Walking On Volume 2, Issue 10, October 2015 | Page 10

For the Health of It

How Does The Environment
Affect Strongyle Development?
With strongyles posing the greatest parasite risk to
horses it is important to understand how the environment factors into their development. Regardless of the
time of year, it is always a good idea to have a Fecal Egg
Count done on a regular time basis to ensure proper
control, prevention, and treatment measures are in
place. Horseman’s Laboratory is ready to service those
needs.
Strongyles have a wide range of acceptable climates;
they thrive best, in warmer, more humid areas. This is
why warm areas with plenty of rain to grow good grass
is the best place for the life cycle of small strongyles to
be completed. They can survive outside throughout the
colder months, even long periods of freezing temperatures hatching when the temperature reaches 7c (44F)
with the ideal temperature range being between 77F to
91F (Handbook of EQUINE PARASITE CONTROL,
by Dr. Craig R. Reinemeyer and Martin K. Nielsen).
Small Strongyles, the most common intestinal worm
have three stages, the third being the most critical to
the parasite’s survival. At the third stage the worm
is protected by a thin membrane, but has no mouth
(Horsetalk.co.nz). It is at this stage the larvae are at
their most vulnerable. During the hotter months the
energy stores are consumed at a faster rate leaving
the larvae susceptible to death by starvation. Colder
months allow the larvae to burn the calories at a much
slower rate so they last longer (Briggs, 2004). It may be
a good recommendation to have Horsemen’s Laboratory do a Fecal Egg Count at seasonal changes. Once an
owner has established which category their horses fit
into by doing fecal egg co V