Worming

[lindad]

I was wondering, what type of worming program are the wild horses started on? What do they use first that doesn't overwhelm them given their probable parasite load?

Linda D

[desperatehorsewife]

That's a good question. I know my vet recommended fenbendazol for 5 days straight. Of course, he has no clue that the BLM worms the horses as well as vaccinates before adopting them.

I took a fecal sample to the lab to check FC's parasite level and it came back with very minimal levels; 4 strongyles per gram and that was it. I think a lot is going to depend on if the horse has been hanging out at the corrals for a long time, as the wild ones are rotational grazing on their own.

[nrly]

allot of people do the holistic way, for me ,my vet gives the liquid form and we buy that and give it every 8 weeks. comes out to about 12.00 a dose. Well worth it I do not have to rotate it at all. 1 cc per 100 pounds. for the life on me I can not remember the name, it is out there in the refrigerator. But it really works.

[DianneC]

The wild horses do move around more, and they have huge studpiles as well, usually at the boundaries of their territory, so the manure isn't all over the place.
A colt that went to Canada found where the owner had been piling the manure from her other two horses. He climbed to the top and pooped there. Made me laugh.

[nrly]

lol Dianne, I can just see that King of the hill attitude.

[zephyrcreek]

Nola,

Each area of the country is a little different. I was quite surprised when I started doing some research on worming as found the statistics for the US Equine Parasite population by area. The weather makes a major impact on parasite populations. The drier warmer states do not have near the loads as the northern wet states. I should know as surprise, surprise I live in one of the heaviest load areas, Michigan. Our summers are so short and temps so low that it does not kill the parasites in the field. Manure management issues can make a major difference in our climate.

The first time my farrier came out to trim my horses after they arrived from WA he just shook his head. Not only were my Kigers the best behaved yearlings he had worked with, they were also "pasture trained". They pick a few spots, and that is where 90% of their manure is. I am starting to think that all the other piles I do find out and about are from my pony and Arab. Even my yearling will back up onto one of the windrows and do her business.

[nrly]

it does not get cold enough here to kill them either, and i feel in the summers it is harder to control the worms here, we get into triple digits. and not that many cold days in the winter. Riddle has his area of poo, and he also has his path around the pen and it. he tries not to walk in it al all.

[J]

Well I have to say my Kiger is a lazy pig! He infuriates my Arab. My Arab has certain spots he goes to the bathroom...my Kiger he goes where ever. He will even go on the spot where I feed their hay daily.

[zephyrcreek]

nrly said:

it does not get cold enough here to kill them either, and i feel in the summers it is harder to control the worms here, we get into triple digits. and not that many cold days in the winter. Riddle has his area of poo, and he also has his path around the pen and it. he tries not to walk in it al all.

Actually the heat is what kills parasites in the field, that is why the southern warmer states do not have as much of a problem controlling parasite populations. I live in Michigan and it was 9* this morning. Unfortunately the cold does not hurt the little buggers.

[nrly]

we tend to have allot of problems here with worms and such, now parasites i do not know about thats for sure. But we do tend to have allot of wormy horse's here. that is why I use what I do.

[kigerfan]

Nevada desert, no bit parasite problem here, the desert just tries to freeze you in the winter and boil you in the summer