De-worming Your Horse? Read This First!
July 24, 2014Horses are lovely companions to have, but they come with a lot of responsibility too. As well as taking care of your horse on a daily basis, you need to deworm your horse regularly to keep them in good health. Worms can have a horrible effect on horses, so you need to act fast. You can usually deworm your horse without much hassle, however if your horse seems to have a phobia then it can be quite difficult. If you’ve never done this before, then this guide will give you some great tips on how to get it done in the quickest, most effective way:
Image Author: Flickr
Weigh Your Horse
The first thing you need to do when deworming your horse is weigh him. This is because you can easily under-dose your horse, which will be totally ineffective and not help your horse at all. You have two options; either use a weight scale with the help of your equine vet, or use a girth tape for an approximation. You can then move on to the next step.
Alter the De-worming Syringe Correctly
Take a look at your syringe – it will have numbers on it, representing your horse’s weight. You need to alter the syringe so that it will only administer just enough dewormer to help your horse. You usually have to move a latch or spin a dial until it lands on the right weight. You can find many deworming medicines and syringes that will do this online, on sites like http://www.wormers.co.uk/.
Make Sure Your Horse is Secure
Now you need to make sure that your horse is secure. You can do this by using your halter, or have a friend help you by holding him. He will need to be still for your to properly administer the dewormer. You should also double check that your horse doesn’t have any food or hay in their mouth before giving them the dewormer.
Administer the Dewormer into Your Horse’s Mouth
The syringe needs to be placed so that it’s facing the back of your horse’s mouth, towards the back of the tongue. Once you have it in the right position, you can press the plunger and gently hold your horse’s head up to make him swallow.
Watch Your Horse for a Few Minutes
Now it’s time to watch your horse for at least 5 minutes to make sure that he doesn’t spit any out. You should also wait at least 20 minutes before giving your horse food, as they can easily spit out some wormer with the food.
If you have a fussy horse, you have many other options for getting them dewormed. You can use granules, powder to be sprinkled over their food, and even flavoured paste that doesn’t taste like the chemical. Always watch your horse to make sure that they aren’t being clever and separating the food granules from the deworming granules if you’ve chosen that method.
Remember to keep a regular schedule for the best results and the healthiest horse!
