Horsemen’s Laboratory has been performing fecal egg counts on horse stool samples for more than 20 years. Dr. Byrd’s goal has always been to help horse owners manage their horse’s deworming program.
Research into parasites in horses
A project spearheaded by leading equine parasitology researcher and veterinarian Dr. Martin Nielsen is called “Let the germs get the worms“: is testing a novel probiotic compound for treatment of equine parasites.
He has always advised horse owners to have their horse’s stool sample tested before deworming their horse, and deworming only when necessary. This approach means that unnecessary deworming is avoided—a happy event for both owner and horse—but also helps to slow the development of resistant parasites.
With no new deworming medication on the horizon, innovative and creative research is required to address the issue of managing parasites in horses.
One such project will be spearheaded by leading equine parasitology researcher and veterinarian Dr. Martin Nielsen. Nielsen’s campaign is called “Let the germs get the worms: Testing a novel probiotic compound for treatment of equine parasites.” The project will examine the role of bacteria in limiting the growth of resistant parasites.
What sets this important project apart from most scientific research projects is the funding source. Dr. Nielsen will rely on crowdfunding—voluntary contributions by the public to fund his research—which guarantees that his research will be independent and unbiased. All horse owners have a stake in the outcome of this research project. Horsemen’s Laboratory is encouraging all horse owners to contribute and to help Dr. Nielsen meet his goal of $30,000 by March 10, 2014.
You can sign up for more information on Dr. Nielsen’s project and make secure online donations at http://equineparasitology.ca.uky.edu/, where they can also access videos and educational information.
About Horsemen's Laboratory
Horsemen’s Laboratory owner Dr. John Byrd has extensive experience with racing and breeding horses and oversees Westbrook Boarding Stable. He created Horsemen's Laboratory in 1992 so that horse owners could better evaluate their horses’ worm control programs and make informed decisions about deworming their horses.
Dr. Byrd was one of the earliest proponents of performing fecal egg counts prior to deworming. His recommendation has always been to deworm only when the fecal egg count indicated that deworming was necessary---long before anyone else in the horse industry was recommending the new deworming protocol of selective deworming.
His early vision was to create a convenient method that would allow horse owners to have their horses checked for internal parasites rather than just routinely deworming them every 6-8 weeks or feeding daily deworming medication. Horsemen’s Laboratory has made it easy for horse owners to follow the new, recommended selective deworming protocol by providing easy-to-order kits, email test results, and periodic reminders for testing.
If you have questions specific to your barn, pastures, or testing program contact Dr. John Byrd by: e-mail hlab@horsemenslab.com, telephone 1-800-544-0599 or Horseman's Lab
Dr. Byrd is a member of:
- American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP)
- American Veterinary Association
- American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists
- American Quarter Horse Association