Worm watch

How much do you know about worming ponies? Put your knowledge to the test with our mini-quiz!

What does ‘resistance’ mean when talking about worms?

It refers to the bad behaviour of ponies who don’t like being wormed.

It means that a worm population has become immune to a type of wormer.

It’s the amount of medicine in a tube of wormer.

It refers to the exact number of worms that a dose of wormer will remove.

Correct! Wrong!

Only ponies who live in shared fields are at risk of worms

True

False

Correct! Wrong!

How do you know how much wormer to give your pony?

By weighing your pony using a weigh tape, then adjusting the dose according to the instructions.

If you’ve had him for a while, half a tube is correct for your pony. If you haven’t had him for very long or he’s moving to a new yard, you should give him the whole tube to be on the safe side.

He should have a quarter of a tube every month. This will stop him getting ill from too much wormer.

He should have half a tube if he’s younger than 10, or three-quarters of a tube if he’s older than 10.

Correct! Wrong!

What’s the best method of giving wormer to your pony?

By squeezing it out into the palm of your hand and letting your pony lick it off. You can always mix a couple of mints in to encourage him to eat it all.

By mixing it into his water bucket. He won’t be able to taste it at all and will be worming himself throughout the day. Easy!

By selecting the correct dose on the wormer syringe, inserting the syringe into the corner of your pony’s mouth and squirting the wormer towards his back teeth.

By squirting the wormer onto his bit just before you tack him up. He won’t realise until it’s too late!

Correct! Wrong!

Which of the following could be signs that your pony is suffering from worms?

Please select 5 correct answers

Rapid weight gain

Colic

Increased appetite

Hindleg lameness

A dull coat

Weight loss

Bad breath

Sluggishness

Bucking under saddle

Diarrhoea

Correct! Wrong!

When should you worm your pony?

It doesn’t really matter – as long as your dosage is correct, you can worm whenever you like.

Twice during the summer. Worms hibernate in the winter, so you have to worm while the weather’s warm.

You should worm routinely for tapeworm and encysted small redworm, and carry out a worm egg count every three months, only worming for other types of worm when the results say you need to.

Only once a year – preferably on your pony’s birthday.

Correct! Wrong!