Types of Worming Programs

The type of worming program you choose for your horse should be based on a risk assessment of your horse's circumstances.

The information on this page is intended as a guide only and may not suit every horse in every situation so we advise that you contact us to discuss your individual worming requirements or with any specific questions.

Below is an example of the risk assessment used in the merial equine parasite training course, this is an easy way to determine the most suitable worming strategy for your horse.

Interval dosing:

This is the simplest program in which the wormer of choice is administered at the interval reccomended by the manufacturer on the packaging. For example ivermectin based wormers such as Eqvalan have a minimum dosing interval of 8-10 weeks so should be given 6 times a year at 8 week intervals. Always read the packaging as different types of wormers have different dosing intervals! The main disadvantages of this program are that regular treatment can be expensive and regular use of the same type of wormer can lead to the worms becoming resistant to that type of wormer and not all wormers will treat all the different types of worms.

Strategic dosing:

A broad spectrum wormer is given at specific times of the year to disrupt the seasonal cycle and transmission of worms. This program aims to reduce the pasture contamination with worm eggs by treating early in the grazing season and then using faecal egg counts to determine if dosing is required later in the year.

Targeted Strategic dosing:

Horses are first tested and then only those with faecal egg counts >100 epg or positive tapeworm tests are treated. We do reccomend a yearly treatment for hypobiotic cyathostomes as these will not show up on any tests. The type of wormer used can be based on the type of worm eggs that show up in your faecal egg count and you should seek veterinary advice as to which is the most appropriate for your situation. Below is an example of a targeted strategic dosing program.