# Horse lice! Nooo



## VaticanVice (Oct 28, 2012)

Well, I came home from the barn today and my roommate asked, "what are those little bugs all over your shirt?"

Yep. Horse lice.

I've heard the legends, but never experienced them for myself, so now I'm full of questions on what to do to get rid of them. I know that prolonged infestation can cause serious irritability in the affected horses, and I want to avoid that since Nev and I have been doing SO well with her saddle training so far.

So how quickly do they spread? I imagine her paddock mates have them, as well, but would they have spread to horses in neighboring paddocks? The whole herd (20 horses, give or take, in six paddocks)?

How can I kill them during the winter, since I can't bathe her outright? Would a hot towel bath be sufficient? Is there a particular type of shampoo for this? I've heard you can kill them with fly spray--what about other fly deterrents, such as apple cider vinegar, citronella, etc? My BO is all about more natural, non-chemical solutions to insect problems, and we've never had trouble getting rid of flies with that type of thing, but I'm not sure about the lice.

Any advice or your personal experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

I've heard - and IME it's true - that only animals that are unhealthy, run down are really susceptible to lice. I imagine this may be different in different areas though as the bugs may be different. Over here they get them from birds & kangaroos, but I've only ever experienced it with old, sick, cushings horses. 

I'm generally all for more natural treatments, but while I use t-tree for hoof infections & such, I think you'd need a lot of that or citronella to cover the whole horse & that much(& you'd need it strong) may irritate the horse too much &/or burn skin. I just use a powder called 'Pestene'.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

When Kenzie had lice (and yes, she was sick/unhealthy and INFESTED with them) I used a lice powder from Tractor Supply (not natural but didn't seem to hurt her any) called Y-Tex Python Livestock Dust. I put it on twice in one week, then again a week later, and another time a week after that to break the lice life cycle. I also gave her a cup and a half a day of Apple Cider vinegar. She was so infested that she was balding and you could see hundreds of them even on her body (in light cases they stay at the base of hair and legs) but three weeks after her treatment she was lice-free. I also started her on a supplement that had quite a bit of Vitamin A, E, and flaxseed in it to help her skin become healthy from the inside out. I haven't had a problem with lice since then.


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## VaticanVice (Oct 28, 2012)

Thanks, guys. I'm still puzzled as to why she has them, as she's anything but unhealthy... I'm guessing she must have gotten them from one of her pasture mates, but I can't figure out which one.

A couple of articles I've read say they can only spread through direct contact. On the other hand, a couple more suggested that when a horse rubs because the lice make it itchy, whatever it's rubbing against (fence posts, etc) can then pass the lice onto the next horse that comes into contact with it. These are definitely the chewing lice, rather than the sucking lice, but I haven't been able to find out if the two types transmit differently at all.

I'm going to have to talk to the BO about checking everyone for the little ******s, and then doing a round of treatment. The only natural remedy I've found is neem oil diluted in bathwater, and this time of year I think I'd rather just powder her and attend to her skin health. I've never thought of her as a sickly horse, though. :/


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

Horses (and other animals) coming from poor conditions are often also in poor condition and have lice, just because no one is looking or treating them, but just like fleas and cats or dogs, the nasty little parasites are not choosy and will infest any horse, healthy or not. Fortunately they're easy to spot, they're fairly easy to kill, though repeat treatment like Endiku said is necessary, and best of all- they're species specific! Meaning horse lice only infest horses (probably mules and donkeys too, though I'd have to look it up) but not humans, dogs, birds, etc.

Jayne had lice when I bought him, though a very mild case- the ivomec dewormer I gave him on purchase seemed to kill them from the inside out, though I'm not really sure if that is reliable or not. The dust really is the easiest way for most animals, especially in the winter. I remember dusting a whole heard of semi-feral goats. That was a 'fun' experience, lol. Just make sure you are generous with it, but keep it out of the eyes, nose, mouth, and apply in a well ventilated area so no one has to breathe it! I try to rub it in well, though it seems to work even if you can't/don't.

I've actually heard that counter to popular belief, lice actually prefer a clean, healthy host over a sickly or dirty one. Something about providing better nutrition and being easier for the lice to keep their grip on the haircoat? No idea if it is true, haven't bothered to check, figured so long as I know how to kill them, that was all I actually needed to know.

ETA: Just like schoolchildren and brushes and hats, horse lice could easily be spread by things the horses have direct contact with. Your shirt, for example, or shared tack or grooming supplies, or the scratching posts, or even the favored rolling spot are likely contaminated with the bugs. Hence the multiple dustings for a few weeks, till they all die off.


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## VaticanVice (Oct 28, 2012)

Sharpie said:


> Horses (and other animals) coming from poor conditions are often also in poor condition and have lice, just because no one is looking or treating them, but just like fleas and cats or dogs, the nasty little parasites are not choosy and will infest any horse, healthy or not.
> 
> ...
> 
> I've actually heard that counter to popular belief, lice actually prefer a clean, healthy host over a sickly or dirty one. Something about providing better nutrition and being easier for the lice to keep their grip on the haircoat? No idea if it is true, haven't bothered to check, figured so long as I know how to kill them, that was all I actually needed to know.



This makes a lot of sense, actually. I bought her in April, right when she was shedding out of last year's winter fluff, so they wouldn't have had a long hair coat to breed in until now. It may be that she's had the eggs since I brought her home and they just weren't apparent until now? I'm not sure if that's possible, but it wouldn't really surprise me. She was also exposed to several different barns on her way up to me, so if the lice could have "hidden" on her until now, she could have picked them up anywhere.

I know we'll have to treat scratching spots, etc, and everything I was wearing today has been thoroughly washed. A thought: If I treat her with the powder, is it likely to prevent reinfestation? I'll be treating everything it's in my power to treat, but since she's boarded, I can't *make* the other boarders treat their horses. Obviously it would be in their best interest to do so if needed, but still. She's only in the paddock with the BO's mares, and I'm sure the BO will oblige and check/treat where needed, but their neighbors belong to another boarder who may not...? What trouble.


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## tlvmiller (Oct 13, 2011)

I bought a horse with lice two years ago I was told there are two different kinds of horse lice. There can be the sucking lice and biting lice. One can be killed with I ermevtin wormer and the other you have to use a topical treatment. I wormed my horse and used the lice powder from tractor supply and repeated it every two weeks three times. It worked for me
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tlvmiller (Oct 13, 2011)

Ivermectin wormer sorry misspelled it
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Read all of the posts here on Rain Rot.

Like rain rot, hoses do not have lice if they are in good condition AND are not Vitamin A deficient. You cannot give a horse lice if they are getting enough Vitamin A.

Just like rain rot, we quit even treating them and just get the Vitamin A into them. If you want to treat them (so you don't get them all over you -- they don't stay on people or dogs, etc), just put some Sevin Dust in an old sock and pat a horse all over with it, especially the base of the mane and tail. Then, let the Vitamin A do its job.


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