# Can I mix gel wormer in the horses feed?



## Easyrider64 (Jul 11, 2014)

My young horses will NOT take the gel wormers by mouth. Last time I mixed it in with their feed, and they didn't even notice....ate every bit. Is the wormer just as effective fed in this way? Otherwise its general anaesthesia or tie them down.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

It's fine mixed in with their feed. I've been doing it that way for years. I refuse to fight them about deworming.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

There is no reason of which I am aware that the active ingredients would somehow be affected by putting it on food, so long as it is immediately consumed (e.g., doesn't sit in direct sunlight for an extended period of time).


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I asked my vet about this a while ago out of curiosity and she said it was fine as long as they eat it all. The risk you run is that your horse stops eating it part way through (or won't eat it at all) and gets underdosed as a result, but if you have a non-picky horse it's a perfectly fine way to administer it.


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

Welcome to the forum and yes you can mix I have been doing that for years it is much easier then a fight


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

FWIW, they have greatly improved some of the "flavored' wormers b/c my horses will not only gladly take them (e.g., panacur apple flavored) - but they want to lick the tube! :shock: With others, its still the old "zip locked lip" response.


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

Easyrider64 said:


> My young horses will NOT take the gel wormers by mouth. Last time I mixed it in with their feed, and they didn't even notice....ate every bit. Is the wormer just as effective fed in this way? Otherwise its general anaesthesia or tie them down.


How lucky you are to be able to do that!!! We have 3 horses- the boys probably wouldn't care much. They would notice, but most likely still scarf. My mare would think I was killing her and walk off! 
We have to get a bowl of yummy grain, have a person hold it at horse chest height, the other sticks the dewormer tube in the mouth and administers, then quickly the bowl is shoved in their face to keep them from spitting out any dewormer. Oh, and we have to keep heads up high for a minute or so to prevent them dropping paste lol. All of this was learned via multiple failed attempts while we perfected the method. lol All because of my very discerning mare!


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

My mare had some sort of trauma and the only way you would get that tube into her mouth is laying her down. She absolutely panics. I've been feeding it in her grain for the last three years and she always eats it.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Maybe a little bit off-topic, but to those that say you horse will panic when you try to deworm them .... what _training_ have you done on a consistant basis to teach the horse to accept something (like a tube) being in or around their mouth?

It's very easy to "practice" with an old tube filled with applesauce. You don't always have to give them a mouthful of anything either; just practice having the tube around their mouth and get them to accept it. 

At least, that's what I do. Never have a problem administering dewormer or any other medication that requires a tube to the mouth.

If I mixed it in with their feed, my Shotgun would eat it, but I know Red wouldn't touch it. He's a picky eater.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> Maybe a little bit off-topic, but to those that say you horse will panic when you try to deworm them .... what _training_ have you done on a consistant basis to teach the horse to accept something (like a tube) being in or around their mouth?
> 
> It's very easy to "practice" with an old tube filled with applesauce. You don't always have to give them a mouthful of anything either; just practice having the tube around their mouth and get them to accept it.
> 
> ...


 in the case of mine, something happened to her and she's not the type to forgive and forget. to do her teeth the vet had to use more sedatives on her(at 800lb)than he had to use on the 1800lb draft cross. she was barely standing, with her head on the ground, and she was still fighting having her mouth touched. I tried the whole sugar or apple sauce in the tube thing, and you cant get within a foot of her mouth. you try putting the lead in her mouth, blindfolding, being gentle and sweet talking, nada. Its honestly not worth the amount of effort it would take to get her to accept it, if it is even possible. All my others have been well behaved, but this mare is something else.

I agree, if you can teach them, do. I've never had a horse I've trained myself have an issue with it, but I bought this mare with an unknown past and an uneducated previous owner at 14 years old. She is great to handle in every other way, so I let her have this one.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

BlueSpark said:


> in the case of mine, something happened to her and she's not the type to forgive and forget. to do her teeth the vet had to use more sedatives on her(at 800lb)than he had to use on the 1800lb draft cross. she was barely standing, with her head on the ground, and she was still fighting having her mouth touched. *I tried the whole sugar or apple sauce in the tube thing, and you cant get within a foot of her mouth.* you try putting the lead in her mouth, blindfolding, being gentle and sweet talking, nada. Its honestly not worth the amount of effort it would take to get her to accept it, if it is even possible. All my others have been well behaved, but this mare is something else.
> 
> I agree, if you can teach them, do. I've never had a horse I've trained myself have an issue with it, but I bought this mare with an unknown past and an uneducated previous owner at 14 years old. She is great to handle in every other way, so I let her have this one.


I'm not trying to persuade you Blue or change your mind (your horse; do what you want), but more just creating a discussion. 

If you can't get within a foot of her mouth, then that's your starting point = one foot. Get her comfortable with the tube being 1 foot away, and don't progress any closer until she has a comfort zone there.

Then try 11 inches. :wink: Get her comfort zone to be 11 inches. I usually use an "approach and retreat" method, in the same way that you would desensitize a horse to anything else. And of course, always work both sides of the horse. And slowly work your way closer to the mouth. Might take days, might take weeks, or longer. It doesn't have to be your end goal to get that tube in her mouth in one sitting. Take baby steps and slowly work your way there.

With time and _work_ and patience, I don't see why a horse with a known issue couldn't be eventually taught to accept it.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> And slowly work your way closer to the mouth. Might take days, might take weeks, or longer.


 this is kind of my point. Its not worth days, weeks or months of repeating an exercise to achieve the exact same thing as putting it in her feed(all of 30 seconds) will do. A normal horse may be worth working on in this regard, where you are spending a few minutes for a few days or maybe a week or two, but for me, spending 10 minutes x 4 days a week x indefinite amount of time on something I can achieve in 30 seconds is a) poor time management and b) not picking my battles properly.

I had the same issue with this mare and being shod, and I took the time to fix it. There is no 30 second option for having a horse shod, so I picked a "battle" worth fighting, and won.

I agree, that you should try to get a horse to accept deworming(and by extension, other oral medications) by mouth, as that is the most effective and convenient way to do it. But if you have a horse that is really, really opposed to it, but is not a picky eater, mixing into grain can be a great alternative and a lot less stressful.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

After trying all the tricks invented to no avail with the qh. there was only one thing left to try. Alfalfa cube sandwiches. Using a hammer and screwdriver I'll break them into 1/4"thick wafers. A small dab of dewormer between wafers and he'll greedily eat it up. The first one uses a 1/4" dab or he'll spit the whole works out. The remainder can have a little more. It takes 7 or eight sandwiches in but hey, it works and he's greedy enough to want more.


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

Saddlebag said:


> After trying all the tricks invented to no avail with the qh. there was only one thing left to try. Alfalfa cube sandwiches. Using a hammer and screwdriver I'll break them into 1/4"thick wafers. A small dab of dewormer between wafers and he'll greedily eat it up. The first one uses a 1/4" dab or he'll spit the whole works out. The remainder can have a little more. It takes 7 or eight sandwiches in but hey, it works and he's greedy enough to want more.


Funny! 
So it is safe to give small amounts of dry hay cube? I see how hard they are and always worried.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

beau159 said:


> Maybe a little bit off-topic, but to those that say you horse will panic when you try to deworm them .... what _training_ have you done on a consistant basis to teach the horse to accept something (like a tube) being in or around their mouth?
> 
> It's very easy to "practice" with an old tube filled with applesauce. You don't always have to give them a mouthful of anything either; just practice having the tube around their mouth and get them to accept it.
> 
> ...


COMPLETELY agree.

Your horse doesn't let you worm them so how come that's ok? They need to be taught to be wormed just like anything else.

Also, I've wormed all sorts of horses, walked into a friends barn and she handed me a bucket and asked me to worm them all.

If you do it correctly you can worm pretty much any horse. One I did a quick hand twitch on and then we were done.

Our boarder can't get NEAR his horse with wormer... he very carefully walks up, tells him it's ok, shows him the wormer, rubs his mouth...

I walk up give it to him give him a pat and leave.

To all the people who can't worm their horses 1) learn how to do it right- there is a technique (I would NOT recommend feeding them, definitely not before) a vet could probably show this and 2) train your horse! this is something they should accept just as anything else.

There are some tastier wormers out there too... there are a few I've smelled and thought yum! lol

BlueSpark- sounds like you are unlucky in having a mare with genuine mouth issues (in regards to the above I have to add this is NOT common, most can be trained!) I know you are on top of your horses training so won't fault you the "not worth it for one little thing". I can hear that, just responding to others as apparently this is becoming very common.. JW does she take a bit OK?


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> BlueSpark- sounds like you are unlucky in having a mare with genuine mouth issues (in regards to the above I have to add this is NOT common, most can be trained!) JW does she take a bit OK?


 takes a bit and rides well in one. perfect teeth. This is her only allowed quirk. even the vet was stymied by her aversion to having anything put in her mouth, other than a bit. He is not one to claim a horse has been abused, but even he said he'd never seen anything like it. She(typically very sane, logical, trustworthy) would rather maim herself than let a foreign object in her mouth. I deworm a herd of 30 regularly, everything from drafts to minis, 6 months old to senior, barely halter broke 5 year olds left wild on the range, stallions, you name it. I'm the one people call to deworm their difficult horses because I always get it done. But not Pretzl. the only horse I cant deworm. its so stressful to her that I stopped trying.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

BlueSpark said:


> takes a bit and rides well in one. perfect teeth. This is her only allowed quirk. even the vet was stymied by her aversion to having anything put in her mouth, other than a bit. He is not one to claim a horse has been abused, but even he said he'd never seen anything like it. She(typically very sane, logical, trustworthy) would rather maim herself than let a foreign object in her mouth. I deworm a herd of 30 regularly, everything from drafts to minis, 6 months old to senior, barely halter broke 5 year olds left wild on the range, stallions, you name it. I'm the one people call to deworm their difficult horses because I always get it done. But not Pretzl. the only horse I cant deworm. its so stressful to her that I stopped trying.


Yeah generally I'm completely "your horse MUST know this" but knowing you're big on training and with what she sounds like it seems justified to short cut on one thing.

I find it very interesting that she takes a bit ok, and won't even let a lead rope in her mouth. I know there are some "bits" you can put it and squirt wormer into but that doesn't seem worth it if she takes it nicely in her feed.

Very odd...


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> Very odd...


 she's a bit unusual, and had a very sketchy past, being handed around through traders and ending up with a not so knowledgeable owner. any how, she is respectful, aced her groundwork, a phenomenal saddle horse, I can lead her through anything without any sort of tack, and do anything on her back. She's wonderful. but she came with two problems, one was deworming, the other was shoes. both resulted, even with the calmest handling, in her coming unglued and trying to do anything to escape. I believe she would rather die. sedatives didn't work, you had to sedate her to the point of almost completely knocking her out, which is obviously unsafe. Fixing the shoeing issue took hours, and hours, and hours over the course of a year, and a ridiculously understanding farrier to fix. It wasn't trimming that freaked her out, just shoes.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Gracielagata, it takes a flat-blade screwdriver and hammer to break the cubes into wafers. I've never had an issue with feeding this amount. It's about a large handful, not pounds.
Yogiwick, you are welcome to come and deworm my qh. You can stick your fist in his mouth, he takes a bit beautifully, just don't try to put the tube in his mouth, even with applesauce. He'll swing his head like a battering ram or drag you across the yard. Mix it in feed and he'll walk away. He has a genuine aversion to the taste. If that's the only thing he has a major issue with, then so be it. I work around it.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Both of my riding horses are fine with placing bits in their mouths, but I'm too old and busy to worry about whether or not they're going to fight me with the deworming tube. It's just easier to glop it in their feed. 

Of course, this method won't work with any horse who's a picky eater. None of mine are.

You pick your battles. For me, after 36 years of owning horses I'm not willing to fight them over something as silly as MAKING them take a dewormer tube willingly.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

BlueSpark said:


> she's a bit unusual, and had a very sketchy past, being handed around through traders and ending up with a not so knowledgeable owner. any how, she is respectful, aced her groundwork, a phenomenal saddle horse, I can lead her through anything without any sort of tack, and do anything on her back. She's wonderful. but she came with two problems, one was deworming, the other was shoes. both resulted, even with the calmest handling, in her coming unglued and trying to do anything to escape. I believe she would rather die. sedatives didn't work, you had to sedate her to the point of almost completely knocking her out, which is obviously unsafe. Fixing the shoeing issue took hours, and hours, and hours over the course of a year, and a ridiculously understanding farrier to fix. It wasn't trimming that freaked her out, just shoes.


Poor girl  Sometimes you wonder.

Sounds worth it though!


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

It's not about making them take dewormer willingly, it's about having a horse that respects your handling so you can do anything to them.

If I had a horse refuse to take dewormer I would consider that a poor handling and disrespect issue.

Yes there are some situations where it's better to just do it the easy way but don't let the easy way be a short cut to proper handling/training.

There's also the what if the horse won't eat it in the feed issue. I know plenty that I am sure wouldn't. (That's also got to be a good amount of hard feed that goes towards mixing, too much for some horses.. though those horses probably don't need worming )


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

There are also wormers that come in pellet form and a liquid form you can pour onto feed, if your horse will take it. I agree with training a horse that doesn't have significant issues with a wormer tube each day and making it part of their routine, but some animals will always defy the "logical" explanation.


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

Saddlebag said:


> Gracielagata, it takes a flat-blade screwdriver and hammer to break the cubes into wafers. I've never had an issue with feeding this amount. It's about a large handful, not pounds.
> Yogiwick, you are welcome to come and deworm my qh. You can stick your fist in his mouth, he takes a bit beautifully, just don't try to put the tube in his mouth, even with applesauce. He'll swing his head like a battering ram or drag you across the yard. Mix it in feed and he'll walk away. He has a genuine aversion to the taste. If that's the only thing he has a major issue with, then so be it. I work around it.


Huh. So I won't kill my horse via choking if I give them a cube here and there then?  Good to know. I did genuinely worry about the not so wet cubes in their bowl or occasional dry one as a treat. 
My mare sounds like yours- she doesn't love things in her mouth (including a fist, lol), but bits up great. She also won't take a bowl with dewormer mixed in, lol. Even the vet has commented at how she is, and that it must be hard to deworm her. She is only 5, and I am sure as smart as she is, that I could work with her on it more... I will be honest, I just haven't gotten around to working on that one as much as I should, since it is an occasion that the need only comes around 2x a year.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Speed Racer said:


> You pick your battles. For me, after 36 years of owning horses I'm not willing to fight them over something as *silly *as MAKING them take a dewormer tube willingly.


Personally, I don't find it "silly" at all. 

Deworming a horse is a routine maintenance task, just as is having their feet trimmed. I would never tolerate them not standing nice for a farrier. Just as I would never tolerate them "fighting" me to take their dewormer. 

To each his own, but I expect my horse to tolerate whatever needs to be done for their benefit; including dewormers.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Yogiwick said:


> It's not about making them take dewormer willingly, it's about having a horse that respects your handling so you can do anything to them.


I can do what I want with and to them unless it's physically painful, so your argument about disrespect isn't something I find valid. 

I choose to pick my battles. If you think that makes me a weak owner who lets my horses get away with being disrespectful, I completely disagree.

You go ahead and fight silly battles like this so you can 'win'. I've gotten over that part of my ego and sometimes the easier way is JUST that, _easier_. No hidden agendas or meaning. Has nothing to do with disrespect, or letting a horse run roughshod over you.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Speedracer I agree with you 100%. I will not turn it into a battle. Where's the rule that says we have to put the plastic dewormer tube into the horse's mouth. For many it's handy but the ultimate goal is to get the dewormer into the horse, not turn it into a battle. If as Yogiwick claims it's a lack of training, my other horse will wrap his tongue around the tube and suck on the dewormer as the plunger goes in. Doesn't get any better than that. My big trail gelding hated being dewormed. He was compliant but then would have nothing to do with me the remainder of the day. I just picked my days when I knew I wouldn't be riding.


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## GracielaGata (Jan 14, 2012)

Saddlebag said:


> Speedracer I agree with you 100%. I will not turn it into a battle. Where's the rule that says we have to put the plastic dewormer tube into the horse's mouth. For many it's handy but the ultimate goal is to get the dewormer into the horse, not turn it into a battle. If as Yogiwick claims it's a lack of training, my other horse will wrap his tongue around the tube and suck on the dewormer as the plunger goes in. Doesn't get any better than that. My big trail gelding hated being dewormed. He was compliant but then would have nothing to do with me the remainder of the day. I just picked my days when I knew I wouldn't be riding.


I am happy to see you say something like that... I know you are knowledgeable, so affirming that picking the battle and making deworming as easily done as is possible for the horse and owner is nice.  I think my dish of yummy feed to distract method is much easier than fighting to cram a tube into her mouth (which she will begrudgingly take), but then she most likely will spit it right back out in the process of dealing with not liking the dewormer.... so the follow up of the feed works great to get her to actually swallow it.  Anyhoo...


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Speed Racer said:


> I can do what I want with and to them unless it's physically painful, so your argument about disrespect isn't something I find valid.
> 
> I choose to pick my battles. If you think that makes me a weak owner who lets my horses get away with being disrespectful, I completely disagree.
> 
> *You go ahead and fight silly battles like this so you can 'win'.* I've gotten over that part of my ego and sometimes the easier way is JUST that, _easier_. No hidden agendas or meaning. Has nothing to do with disrespect, or letting a horse run roughshod over you.


Ah but I don't need to fight battles since my horses respect me 

And I can do what I want with them INCLUDING something physically painful. Now of course that's something I try NOT to do! but I've had plenty of nasty wounds and what not that I assure you were very painful to treat yet I do it with the horses loose.

I'm not saying you shouldn't mix it in feed and I'm not saying there aren't situations like BlueSpark's where it is a _valid_ shortcut. I'm just saying horses should be trained to worm just as they are trained to do anything else and I expect a well trained respectful horse to let me do _anything_ to them. Yes of course there are always exceptions but that shouldn't be the norm.

While it seems like it's fine mixed in feed I'm also thinking medicinally it's not ideal otherwise it would be designed for that.

I've also yet to find a horse I can't worm, including ones known to be difficult.

As far as aversion to the taste, I don't blame them. But it's something that needs to be done and it's designed to be at least somewhat palatable. As said they are coming up with much tastier pastes as well.

They shouldn't be spitting anything out if it's done right.

What happens if they need medication? A lot of it comes in pastes and a lot of owners don't know how to do shots or may only have access to pastes at the time. Again it's something you should be able to do. If you are able to do it and choose to use an alternate method I disagree but have no real issue with it. I do feel more strongly when people _can't_ do it and don't bother to train.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

Tell me, how much respect would YOU have for me if I insisted on shoving cat crap into your mouth on a regular basis? You really want to call it RESPECT? Some of you lean WAAAYY too hard on that word without really understanding it. And just because you CAN...should you...........REALLY? Obedience is NOT always respect.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Squirrelfood, you've summed it up beautifully. Can't stop laughing.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

does the horse take a bit? then act like you are bridling it, and cram the stuff in there.
Why don't you just purchase the granule dewormer ? 
My horses would not eat dewormer on grain. I had one horse that took forever to deworm.
Head toss, rear, strike.. it was just how he was, and he was old. he hated his mouth to be messed with . I would simply hold the the tube next to his face, let him have his tantrum, and after 30 min or so, we could give him the dewormer. He did this up to the day he was euthed. Even doped he would be throwing his head around. Tying them down, simply makes them fight more and gives them a reason to be afraid.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> Tell me, how much respect would YOU have for me if I insisted on shoving cat crap into your mouth on a regular basis?


 this is an interesting point. I respect my boss, but I would tell him just where to go if he tried to shove foul tasting medicine in my mouth, in no uncertain terms.

I am claustrophobic. Just because someone I trust tells me laying in a closed coffin or the trunk of a car for half an hour will end well, doesn't mean I will ever voluntarily do it.

Just because a horse trusts and respects its handler doesn't mean that horse will submit to everything quietly.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

I have put ivermectin and other wormers in the daily dip of wet beet pulp for more than 80 horses over the past 10 years, 25-30 at a time, and only ONE ever refused to eat it right away. Leave her with it overnight, and she ate it. Most were rescues, some with very little handling. Do you think I had the time to do each one in the mouth and still do anything else that WEEK? WHY is this such a big deal to some people? Control freaks or what? IT DOES NOT MATTER!


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## ecasey (Oct 18, 2013)

I had to use a wormer that was way too liquidy to just squirt into her mouth (I ended up wearing it), so I mixed it in with pellets and added sugar to it! It was only temporary and she needed to eat it all, so I made it as tasty as possible. It worked.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Interesting read for sure, I'm lucky my guys are all good for worming, but if I had one that was a pain, I would put it in the food in a second. Respect I require, but administering medicine is a negotiable


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## Easyrider64 (Jul 11, 2014)

That's a great idea. I haven't thrown the tubes away yet, I think I'll put something in there they llove to eat, and train them that way. Thanks! So logical, yet I missed it.


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## Easyrider64 (Jul 11, 2014)

*Different wormers*



stevenson said:


> does the horse take a bit? then act like you are bridling it, and cram the stuff in there.
> Why don't you just purchase the granule dewormer ?
> My horses would not eat dewormer on grain. I had one horse that took forever to deworm.
> Head toss, rear, strike.. it was just how he was, and he was old. he hated his mouth to be messed with . I would simply hold the the tube next to his face, let him have his tantrum, and after 30 min or so, we could give him the dewormer. He did this up to the day he was euthed. Even doped he would be throwing his head around. Tying them down, simply makes them fight more and gives them a reason to be afraid.


Pellet wormers do not target the same problems that the gel wormers, like Ivermectin do. My boys are on the pellet wormer, but I also give the gel wormer every two months. I'm not aware of any of the Ivermectins in pellet form. I have a big problem with bots, too, which are not targeted by any pellet wormer that I know of.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

If you feed the daily wormers, you should know they cease to have much affect after about 3 months. So, unless its for insurance purposes, its pretty much a waste of money.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

There has to be something about the odor of Ivermectin paste. I can even rub the one horse's muzzle but the moment I pull the cap off he snorts and starts pulling away.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> There has to be something about the odor of Ivermectin paste. I can even rub the one horse's muzzle but the moment I pull the cap off he snorts and starts pulling away.


 With mine its a tube near her mouth. Mix it with sweet feed and she'll scarf it right back.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

Yes, they aren't dumb, and they CAN see. They can usually tell when you are trying to hide something like that too.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> Yes, they aren't dumb, and they CAN see. They can usually tell when you are trying to hide something like that too.


 mine knows its coming, a foot away, completely blindfolded. Try figuring that one out. 3rd eye? mind reader?


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## BreakableRider (Aug 14, 2013)

Eh, i'm in the camp that a horse needs to learn how to accept a dewormer. Horses aren't always so apt to eat dewormer in their feed, and if that horse ever needs to be sold, it's something the horse needs to accept. A fault that one person is willing to accept, another won't. 

I have a 22 year old arabian mare who, was an absolute beast to deworm for years until I learned what I was doing. She was great for general handling and accepted a tube with applesauce willingly, it was the actual dewormer that she hated. It was either sedate her to the point where she could no longer stand, or put her in stocks and literally tie every limb still. Otherwise, she'd pretty much try and kill you. I couldn't put it in her feed either, she would not eat. I for one am not willing to starve my horse out until she HAS to eat it. As a young, dumb kid I left her with her feed for four days, with no access to hay so she wouldn't get full from that. She never touched it. I finally broke down in tears with how awful I was being and gave u that route. 

Once I learned how to get her to accept it, everyone's life was much easier, and my medical bills were much lower! She had 16 years to learn how to avoid it, and she changed her behavior within an hour. She is now my BO's favorite horse to deworm at the barn. You can walk up to her in the pasture with no halter on her, whip out the tube and deworm her with no issues. At times I have had to kneel down because she is now so relaxed that she hangs her head down. This is one of the VERY few instances I have used treats to my advantage. Without them, you have to raise her head and wait her out for quite a while. If you don't keep her head, she'll shake her head, rub on things etc and get rid of it. Now, I deworm and give her a treat so she'll willingly swallow it all. 

If you have a horse that you can just add it to their feed, thank your lucky stars.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

BreakableRider said:


> Eh, i'm in the camp that a horse needs to learn how to accept a dewormer. Horses aren't always so apt to eat dewormer in their feed, and if that horse ever needs to be sold, it's something the horse needs to accept. A fault that one person is willing to accept, another won't.


So the next person can have the battle! 

I don't think there is a right and wrong here, just glad that worming is happening.

I have only had one here who I gave up on, she was to big and strong and I just wondered one day why the heck I was struggling, I had won every other battle with her, just not that one. I chose to hide her wormer in her feed from that day. When I sold her I told the purchaser, I have no idea if she went into battle and won, if she hides it in feed, or maybe she never worms, not my problem. 

In the whole scheme of things the important thing is that it is done, I just choose to find the best way for me and my horses....whatever works and all that.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

you can also get liquid ivermectin . 
If you are putting it in the feed, and they are eating , that is great. 
Easiest way is the best way, why fight the horse.


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