Table of contents for Practical Horseman Extra Volume 24 in Practical Horseman

The best time to deworm is after breakfast or lunch (unless you’re mixing the medication with food, in which case refer to “Mix It Up” on page 12). The taste of deworming medicine can put horses off their feed, so if you don’t want to risk the chance of your horse skipping a meal, feed him first. Some horses experience colicky, uncomfortable symptoms in reaction to the medicine, so giving it earlier in the day allows you more time to look for these signs and monitor any problems that might arise. There is no contraindication to exercise, however, so it’s fine to deworm before you ride—just give your horse time to swallow the medication before tacking up. Also avoid deworming immediately after bringing your horse in from turnout. If he…

Margie Engle has been one of the winningest jumper riders in the U.S. for more than three decades. As a child, she cleaned dog and cat kennels in exchange for riding lessons until she was deemed big enough to muck stalls and groom horses. She didn’t own her own horse until her late 20s. In the meantime, she learned every aspect of horsemanship working her way to the top of the sport. To date, Margie has won more than 200 grands prix classes, more than 20 Nations Cups and a record 10 American Grandprix Association Rider of the Year titles. She competed in the 2000 Olympics, won team silver at the 1999 Pan American Games, team gold and individual bronze at the 2003 Pan Am Games and team silver at…

Parasite control is a critical component of your horse’s overall healthcare plan. You probably have a system for what type of deworming products to give your horse and when, but it won’t be effective if you can’t get the correct dosage into him. With all but the most saintly of horses, administering paste dewormers without getting yourself and the stall splattered with paper-mâché-like goo takes a little strategizing. In this article, I’ll give a step-by-step plan for minimizing the mess and ensuring that your horse gets his full dose. Dr. Mary Griffin, DVM, a colleague in ambulatory practice with a specialty in ultrasonography in Chester County, Pennsylvania, is demonstrating. How Much is Enough? 1 Deworming medications are not effective when given in an inadequate dose, so always err on the…

I discovered the benefits of the football-grid exercise (Exercise 1) with Daydream, a horse I started riding as a 5-year-old. In a way, he and I grew up together: I won my first grand prix and my first big American Grandprix Association grand prix on him. He was a huge, gangly horse who was light on his feet but moved like a daisy-cutter hunter—low to the ground with very little knee action. He needed to learn to be quicker with his legs over very square oxers, so I consulted long-time trainer and horse dealer Vince Dugan. Vince was one of many generous professionals who offered me advice and horses to ride early in my career, when I was on a tight budget and starved for knowledge. He suggested I try…

If your horse is uncooperative about swallowing the paste from a syringe, try mixing it in a bucket with yogurt or applesauce and offer it to him when he’s hungry and no other food is available in the stall. If he doesn’t eat all of it immediately, mix something else tempting—an apple, carrot pieces, molasses or a little sweet feed—with the remaining portion. To be properly protected, he needs to clean most of the mixture up within a day. If he doesn’t, wait a few days and then start over with a new full dose.…