Project WORMS (working to overcome resistance and make for a sustainable future): Horse owner survey of equine parasite control. Part 2. Anthelmintic use
Project WORMS (working to overcome resistance and make for a sustainable future): Horse owner survey of equine parasite control. Part 2. Anthelmintic use
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In our edition of: Apr 2025
In our categories of: equine
our summary:
Shrubb, J. et al. (2025) Project WORMS (working to overcome resistance and make for a sustainable future): Horse owner survey of equine parasite control. Part 2. Anthelmintic use. Equine Veterinary Education
The aim of this online survey was to investigate anthelmintic use by horse owners. The survey formed part of a larger cross-sectional study investigating how horse owners in the United Kingdom currently control intestinal parasites in their horses with the aim of increasing understanding of owners’ decision making around anthelmintic use. The first part of the study concentrated on management practices.
The survey which ran from December 2021 to October 2022 was developed in collaboration with several equine veterinary practice groups. It included questions on pasture management, experience of worm-related diseases, control of parasites, diagnostic testing and use of anthelmintics. Owners were asked to provide data relating to one individual horse only.
A total of 4,232 responses were included in the analysis. The majority (79%) of respondents indicated they made the decisions around anthelmintic treatment themselves, most often alone but sometimes in consultation with others. Owners with horses in a livery yard were significantly less likely to be involved in decisions around anthelmintic use than owners with horses on private property, with managers at the livery yard making the decision in 39.6% of cases. When seeking advice about whether to administer anthelmintics and which anthelmintic to use 60.7% of respondents indicated that they would ask their veterinary surgeon, with owners of horses in livery yards significantly more likely to seek advice from their veterinary surgeon.
Over half (52%) of respondents said they routinely tested for presence of parasites and only administered anthelmintics when results indicated that treatment was required. Routine testing combined with routine treatment at least one a year regardless of results was reported by an additional 30%, the remainder did not routinely test but always administered anthelmintics at least once a year regardless of any signs of worms. There was a significant difference in the approach to testing and routine worming between those who sought veterinary advice and those who did not, and between horses in a horse health programme and those that were not.
Of those that reported routine administration of anthelmintics 54.9% did so once per year and the remainder twice per year. Frequency of routine anthelmintic use was significantly higher amongst those that did not routinely test. Products containing moxidectin were the first choice of anthelmintic for 82.2% of respondents.
Regular use of faecal egg counts (FECs) was reported by 84.7% of respondents, with those who sought veterinary advice significantly more likely to use routine FECs than those who did not. Tapeworm ELISA tests were reported by 40.8%, this was significantly higher for horses on a horse health program (68.1%). Routine treatment for tapeworm regardless of test results was reported by 58.5%, with routine treatment significantly less likely for horses on a horse health programme.
Limitations of the study include possible selection bias as respondents were recruited through veterinary practices so the study may be missing horse owners who engage less frequently with their veterinary surgeon and social desirability bias.
This study provides some evidence that whilst there is a relatively high level of diagnostic testing for intestinal parasites routine administration of anthelmintics remains widespread and that involvement of a veterinary surgeon in the decision-making process was more likely to lead to a diagnostic-led approach.
Reference for Part 1 of the Study
Shrubb, J. et al. (2025) Project WORMS (working to overcome resistance and make for a sustainable future): horse owner survey on equine parasite control in the UK. Part 1. Management factors. Equine Veterinary Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.14112
The following may also be of interest:
protectMEtoo [BEVA][online] Available from: https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources/Medicines/Anthelmintic-Toolkit [Accessed 22 April 2025]
Responsible use of antiparasitic medicines in veterinary practice [inFOCUS][online]. Available from: https://infocus.rcvsknowledge.org/ruam-responsible-use-of-antiparasitic-medications-in-veterinary-practice/ [Accessed 22 April 2025]
Lightbody, K.L. et al. (2018) Use of a saliva-based diagnostic test to identify tapeworm infection in horses in the UK. Equine Veterinary Journal, 50 (2), pp. 213-219. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12742
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