanent and damaging the problem can
be to animal performance and well being. Similar problems are now
emerging in the horse industry and are being identified in a number
of countries around the world. The problem does not appear to be
limited to any one type of horse system and unfortunately by the time
a problem has been recognised through poor animal performance or
condition, the drench may have been failing for many years.
In order to manage a problem like worms it is important for horse
owners to understand the issues
• Worms are the No.1 performance limiter after nutrition
• Approximately 95% of the worm population exists outside the
animal on pasture and in the top few centimeters of the soil
(applies to pasture fed horses)
• Many factors will affect the amount of damage worms will cause
to a horse. These factors include
- the number of infective worm larvae consumed by the horse
- the age and immune status of the horse
- the nutrition status of the horse
- the type and frequency of drenches used on the horse
• Currently worm control in horses is almost entirely reliant on the
use of drenches
• No new drenches (chemical groups) have been developed in the
past 20 years
• No new drenches are expected on the market due to high development
and compliance costs
• Worms are developing resistance to all of the current drench
range
• Drench resistance can be developed within a horses operation
or imported through animals arriving on to a property
• Many horse owners spend a lot of money on drenches but have
no idea if it is working effectively or if the treatment was required
in the first place
• There are a number of alternative worm control techniques that
can be used on their own or in conjunction with drenches, but
few are utilised by horse owners
Like many animal health conditions, the problem for a horse owner
is that they cannot see the worms in the animal to establish the
need for treatment, so naturally a preventative approach is often the
management action. While this is an understandable reaction the
reality is that this approach encourages the development of drench
resistance and will only continue to be effective while drenches
continue to kill worms.
To enable a change in approach that balances drench sustainability
(cost) and animal welfare and performance, the horse owners need
access to a reliable worm diagnostic test to enable them to identify
and selectively treat animals that need it, while not treating animals
unnecessarily.
Greg Mirams Managing Director, FECPAK International Ltd
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The most commonly used diagnostic test for horses is a faecal egg
count (FEC). The test works by counting the number of worm eggs
present in the animals faeces that have been produced by the female
worms that live in the gut of the animal. The test provides an indicative
measure of the adult worm burden in a live animal. Operational
constraints have limited horse owners utilising FEC testing of their
horses and include:
• Few veterinary clinics promote the service to their clients
• Services rely on faecal samples being sent to a laboratory or
veterinary clinic for testing
• Sample degradation can occur during transportation and storage
• The logistic hassle adds additional cost and time delays to receiving
the test results
• There has been concerns among veterinarians and scientists
about the accuracy and reliability of traditional testing systems
The concerns over access and accuracy of traditional FEC methods
used on horses are well founded and prompted FECPAK to examine
the issues causing the problems. By utilising methodologies and
equipment developed in other animals, FECPAK has developed a
system that is easy to use in the field or stable and can provide more
accurate and reliable FEC information for horse owners. The system
is self contained and the test can be undertaken in 10 minutes with
no on-going costs associated to the number of tests carried out.
Horse owners with access to regular FEC information have significantly
altered their worm management approach and are discovering
that many animals require fewer treatments where others are more
susceptible and require regular treatment. They are also finding that
seasonal climatic fluctuations play a role in how significant a worm
problem may be. Many horse owners are approached by sellers of
“promise products” with claims that their product will kill worms.
A simple FEC test will often validate if these products are in fact
performing as claimed.
There are a number of questions horse owners need to consider when
addressing the issue of sustainable worm control
• What drenches work on my property?
• Am I protected from importing a drench resistance problem?
• Am I selecting the right drench for the right reasons?
• Is my worm management strategy targeted correctly?
• Can I reduce my work load and drench costs yet maintain animal
performance and condition?
• What other worm control strategies can I utilise on my property?
• Are my worm control strategies sustainable?
In summary, it is essential horse owners begin to develop worm control
strategies that extend the life of the current drenches by lessening the
heavy reliance on this tool. If this does not occur and suppressive,
preventative type programs are continued, horse owners will begin
to see an increase in worm related diseases and there will be few
treatment options available to them.
FECPAK International Ltd is a New Zealand company that specialises
in the development of animal health diagnostic tools and management
systems. The company has 14 years experience in the field of parasite
management and has received global recognition for its technology.
See more at www.fecpak.com