Parasites are an ongoing issue that we have to deal with as horse owners. Understanding the parasites that affect your horse can greatly help you decide how to best treat and maintain a healthy horse.
All horses have parasites, some are helpful to the horse, while others are harmful. Parasites can reduce efficiency and performance in a horse, cause weakness, poor coat and appearance, and can cause your horse to rub his tail off or even die. The most common symptom of an infestation is ribs showing with a distended belly.
Horses suffer from both internal and external parasites, some live at least part of their life cycle inside of the horse. These parasites affect the digestive tract, lungs, bloodstream, and body cavity. Understanding the life cycle of the parasites can significantly increase your chances of winning the parasite battle.
A few key things that you need to know: No horse is ever completely free of parasites, luckily, only a few can cause serious damage to your horse. Bots, pinworms, ascarids and large and small strongyles are the most abundant and most harmful of all parasites. When determining how bad the infection is, you must consider the type of parasite, number of parasites, length of time living in the host. We got a 1 year old filly last year as a rescue (that is her in the picture above). She has had a giant belly and stayed quite thin. With guidance, I put her on a very strict de-worming routine. I gave her a dose of ivermectin one week, then again the following week, while giving her daily Strongid 2 in her feed (which she loves). Her belly has been shrinking slowly, and I can tell that it is helping rid her body of the massive parasite infestation that she had when she showed up.
Life Five Stage Life Cycle of Parasites:
The eggs pass out in the feces on the pasture, the eggs hatch and become infective larvae on grass, which is then ingested by the horse. The immature parasites migrate through the horse’s tissues and the mature parasites live in the digestive tract and lay eggs.
The four major internal parasites that affect horses: Strongyles, Pinworms, Ascarids, and Bots.
Other types of Strongyles are less dangerous because they sped less time in the arteries, thereby causing less damage. Also, small strongyles do not migrate from the small intestine, unlike the large strongyles.
Deworming: Many people recommend various types of worming schedules. Although I still rotate between three wormers, I trust Ivermectin the most. My professors which are well known in the equine industry have only used Ivermectin for over 30 years and have never had a worm infestation in a horse. I have known people who have used the expensive power packs, and didn’t feel that the results were worth the cost. However, please keep reading to understand the different types of parasites.
There are more than 150 types of internal parasites that can infect a horse. The most common internal and external parasites are listed below, along with methods to control the following parasites:
Strongyles: - Larvae of large strongyle migrate within artery walls from the digestive tract toward the heart causing blood clots, and blocking blood supply to organs and tissues, leaving a horse ill, or lame. Small strongyles remain in the intestinal tract and do not venture into arteries, which can cause severe damage and even death. Remove manure bi-weekly and deworm every 60 days
Ascarids: Ascarids can damage the heart, liver and lungs. The can also block small blood vessels of the small intestine, causing colic or intestinal rupture. Remove manure bi-weekly and deworm every 60 days
Pinworms: Remove manure bi-weekly and deworm every 60 days, be sure to use different sponges to clean the horses front and rear.
Bots: Use a deworming treatment two to four times a year, mid-summer, mid- winter, after the first hard frost and in the spring.
Ticks: Remove the tick using an alcohol swab, and ask the veterinarian about an insecticide spray that can be used on the horse, and something to spray areas where the horses congregate. Tick removal is vital because they can cause weakness, weight loss, poor appetite, and anemia. Ticks carry diseases as well such as African horse fver, encephalomyelitis, and piroplasmosis.
Lice: Lice can be killed by bathing the horse in an insecticide. It may be necessary to do multiple treatments. I have also seen lice powder for horses.
Mites (Mange): Mites are difficult to treat, but an effective insecticide applied weekly can do the trick. Smaller animals get “dipped” in the insecticide. Dusts will not kill mites. Mites are contagious.
Gnats: Gnats can be controlled with sprays, wipes, Swat, and other smears that repel insects. Also fly masks with ear nets are helpful.
Mosquitoes: Mosquitos carry viruses that cause diseases and can transmit equine infectious anemia (sleeping sickness). To control mosquitoes, it is easier to maintain the areas where the horses live by removing stagnant water from the area. There are several mosquito repellants on the market as well.
Flies: Fly spray, or a homemade mixture of apple cider vinegar. Fly sheets and masks can make a horse more comfortable in a highly infested area. We used various sprays, masks, and fly traps.
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