| How do you keep those nasty parasites at bay? | | | | nowhere is this more true than in the horse world. |
| A regular deworming process is necessary to rid | | | | Since most horse owners didn't want to call the |
| your horses of dangerous, and sometimes deadly | | | | vet out every time their horses needed to be |
| nasties such as large strongyles, small strongyles, | | | | dewormed, a formula was developed that could |
| ascarids, bots, pinworms, intestinal threadworms, | | | | be mixed into feed. This was the perfect |
| and summer sores. | | | | solution--in theory, that is. In actuality horses who |
| Of course, sometimes deworming is easier said | | | | didn't eat all their feed were compromised, not to |
| than done! It's one thing to come up with a | | | | mention those horses who were very talented at |
| regular deworming schedule, and quite another to | | | | eating around the compound. Back to the drawing |
| put it into practice. First of all, your deworming | | | | board! |
| schedule should be unique to your circumstances. | | | | Lucky for you and me, paste dewormers came |
| What agent you use, and how often, will depend | | | | along. In comparison to historical methods of |
| upon things such as geography, time of year, how | | | | deworming, paste dewormers are fairly easy to |
| many horses you have, size and type of pasture, | | | | use, reliable, and kill a broad range of parasites. |
| amount of turn-out time, etc. It can be | | | | Of course, our horses will never make deworming |
| complicated! To add insult to injury, once you | | | | completely easy. They have to keep us on our |
| come up with a schedule you'll have to get your | | | | toes, after all! To that end, there are some tricks |
| horses to accept the deworming process. While | | | | to the trade of administering paste dewormer. |
| some horses have no issues with deworming, | | | | First of all, make sure your horse has no food in |
| others can make it quite difficult on you! | | | | his mouth. Position yourself so you and your |
| One aspect of deworming that is easier today | | | | horse are facing the same direction. You should |
| than it was long ago, is the availability of | | | | be standing in front of the horse's shoulder, and |
| commercial dewormers. Now it's as easy as | | | | his head should be over your shoulder. Place one |
| walking into your local tack or feed shop and | | | | hand over his nose, and gently insert the syringe |
| buying the dewormer of your choice. Best of all, | | | | into the side of his mouth, behind the incisors and |
| these dewormers are effective. Back before you | | | | canine teeth and in front of the cheek teeth. Push |
| could buy dewormers right off the shelf, horse | | | | the plunger and deposit the dewormer on the |
| owners tried a wide variety of things to control | | | | tongue. Don't let your horse put his head down! |
| parasites. Concoctions that included things like | | | | Hold his head horizontally until he swallows the |
| wood ash and tobacco were routinely fed to | | | | paste. |
| horses to stave off parasites. | | | | Now, chances are you are going to have at least |
| Someone got smart and invented the first | | | | one rogue horse who gives you a hard time. |
| deworming agents, but these were not nearly as | | | | Whatever you do, don't get into a big fight with |
| effective as what is available today. Many of | | | | him over the dewormer! Instead, patiently play |
| these controlled only a couple of types of | | | | with your horse's mouth until he is distracted and |
| parasites, or had nasty side effects. Others wore | | | | accepts the tube. |
| off as parasites grew resistant to them. The | | | | At what age should a horse be put on a |
| worst thing about these early dewormers was | | | | deworming program? About five weeks of age is |
| how they were administered. Many of these | | | | usually the norm. However, before you put any |
| compounds were delivered by stomach tube, | | | | horse on a deworming program, speak to your |
| injection, balling guns, or metal syringers. The | | | | veterinarian. As mentioned before, there are lots |
| average horse person like you or me had no | | | | of variables that will determine your facility's |
| business deworming their horses! Deworming was | | | | deworming program, and a professional is best |
| best left to the professionals, like veterinarians. | | | | qualified to help you figure out the most effective |
| Necessity is the mother of invention, and | | | | plan. |