Roundworm

See also: Horse Wormers (Manufacturers) | Horse Wormer (Chemicals) | Horse Worming Schedule

Roundworm
Ascarids or Roundworms are a parasite that require a careful management programme in order to best help to protect your horse.

Other Names
They are also known as Ascarids and Parascaris equorum.

Description
Ascarids or roundworms are around 40 centimetres in length when fully mature and white in colour.

Horses At Risk
All horses at potentially at risk, with foals who are 6 months old or younger being most at risk. Infection can also occur where there are several horses all over grazing a pasture.

Ascarid or Roundworm Infection

Horses already infected with Roundworms release eggs along with their droppings into the field causing contamination.
These eggs then become larvae and wait to be eaton by another horse.
The larvae can be found on dew drops on the blades of grass and in the soil making them easy to be picked up when the horse eats.
Once eaton the larvae travel towards the small intestine and then onto the large intestine.
In the Large intestine they burrow into the wall lining and then into the blood stream.
The blood stream carries the larvae to the liver and lungs of the horse.
When the larvae reach the lungs the horse will cough them up and then re swallow them.
The larvae continue to mature in the small intestines where they become egg laying adults.
The eggs are then passed out along with the horses droppings and the cycle begins again.

Symptoms

Diarrhoea
Weight loss
Anaemia
Colic
Abdominal discomfort
Poor or dull coat
Horses are often very lethargic.
Coughing
Increase in body temperature.
Respiratory infections.

Prevention

The use of worming products is essential to help protect your horse, ask your veterinarian for a worming schedule to help protect your horse from the threat of these and other worms.
Regular pasture maintenance, such as harrowing and removing droppings, will help to reduce the amount of faeces and larvae from the fields, it should be remembered that larvae can last for 1 to 5 weeks and in certain moist conditions for up to 2 years.
Where possible try not to have too many horses overgrazing one area as this increases the amount of droppings and therefore the possibility for re-infection.