By: Kum Martin
Many parasites can infect your horse, and some are entirely unpreventable. One such parasite is the bot, transmitted by the botfly. This fly lays its eggs on the skin of the horse, which is then transmitted to the mouth by licking. The parasites eventually move to the stomach attach themselves to the lining and feed. This can cause problems with digestion and obstruct the passage of food. After nine months, the larvae leave through the feces and borrow into the ground where they become adult botflies. There are a few anti-botfly sprays available on the market, but currently almost all horses are infected with this parasite.
Bloodworms live in the blood of horses and feed on the nutrients there. They pass through the digestive tract and back into the horse through the grass it eats. Severely infected horses become weak and anemic. It is recommended horses receive frequent de-worming treatments.
Roundworms migrate between the stomach and the lungs, stealing nutrition from developing foals. Foals should be treated approximately two months until two years of age keep these worms in check.
Pinworms can cause the horse severe anal itching as they congregate and look for a surface for the horse to contact. Infected horses often have bare patches around the tail from constant rubbing. Fortunately, they can be killed with similar drugs as other parasites.
Besides administering de-worming drugs, horse owners can prevent a horse's infection by keeping their environment clean, throwing away old hay, and not allowing water to accumulate and become a home for parasites.
