Types of Wormer for your Horse or Pony

Wormers are known by a variety of brand names, trade names may change, new wormers are marketed. The list of active ingredients is the main information you need to decide which wormer to administer to your horse or pony.

There are four chemical groups, some may be combined for dual- and multi-wormers. The groups are: macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin & moxidectin), benzimidazoles (fenbendazole & mebendazole), pyrantel embonates & praziquantel. Their uses for treatments are:

• Macrocyclic lactones treat: bots, small red-worms, large red-worms and lung-worms.
• Benzimidazoles treat: round-worms, large red-worms and small red-worms.
• Pyrantel embonates treat: large round-worms, large red-worms, small red-worms, seat-worms, pin-worms & tape-worms.
• Praziquantels treat all three kinds of tape-worm.

Combination wormers that contain Praziquantel are available with either Ivermectin or Moxidectin, which work together to treat tape-worm alongside general worming solutions. Sometimes, certain strains of worms are stubbornly resistant to one chemical group therefore you may need to try another one - check the ingredients, not the brand name!

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