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Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience2019; 14(5); 1076-1082; doi: 10.1017/S1751731119002738

Horses grazing with cattle have reduced strongyle egg count due to the dilution effect and increased reliance on macrocyclic lactones in mixed farms.

Abstract: Strongyle infection is an important issue in horse breeding. It impairs horse health and performance, with young horses being the most sensitive. Strongyle control has long relied on the systematic use of chemical treatments. However, expanding anthelmintic resistance among strongyles calls for alternative options. Mixed grazing is assumed to reduce strongyle load on the pasture as the result of a dilution effect. This has been shown in small ruminants grazing with cattle, but the putative benefits of co-grazing between horses and cattle have not yet been evaluated. Here, we conducted field surveys and face-to-face interviews on 44 farms from two contrasted saddle-horse production areas, Normandy and northern Massif Central, to compare equine strongyle management practices between specialized systems and mixed horse-cattle systems. Our goals were (i) to quantify breeders' awareness of the putative benefits associated with the co-grazing of horses and cattle, (ii) to establish whether mixed farming was associated with different strongyle management strategies and (iii) to test whether strongyle egg excretion was reduced in horses grazed with beef cattle. Every breeder relied on systematic calendar treatments, and only 8 out of the 23 mixed breeders were aware that co-grazing of horses with cattle could be used as part of their strongyle control strategy. Management practices were similar across both systems in Normandy. In Massif Central, mixed breeders formed a distinct cluster from their specialized counterparts: deworming was less frequent and stocking density was higher in mixed farms, while specialized breeders seemed more willing to integrate herd and plot management into control strategies. Faecal egg counts measured in horses from Massif Central were significantly reduced when horses were grazed with cattle. This was the result of an increased reliance on macrocyclic lactones in mixed farms (P < 0.01) and a significant dilution effect (P < 0.01). When considering a subsample of horses treated with macrocyclic lactones only, young horses grazed with cattle had 50% fewer strongyle eggs excreted in their faeces than horses grazed in equine-only pastures (P < 0.01). This is the first evidence of the benefits of mixed grazing with cattle as an alternative to control strongyle infection in horses, although this promising alternative remains largely unknown by horse breeders.
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Publication Date: 2019-11-04 PubMed ID: 31679547PubMed Central: PMC7163393DOI: 10.1017/S1751731119002738Google 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 discusses how co-grazing horses with cattle could help combat strongyle infections in horses, primarily due to a dilution effect. The study also highlights the current lack of awareness about this solution among horse breeders.

Understanding Strongyle Infections

  • Strongyle infections negatively impact the health and performance of horses, particularly young ones.
  • These infections have been traditionally managed with chemical treatments, but increasing resistance to anthelmintic medicines has necessitated exploration of alternative options.

Mixed Grazing as an Alternative Solution

  • The study explores the possible benefits of mixed grazing — keeping horses and cattle together — for managing strongyle infections.
  • This approach has previously shown positive outcomes in small ruminants like sheep and goats when grazing with cattle.

Methodology

  • The study involved surveys and interviews conducted on 44 farms in two different horse-rearing regions, Normandy and the northern Massif Central.
  • The aim was to understand how strongyle management practices varied between horse-only farms and those which also reared cattle.

Findings

  • The researchers found that most breeders weren’t aware of the benefits of mixed grazing for controlling strongyle infection.
  • Management practices in Normandy were largely consistent across both horse-only and mixed farms. However, in the northern Massif Central, the practices differed significantly.
  • The deworming frequency was lower, and stocking density was higher on mixed farms in the northern Massif Central, while horse-only farm managers seemed more inclined to adopt herd and plot management control strategies.
  • Importantly, horses in mixed farms had significantly reduced strongyle egg excretion. This was a result of increased use of macrocyclic lactones – a class of drugs often used to treat parasitic infections, and a dilution effect, likely due to cattle consuming and thus eliminating strongyle eggs from the environment.

Conclusion

  • This study provides the first evidence of mixed grazing as an effective strategy for managing strongyle infections in horses.
  • Despite its potential benefits, this practice remains largely unknown and underutilized by horse breeders. As such, there is a need to increase awareness and adoption of this alternative, sustainable, and potentially cost-effective approach.

Cite This Article

APA
Forteau L, Dumont B, Sallé G, Bigot G, Fleurance G. (2019). Horses grazing with cattle have reduced strongyle egg count due to the dilution effect and increased reliance on macrocyclic lactones in mixed farms. Animal, 14(5), 1076-1082. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731119002738

Publication

Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience
ISSN: 1751-732X
NlmUniqueID: 101303270
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 5
Pages: 1076-1082

Researcher Affiliations

Forteau, L
  • Université Clermont Auvergne, INRA, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France.
  • Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation (IFCE), Pôle développement innovation et recherche, Exmes, France.
Dumont, B
  • Université Clermont Auvergne, INRA, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France.
Sallé, G
  • Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Université François Rabelais Tours, UMR Infectiologie et Santé Publique, Nouzilly, France.
Bigot, G
  • Université Clermont Auvergne, AgroParisTech, INRA, Institut national de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies pour l'Environnement et l'Agriculture (Irstea), VetAgro Sup, UMR Territoires, Clermont Ferrand, France.
Fleurance, G
  • Université Clermont Auvergne, INRA, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France.
  • Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation (IFCE), Pôle développement innovation et recherche, Exmes, France.

MeSH Terms

  • Animal Husbandry
  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
  • Cattle
  • Farms
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
  • Horse Diseases / prevention & control
  • Horses
  • Lactams, Macrocyclic / therapeutic use
  • Lactones
  • Ovum
  • Parasite Egg Count / veterinary
  • Strongyle Infections, Equine / drug therapy
  • Strongyle Infections, Equine / prevention & control

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
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