Worming Horses in the Spring

needed to keep this parasite under control. You can also test for antibodies to tapeworm in your horses blood or better saliva but expert advice is needed to correctly interpret the result.
Encysted small red worm
Treating a horse that has not previously been given a wormer effective against the encysted small red worm in the previous autumnwinter period is advised.
Red worms
Treatment is usually recommended if FWECs are greater than 200epg eggs per gram.
Bots
The bot fly lays its eggs in late autumn and bot larvae develop in the horses stomach so they should be treated in the spring.
How to perform FWEC
A vet and some qualified SQPs can perform FWEC for you. Or you can send a sample off to specialist laboratories who send you a kit. Just ask your vet or SQP for details on the amount of faeces needed Worm egg counts only show up small roundworm eggs and are done through the spring and summer months because in the winter months small roundworms go into a dormant state so wont be producing eggs Tapeworms only produce eggs at certain times and shed them in segments rather than singly so wont usually show up in FWEC. They can be detected by a blood test or saliva test.
It is recommended that horse owners perform FWEC every eight weeks from spring through to autumn but it does depend on individual circumstances Young horses or older horses with lowered immune systems may be required to be worm egg counted and wormed more often An example is young foals they have no immunity to threadworms which can be passed from the mare. Infection can then leave them weak and susceptible to diarrhoea and anaemia.
What should I do before giving the wormer?
Before giving the horse a wormer its important that you have an accurate weight measurement so you know how much to give the horse. Unfortunately under dosing can add to the resistance issue so its important you get the dosage right. 
How do I give a wormer?
Wormers for a horse come as a paste in a syringe that you can syringe straight into the horses mouth. Most horses will accept the wormer. If the horse is difficult you could practise giving the horse a syringe of something nice such as apple or molasses. This will help the horse to associate the syringe with something tasty.
If you need advice on worming or worm egg counts please
speak to your veterinary surgeon or SQP.