Like with humans, many things can go wrong with horses, especially in the summertime. It’s a full time job keeping your horse healthy when the sun is blazing for what seems like 24 hours a day. There are specific issues to keep an eye on when it comes to your horse, the primary one being parasites, which are experiencing an increase of sorts, according to Horse Talk. This is mainly because of the diligence of their owners. Yes, diligence.
Denise Steffanus writes, “Diligence of horse owners in keeping their horses free of parasites has resulted in overuse of dewormers. As a result, resistance to current classes of dewormers is a mounting problem worldwide, especially in roundworms and strongyles.”
How can horse owners know better? They think they’re doing the right thing – giving their horses dewormers, but it’s having the reverse effect as the roundworms and other parasites are becoming more resistant. You know how we take cold medicine after a while, the cold adapts to that specific medicine so we have to start taking stronger cold medicine. That is what’s happening to horses and parasites, and it’s very important for us not to overuse these dewormers; we must use them correctly and if you have any questions, you should consult your vet.
Super strong parasites are just one problem this summer for horse owners; there is another big problem: keeping your horse healthy on the road. Since it’s summer, chances are you’ll be taking out your horse on the road more often. Make sure your horse has plenty of water, around 100 litres just to be on the safe side. This summer, be sure to watch out for parasites and thirst – those two make a deadly combination that can knock any creature, no matter the size, out cold!