Large roundworms (ascarids) are common parasites in young horses capable of causing serious health issues—from poor growth and colic to gut blockages and respiratory problems.
Despite increasing global concern about resistance to dewormers, we know very little about the situation here in the UK.
That’s why the University of Liverpool are launching a new study to:
Understand how UK stud farms are managing worm control
Identify which dewormers are used, and how often
See whether diagnostics or efficacy testing are being used
The goal? To reduce reliance on drugs and improve parasite control through smarter, evidence-based management.
Following on from the survey there will be a UK wide resistance screening initiative. This will include:
- FREE screening for the presence of drug resistance amongst large round worm populations on UK stud farms.
- Real time reporting for all participating studs enabling them to make informed treatment decisions around the selection of deworming products.
This initiative is completely anonymous, and studs are under no obligation to be involved in resistance screening, but are welcome to register once completed.
If you would like more information about the study, please contact nicsteel@liverpool.ac.uk.
Link to the survey is here;- https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/liverpool/foal-health-under-the-microscope-surveying-the-control-and-ma-3
