Most of you will never have a problem with these parasites. But, for those of you who do...they are a real pain in the bum!
Pinworms are not identified by routine fecal egg counts.  The first sign many of you will notice are a few few frazzled hairs at the top of the tail or the characteristic white parasites that taper at each end in the manure.

Fortunately pinworms do not cause a problem to the horse’s digestive system and does not cause internal damage like other worms.  However, pinworm can cause severe irritation, sometimes so severe that horses will rub themselves raw around their tail head; this can lead to skin infections and further problems.

Pinworms have the most efficient life cycle of all the parasites that infect the horse.  They don't migrate through any organ tissue, and they have developed a means of reproduction by which the eggs don't leave the herd of horses.  In order to effectively treat pinworms we must understand the lifecycle.

• The life cycle is direct; this means there is no intermediate host and no migration through any other organ in the body other than the gut.
• The life cycle is long; worms can take up to 5 months to mature. 
• The adult worms live in the rectum, in contrast to other worms which spend their time in the intestines.
• Eggs are laid on the skin surrounding the horse’s bottom and not passed in the feces like other worms.

Treatment should be based on these principles.

1. Establish an accurate diagnosis.  A "tape test"  will identify the eggs collected from the rectum with a piece scotch tape and viewed under a microscope.
2. Treat  with an oral dewormer that pinworm are sensitive to.  Please call for advise.
3. Clean your horse’s bottom!  The female worms crawl to the anus and lay their eggs during the night, this means the best time to wash your horse’s bottom will be first thing in the morning, twice daily is the gold standard.  Make sure to clean under the tail and around the rectum with a mild soap and water.  Ivory dish soap works great.
4. Apply Vaseline to the skin surrounding your horse’s bottom after cleaning; this will help to reduce the number of eggs that stick to the skin.
5. Be patient!  The life cycle of the pinworm is long, immature stages of the worm are less sensitive to wormers so may survive post deworming.  Most infestations take about 12 months to clear up.

*****These parasites do not affect people, dogs, or cats.  They are species specific.*****

I've already received some questions about leaving horses in versus out during a storm.  Here's the answer....I don't know....well it depends.

The best thing we can do is to have a plan and discuss it with neighbors and other horse friends.

• Make sure horses have some permanent form of identification- microchips are great options as they can't be removed or wear off during bad weather.  Just make sure to keep the registration up to date
• Leave halters on horses that have a phone number attached to them
• Take pictures of each side of your horse for identification
• Use fingernail polish to write your phone number on hooves and cover it clear hoof polish for longevity
• Plan to be without water for a few days...fill up muck buckets, trash cans, or water tubs.  Plan to have a minimum of 10 gallons of water per day per horse
• Place a few bales of hay in the horse trailer/shed/garage so there is a back up if your main supply is soaked
• Make sure your first aid kit is stocked....duct tape and baling twine really are useful in lots of situations.  Make sure you have bandage material and an antibiotic ointment for wounds
• Don't try to evacuate in the middle of the storm...its to late and more dangerous.  Watch/listen to the news for evacuation locations if necessary.  In the past Colonial Downs has been available for hurricane evacuation.  I will update the blog/facebook as information become available
• Make sure you have saws and gasoline available for clean-up efforts or to free a trapped horse
• Secure manure forks/tools in the barn aisle so they don't become projectiles

Each farm is different and you will need to make a judgement call as to leave horses in or out.  Consider areas that are prone to flooding, tall trees, and power lines.  Don't forget about the limbs and leaves that blow into the pasture...remove any Red Maple leaves that enter your pasture as they are very toxic to horses and we always see an increase in Red Maple leaf toxicity after storms.

Don't hesitate to call if you have an emergency!  I am always available rain or shine.