Evaluation of the effectiveness of programs combating the invasions of strongyles (Strongylidae) in horses in selected stables of Western Pomerania.

This research studied the effectiveness of existing programs in managing strongyle parasite (Strongylidae) invasions in horses residing in specific stables in Western Pomerania, concluding that current methods are insufficient, and advocating for the development of new strategies.

Study Overview

• The research was motivated by the increasing drug resistance among parasites due to the widespread use of chemotherapeutic agents in horses.
• The study sought to assess the program’s efficacy to fight strongyles – potentially harmful parasitic worms. The treatment regimen involved twice a year deworming process for the horses, at the start and the end of the grazing season.
• However, the researchers hypothesized that in grazing farms, this biannual treatment strategy might be insufficient. The study aimed to verify this hypothesis.

Research Methodology

• The study involved 85 horses from three different stables in Western Pomerania. All the horses primarily spent their time in pastures from spring to late autumn, during which the deworming treatments were carried out twice.
• Coprological examinations, a diagnostic procedure to check for parasites in the feces, were carried out on these horses.

Findings

• The coprological examination found the presence of nematodes belonging to the Strongylidae family, in the horses’ feces, thereby confirming the occurrence of strongyle invasions.
• It revealed an average infection prevalence of 36.16% for Strongylinae – a species of strongyles, and 58.49% for Cyathostominae – another species of the same parasite family.
• The study showed that the biannual treatment strategy did not fully eradicate the strongyle invasion in the examined horses.

Conclusions

• The researchers observed a significant reduction in the strongyle invasion immediately following the deworming treatment; however, a quick reinvasion also emerged.
• These findings suggested the need to routinely monitor the effectiveness of the deworming treatments by continually checking fecal samples for parasites.
• Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that new strategies need to be developed to combat parasitic invasions in horses. These strategies should be adjusted to the horses’ environmental circumstances, mainly considering the parasites’ life cycles.