IDENTIFYING THE ENEMY

There are more than 150 internal parasites that afflict horses, including several major species. Among the most common and troublesome are:

• Large strangles (bloodworms)
• Small strongyles Ascarids (roundworms)
• Pinworms
• Bots
• Tapeworms
• Threadworms
• Lungworms

Any or all of these parasites can be present in the horse at one time, but they may be at different stages in their life cycles. This will influence the deworming program needed to combat them. Also, keep in mind that some species can lay more than 200,000 eggs a day, so parasite loads can escalate quickly.