Postal worm count specialists Westgate Labs is offering a free advice service to help yard managers and horse owners ensure they’ve got this essential aspect of horse health covered.

The company is offering 30 minute consultations for yard managers and 15 minute slots for horse owners which will cover the age range and health status of each of the equines and take into account the way the horses are kept, the pasture maintenance and relative risks of parasite infection.

With this information Westgate will help to design a tailor made programme for the yard incorporating strategic testing and treatments to protect against endemic disease caused by parasite infection as well as checking and managing the growing problem of drug resistance.

Carolyn Cummins MVB Phd MRCVS, consultant vet at Westgate Laboratories, said: “Working as a first opinion equine vet I see many horses suffering from severe worm burdens. In some this is due to neglect or other underlying illnesses but more often they are horses whose owners believe that they are worming appropriately and have measures in place to prevent worm related disease.

“Problems arise from worming at the wrong times of year, not using the appropriate wormer, under-dosing, or overuse of a particular wormer leading to resistance so that the drugs we have are no longer effective against the parasites that are a threat to horse health.

“Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation and contradictory advice out there which can lead to confusion for those with the responsibility of implementing effective parasite control programmes.”

Sessions are limited, bookable up to two weeks in advance, and allocated on a first come, first served, basis, the company said.