Prevent Horses from Getting Summer Sores

If your horses are suffering from wounds that don’t seem to heal and get infected rather easily, it might be a sign that your horse has summer sores.

Unlike many common horse infections, summer sores are brought on by parasites that live in your horse’s stomach. Summer sores are usually caused by worms that typically live in your horse’s stomach, but at that time, don’t cause harm to your horse’s intestines.

However, those larvae hatch in your horse’s manure which is eaten by maggots, and subsequently turn to flies that spend time hanging out around your horse’s mouth and face. If the larvae are deposited into a sore, it can result in severe inflammation and itching which can be seriously uncomfortable for your horse.

Even if you’ve grown up around horses your whole life, you may have never seen a summer sore: they were practically nonexistent after antibiotics were created in the 1980’s that rid horses of this parasite. However, rising temperatures across the country have caused an increase in flies which means the chances of your horse developing summer sores is higher.

Texas had a particularly hot summer, and if you’ve noticed more flies hanging around, it’s important to prevent summer sores in your horses.

To help prevent summer sores, clean horse stalls regularly and make sure to pick up manure piles throughout the farm frequently. Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to talk about worm prevention practices. If you suspect one of your horses has been infected by this parasite, keep him away from the other horses until he can be properly treated and cleared.

Using masks, topical repellants around wounds, and stabling your horses when flies are most active (usually around dusk) can also help to prevent summer sores.

Deer Creek Structures, a family owned and operated business, makes Texas built horse barns that can be the perfect addition to any property that houses horses.