UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Horse owners and horse farm managers can learn about equine parasites and how to conduct fecal egg counts during Penn State Extension’s “Equine Deworming Workshop.”
Instructors will offer the workshop in Dauphin and Greensburg. The Dauphin workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Dauphin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Center, 1451 Peters Mountain Road.
The workshop in Greensburg will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Westmoreland County Penn State Extension office, 214 Donohoe Road, Suite E.
Instructors include Danielle Smarsh, equine extension specialist and assistant professor of equine science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Bethany Bickel, equine extension associate, and Laura Kenny, equine extension educator.
“If you own a horse, then you know the importance of an effective deworming schedule,” said Smarsh. “But without conducting a fecal egg count, how do you know the most effective deworming schedule for your horse?”
The latest research warns that rotational deworming every eight weeks has led to certain parasites becoming resistant to the most common dewormers, Smarsh pointed out. There is growing resistance to two of the three available drug classes for small strongyles, the most common internal parasites in adult horses.
“Experts recommend a deworming protocol based on fecal egg counts to see which horses shed the most parasite eggs and to determine which drugs are effective on your farm,” Smarsh said.
Participants can bring manure samples from their horses to learn how to perform fecal egg counts and find out how many eggs their horse sheds.
— Dewormer drug classes and management strategies.
— Instructions on performing fecal egg counts with a microscope.
Participants will be able to analyze at least one manure sample from their own horse. At the end of the workshop, if time allows, attendees can analyze additional samples. The registration confirmation email will provide sampling instructions.
Smarsh notes that space is limited, so participants should register soon. Participants can register for the Dauphin event through Sept. 28 and for the Greensburg event through Oct. 10. The registration fee is $25.
More information about the workshop is available on the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/deworming-westmoreland. For information about Penn State Extension’s equine programs, visit https://extension.psu.edu/animals-and-livestock/equine.
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