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Home / Equine Research Bank / Aust Vet J / Australian guidelines for equine internal parasite managemen...
Australian veterinary journal2025; 103(4); 151-158; doi: 10.1111/avj.13424

Australian guidelines for equine internal parasite management.

Abstract: Over the past few decades, the emergence of resistance amongst intestinal parasites of horses to all available anthelmintic classes has emphasised the need for a paradigm shift in parasite control approaches within the Australian equine industry. Findings of a recent Australia-wide research project have provided new insights into intestinal parasites (i.e. strongyles and ascarids) and parasite control from the perspectives of Australian horse breeders and equine veterinarians. The published data have revealed recent trends in parasite prevalence and distribution, breeders' and veterinarians' attitudes and perspectives on controlling horse internal parasites, the efficacy of commonly used anthelmintic products and post-treatment egg reappearance periods. These studies have formed the basis of newly developed guidelines managing and treating gastrointestinal nematodes in horses. Tailored for equine veterinarians, these guidelines contain information on target parasites and risk factors for their transmission, as well as practical advice for surveillance, anthelmintic choice, timing of treatment, testing for anthelmintic resistance and managing refugia. The Australian Guidelines for Equine Internal Parasite Management (AGEIPM) will serve as a pocket companion for equine veterinarians, providing best-practice recommendations grounded in locally conducted scientific research. Dissemination and extension of the AGEIPM to industry will strengthen the client-practitioner relationship. The aim is to reduce reliance on blanket deworming in equine parasite management programs and help curb the progression of resistance to the limited anthelmintic classes available for treating horses.
© 2025 The Author(s). Australian Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Veterinary Association.
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Publication Date: 2025-01-21 PubMed ID: 39837536PubMed Central: PMC11962583DOI: 10.1111/avj.13424Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article provides a comprehensive account of Australia’s new guidelines for managing internal parasites in horses, developed in response to increasing resistance to existing anthelmintics. The guidelines offer practical advice on parasite infestation control and are based on recent local research.

Research Background

  • The article begins by highlighting the growing problem of resistance among equine internal parasites to all existing classes of anthelmintics (anti-parasitic drugs), stating the need for a new paradigm in the way the Australian equine industry manages parasite control.
  • Details of a recent Australia-wide research project, which provided new insights into intestinal parasites, are also mentioned.

Data Findings

  • The research project revealed new trends in parasite prevalence and distribution, as well as attitudes and perspectives of horse breeders and equine veterinarians on internal parasite control in horses.
  • The findings also disclosed the efficacy of commonly used anthelmintic products and the periods of egg reappearance after treatment, both essential data for formulating effective parasite control strategies.

New Guidelines

  • The studies served as the basis for the development of the Australian Guidelines for Equine Internal Parasite Management (AGEIPM).
  • The guidelines contain targeted information on parasites and risk factors for their transmission, offering practical advice on surveillance, selection of anthelmintics, timing of treatment, and testing for anthelmintic resistance.

Intended Use of Guidelines

  • The AGEIPM is designed as a pocket guide for equine veterinarians, providing best-practice recommendations based on locally conducted scientific research.
  • Widespread dissemination of the AGEIPM to the equine industry is expected to strengthen the client-practitioner relationship.
  • The ultimate aim of these guidelines is to reduce the reliance on blanket deworming (general, non-targeted treatment), a practice which has contributied to increased resistance, and help curb the progression of resistance to the limited anti-parasitic treatments available for horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Beasley A, Abbas G, Hughes K, El-Hage C, Jacobson C, Bauquier J, Wilkes E, Carrigan P, Cudmore L, Hurley J, Beveridge I, Nielsen M, Jabbar A. (2025). Australian guidelines for equine internal parasite management. Aust Vet J, 103(4), 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1111/avj.13424

Publication

Australian veterinary journal
ISSN: 1751-0813
NlmUniqueID: 0370616
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 103
Issue: 4
Pages: 151-158

Researcher Affiliations

Beasley, A
  • School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
Abbas, G
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, 3030, Australia.
Hughes, K
  • School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.
El-Hage, C
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, 3030, Australia.
Jacobson, C
  • Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.
Bauquier, J
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, 3030, Australia.
Wilkes, E
  • Racing Victoria, Flemington, Victoria, Australia.
Carrigan, P
  • Scone Equine Hospital, Scone, New South Wales, Australia.
Cudmore, L
  • Scone Equine Hospital, Scone, New South Wales, Australia.
Hurley, J
  • Swettenham Stud, Nagambie, Victoria, Australia.
Beveridge, I
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, 3030, Australia.
Nielsen, M
  • M.H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Jabbar, A
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, 3030, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
  • Horse Diseases / prevention & control
  • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
  • Australia / epidemiology
  • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance
  • Parasitic Diseases, Animal / prevention & control
  • Parasitic Diseases, Animal / drug therapy
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Helminthiasis, Animal / prevention & control
  • Helminthiasis, Animal / drug therapy

Grant Funding

  • AgriFutures Australia

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest or sources of funding for the work presented here.

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