Horse Wormers & Targeted Parasite Control

What's in Our Worming Range

Our range includes:

Multiple active ingredients: fenbendazole, moxidectin, ivermectin and praziquantel
Worm egg count kits for home sampling with postal lab analysis (recommended every 8-12 weeks)
Tapeworm saliva tests (recommended twice a year)
Combination wormers for multi-parasite protection

Everything you need to build a targeted, test-led worming plan.

Choosing the Right Wormer

The right wormer depends on the parasite you're targeting and the time of year:

Winter (Dec–Feb): Fenbendazole or moxidectin for encysted redworm
Spring, summer, autumn: Ivermectin for adult redworm and other common worms
Tapeworm: Praziquantel and pyrantel give at double dose

A simple routine for most healthy adult horses is:

Worm egg counts in spring, summer and autumn
A winter treatment for encysted redworm
Tapeworm testing twice a year

Testing first ensures you only treat when needed, reducing costs and helping preserve wormer effectiveness.

Testing Before You Treat

Worm testing makes targeted control easy and reliable:

Worm egg count kits let you collect a sample at home and send it to a lab for fast, accurate results.
Tapeworm saliva tests are a quick addition to your spring and autumn routine.

Testing helps you:

Avoid unnecessary treatments
Save money over the year
Monitor parasite levels
Reduce the risk of resistance developing

A test‑before‑treat approach keeps your horse healthier and ensures wormers continue to work long‑term.

SQP View on Worming

"Routine blanket worming is no longer recommended and is no longer considered a valid reason to prescribe a wormer. The modern approach focuses on testing first, so wormers are only used when they're genuinely needed. This helps slow the development of resistance and protects the long‑term effectiveness of the wormers we rely on to keep horses healthy." - Becky, Head of Product & Buying - SQP Registered Animal Medicines Advisor (RAMA), Harry Hall

FAQs

How do I report an adverse event?
Animal owners should report any problems with animal medicines directly to the VMD. This service is open to veterinary professionals, SQPs and anyone who has reason to report an adverse event concerning an animal medicine or an adverse event occurring to an animal. You can also report to your veterinarian or the Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) responsible for the medicine.

What format do wormers come in?
Most horse wormers are available as oral pastes, which are easy to administer and allow accurate dosing. Some products also come in oral liquid or granule form. Paste wormers remain the most popular choice because of their convenience.

Do I need a separate tapeworm test?
Yes. Tapeworm eggs aren't reliably shed in faeces, so faecal egg count testing won't detect them. A saliva test (EquiSal) detects tapeworm infection and should be run alongside your spring or summer egg count testing for complete parasite coverage.

How do worm egg count kits work?
Home kits allow you to collect a small faecal sample and post it to a laboratory for analysis. Results are usually returned within a few days and include your horse's egg count plus guidance on whether treatment is needed. Once on a regular testing routine, most horses show results below 200 epg, meaning no treatment is required.

Which horse wormer should I use in winter?
Winter (December–February) requires a wormer effective against encysted redworm, a stage not detected by egg counts. Only moxidectin or fenbendazole target this form. A single winter treatment is standard for most healthy adult horses, supported by worm egg count testing throughout the rest of the year.