Most of us have experienced that moment when our horse turns around in his stall and we see that his beautifully groomed and carefully hand combed tail that we have been nurturing all show season, has become a tangled mess at the head of the tail. The skirt hairs are missing, or scrunched into a new backcomb style.
Beauty of horse's tail in action
While pinworm infection is commonly seen in young horses, studies suggest an upward trend in the pinworm population being hosted in adult horses.
© 2012 by Mark Kent
Water buckets are squished out of shape, bits of horse tail hair caught on their handles and your horse just looks at you like, “What?”
A horse can itch for many reasons but a common cause is the dastardly pinworm. This issue is most prevalent in young horses. On close examination of the horse’s rectum you may even see a worm dangling halfway out. Disgusting I know! This is the female pinworm laying her eggs around the exterior of the rectal ring with a glue like material.
The female pinworm will die after laying her eggs and the glue will dry and cause intense itching. The horse will consequently itch its tail head on any available surface. Whitish, light green, yellowish or gray patches of eggs may be seen and these patches can contain as many as several x 100,000 microscopic eggs in this egg-white consistency film.
As these worms will not be seen in a FECT (fecal egg count test) the best way to ascertain whether your horse is harboring pinworms is with a special test that is akin to placing a piece of sticky tape across the horse’s rectum, aptly called the ‘Scotch Tape Technique” then removing it and looking at the results under a microscope.
Alternatively a lubricated wooden tongue depressor can be used to scrape the skin surrounding the anus to collect a sample of the material and place on it on a slide, or popsicle sticks can be utilized to collect the material and sent to the laboratory for testing.
It is important that when collecting this sample the person responsible does not take for granted their risk for injury from a kick or adverse reaction to the procedure from the horse. A firm but gentle scraping of the rectal ring is required and although a horse may be generally quiet and easy to work around be aware the procedure may provoke a defensive response.
The presence of pinworms in a sample can be hard to detect so it does require a professional eye. If you purchase an FECT sample kit online, the lab may include this extra test for free so just ask for it at the time you place your order.
While pinworm infection was most commonly seen in young horses, recent studies suggest there is an upward trend in the pinworm population being hosted in adult horses. There are also indications that the pinworm may be resistant to treatment with Ivermectin. The recommended treatment at this time is a benzimidazole dewormer.
If your horse is in significant discomfort and you have ascertained this itching is caused by pinworms, you can bathe the perianal region to help relieve the itching. Sometimes although the glue like material has dried and been cleaned the horse may still have soreness and dry or cracked tissue around the rectal ring that causes the horse to continue to rub its tail.
Application of a cortisone cream or other steroidal salve mixed with an antibiotic to the underside of the tail head may improve the comfort of the horse and relieve the need to itch.
It is also important to clean all surfaces where the horse has rubbed his tail, to prevent other horses from ingesting the sticky film that may be left behind and becoming infected.
This article is brought to you courtesy of Horsemen’s Laboratory.
About Horsemen’s Laboratory: Established in 1993 by John Byrd D.V.M., an experienced lifelong horseman and a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. As an equine medicine practitioner in California for 13 years, Dr. Byrd served as ex-officio member of the board of directors of the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association where he also served as the organization’s official sales veterinarian. In addition, Dr. Byrd frequently officiated, as veterinarian for horse shows sponsored by the management of Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. Dr. Byrd’s extensive experience with horses led him to observe how a horse’s health could impact performance leading to the founding of the specialist lab for equine fecal worm egg counts. Please visit Horsemen's Laboratory for more information.
About Nikki Alvin-Smith: International and national published freelance writer and photographer in such world renowned publications such as The Chronicle of the Horse, Horse and Hound, Dressage and CT, Warmbloods Today, The Horseman’s Yankee Pedlar, Reiter, The Equine Journal, Spur, Hoofprints, Horsin’ Around, Horses All, Field & Stream, Western Horse and Gun, Pony Quarterly, Horses All Canada, Catskill Horse to name a few. Ghostwriting, blog services, PR/Marketing copy either direct with manufacturer or for agencies, copy editing and editor services also available. Nikki also produces catalog copy, white papers, e-books, corporate brochures and advertising copy for international corporations and PR/Marketing for celebrities.
As a Brit who has called the America home for the past 34 years, Nikki brings a unique perspective to the equestrian world. Nikki is also an accomplished Grand Prix dressage trainer/competitor, competing at international Grand Prix level to scores over 72% and is a highly sought clinician offering clinics worldwide. She has been a horse breeder/importer of warmblood and Baroque breeds for more than 25 years. Together with her husband Paul who is also a Grand Prix trainer, they run a private dressage breeding operation and training yard in the beautiful Catskill Mountains of New York. Please visit Nikki Alvin Smith Studio.
Press release courtesy of Horseman's Laboratory