Specialist advice is available for all clients and we can provide yards with an individually tailored programme, according to numbers and ages of horses, ponies or donkeys.

20% of horses will contribute about 80% of the worm eggs on your pasture so on most yards we recommend faecal worm egg counts (FWEC) are performed quarterly on individual faecal samples to determine which horses need to be wormed. This is a cost-effective method and helps to reduce resistance to worming products. Faecal samples can be brought into our Fairmoor Equine Clinic, Morpeth, Wooler, and Alnwick surgeries for FWEC.

To get the best from a FWEC please follow the following:

• Collect the sample from a fresh pile of droppings. Even better, take a bit from a couple of different piles, some from the middle of the pile and some from the outside.
• A good sample size improves the results of the test so please bring about a mug’s worth of droppings for each individual equine.
•  The sample should be submitted in a plastic bag with your name, the horse’s name and your yard clearly labelled.
• Once the sample is in the bag, squeeze the air out and seal the bag. The sample should be kept somewhere cool, especially in summer, until it has been submitted to the practice for testing. It is best if this is within 24 hours of collection.
• We try to report results to you within 24 hours. Don’t forget that collecting faeces about twice a week from your fields also plays a very important part in reducing your horse’s worm burden.

Please note, tapeworms are not assessed by faecal worm egg counts. In adult horses, ideally an Equisal tapeworm saliva test should be performed every 6-12 months. Our vets will then advise if treatment for tapeworm is necessary. Alternatively, we can take a blood sample to check the level of tapeworm infection in your horse’s system.

Foals, breeding mares and young stock should be considered separately and our vets will be happy to take the time to make a plan for your specific group of horses.

Our Health Horse Programme includes four faecal worm egg counts each year, an Equisal tapeworm test in the autumn and an appropriate autumn/winter worm treatment as well as lots of other benefits.