A recent study by EquiSal® and the Royal Veterinary College has uncovered important insights into how equine management practices affect tapeworm infections in UK horses.
The research closely monitored horses, pastures, and the tiny soil-dwelling mites that act as intermediate hosts for tapeworm, revealing findings that could help owners better protect their animals.
Key findings include:
-
Mites are present year-round on pastures, with tapeworm-infected mites most commonly found between March and September, placing horses at higher risk of infection during these months.
-
On yards where paddock management practices such as regular poo picking were not performed, horses were found to be infected with tapeworm throughout the year. This highlights the importance of removing dung to break the tapeworm life cycle and reduce the risk of reinfection after worming.
Implications for horse owners:
While autumn testing (towards the end of the grazing season) remains important, the study shows that spring testing is also critical. Treating horses in spring helps prevent infected animals from contaminating pastures with tapeworm eggs during the peak activity period of the mites, reducing infection risks across the herd.
Why it matters:
Tapeworms reside at the junction of the small and large intestines and are associated with colic, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. Oribatid mites, the microscopic soil-dwelling creatures that spread tapeworm, are essential for the parasite to complete its life cycle. This study used DNA detection of tapeworm in mites to better understand seasonal risks and the impact of yard management.
Research like this is invaluable for horse owners and yard managers, helping them better understand the causes, lifecycles, and preventive steps involved in parasite control. By increasing knowledge of how infections occur and how they can be managed, yards can implement more effective strategies to protect horses and reduce disease risk.
By implementing good pasture management alongside strategic testing and treatment, horse owners can significantly reduce the risk of tapeworm infection and help keep their horses healthy year-round.
For the full Open Access paper, see here.