Utilization of selective anthelmintic therapy on horse farms in Germany

Abstract

Deworming management is important for a good herd health status in horses. The aim of this study was to present differences between farms using a regular deworming management and a selective anthelmintic therapy approach (SAT), respectively. An online survey was conducted to identify deworming practices on horse farms. The questionnaire included questions on the number of animals kept on the farm, housing, hygiene, and deworming practices. In total, 283 questionnaires were analyzed. A total of 155 farms used a regular deworming management (RD) and 77 farms used a SAT approach. Farms using SAT were more often small, privately organized farms in which recently introduced horses were more thoroughly checked and horse droppings were removed more frequently from the pasture. Most farms using SAT dewormed 0 to once annually (55%), whereas this was only 3% in the case of farms using RD (p ≤ 0.001). Farms using SAT had a higher annual cost of 37.50 € per horse for sample examination and deworming. Many farms using an RD (69%) were willing to change their deworming management and 43% would be interested in introducing SAT. Using selective deworming reduced the number of anthelmintic therapies required annually. However, the lower costs for anthelmintic drugs did not counterweigh the cost for sample examination. Overall, there was a low willingness to improve the pasture management. A combination of pasture and deworming management is of great importance for a successful selective deworming management.