A questionnaire study on parasite control practices on UK breeding Thoroughbred studs.

The study conducted via questionnaires on 61 UK Thoroughbred horse breeding establishments in 2009 and 2010 examines current parasite control strategies and the level of awareness around practices that can promote parasite resistance to common treatments.

Overview of Study

• The study was done through questionnaires on 61 UK-based Thoroughbred horse breeding stud establishments to gain insights on current practices for controlling parasites in these facilities.
• This is an unprecedented study of such scale, with previously collected data not backed by statistical analysis. Equine owners, vets, and managers completed the questionnaire with data from 2009 and 2010 benefiting the study.

Findings

• The study found that many respondents expressed concerns about anthelmintic resistance – the ability of parasites to resist worming treatments. Despite the concern, over half of the establishments that received visiting equines allowed these horses to graze with their own stock, and less than 74% administered anthelmintics before integrating them.
• It was also noted that indiscriminate group treatments with Macrocyclic Lactone (ML), a common equine wormer, were prevalent. All establishments surveyed treated every animal in a group, with none leaving any untreated at each administration.
• The results additionally highlighted that over a quarter of respondents moved their horses to ‘clean grazing’ areas after treatment, a practice that increases the risk of developing parasite resistance.
• Few of the stud owners/managers had performed faecal egg count (FEC) analysis to monitor the effectiveness of their parasite control – only 22% found such analysis beneficial in deciding their choice of anthelmintic.

Conclusions

• The study concludes that there is a need for better education and training for equine owners and vets to effectively implement parasite control strategies that do not overly depend on chemical treatments, which could contribute to the growth of anthelmintic resistance.
• The researchers encourage a shift from current practices to control strategies that sustain the efficacy of anthelmintics. This includes the greater use of faecal egg count (FEC) analysis which would allow for more targeted treatments and help investigate anthelmintic sensitivity in the nematode populations.
• This crucial change would require veterinarians to take a more proactive role in implementing these strategies. They need to focus more on diagnostic tests, advocating for their importance to horse owners and managers, and provide guidance on their use to ensure accurate results.