The following article is an excert from Marijke’s new book ‘Healing Horses their Way’.

This wonderful book is available at www.rivasremedies.com

The Do’s of Parasite Control

By Marijke van de Water, B.Sc., DHMS.

What to DO:

DO perform fecal egg counts to determine who needs treatment, what programs are effective and which horses in the herd need the most attention.
Egg counts are the only way to determine if what you’re doing is working. These tests can be done at most veterinarian clinics or through do-it-yourselves kits.
Regular testing will bring more accurate results since eggs wont’ appear in the faeces if the parasites are not actively laying eggs or if they are migrating through parts of the body other than the hindgut.

DO keep stables, paddocks and pastures as clean as possible and free of manure. This breaks the parasite like cycle.

DO give your horse access to free choice weeds, trees, shrubs and brush whenever possible. This allows them more opportunity to select their own herbal de-wormers and intestinal cleansers.  It is absolutely fascinating to watch what horses will choose to ingest when given a choice.

DO give your chickens and ducks and other bug eating farm critters free access to pastures and maure piles so that they can feed on larvae. (Besides, free run chickens lay better eggs!)

DO concentrate on parasite programs in the spring and fall when adult larvae are intestinally active. Take advantage of the lunar cycle, since worms are more active during full moon, making them accessible to antagonists.

DO use herbal remedies and nutrients to maintain a healthy colon and to prevent and treat parasites. The best prevention is a balanced digestive system and a strong immune system.

Check back Friday for the DON’TS of Parasite Control!!