Deworming Recommendations
 There is a lot of information out there about the best approach to deworming your horse. My aim is to provide you with information to assist you in determining what works best for you and your horse, while always coordinating with your veterinarian. Deworming protocols are specific to each horse because each horse is a unique individual. Your horse’s immune system, gut bacteria, and living environment play a big role in their ability to maintain a healthy parasite load. Notice there how I said, “Healthy Parasite Load” not “Free of Parasites”. Most horse owners are familiar with the life cycle of worms. However, some horse owners aren’t aware that a particular type of worm can migrate through the bloodstream and nest under the lumbar vertebrae in the back. This of course has the potential to directly affect your horse’s ability to perform. What? Yes. This is called a worm aneurysm, and we will get to that later. There is also the debate of chemical wormers vs. herbal wormers, and I will touch on that also. First, let’s start with a practical approach to evaluating your horse’s worm load.
 
Fecal Egg Counts or FEC, are becoming more widely used. They can be conducted by your vet or there are a few options where you can mail a sample in. I order my FEC tests from SmartPak. They provide everything you need (even a container and spoon) to collect the sample and, the postage is paid. FEC’s are a good starting point, but you also need to be aware that you can’t rely on the results to give you a 100% accurate account of your horse’s current parasite load. The manure sample is a snapshot of what’s going on in your horse’s body and the number of eggs it contains is easily affected by the inflammation present on the day/time of the sample. It should also be noted that the FEC does not account for tapeworms or bots, both worm types that can have serious health consequences. However, I still consider FEC to be a valuable tool to provide us with more information. If you have recently purchased a new horse, or have not conducted a FEC in the past, I recommend you perform 3 tests over a period of 3 months. If possible, collect the samples at the same time each day. This will give you more of an idea of what type of shedder your horse is. Horses are classified as High, Medium, and Low shedders of worm eggs. This information can be helpful in determining the frequency and the protocol to take when developing your deworming protocol. When you are first starting your FEC, I recommend you follow the frequency recommended by you vet based on the shedder classification you horse has been assigned. Your vet will likely recommend a class of chemical wormer to best treat the stages and types of worms present in the FEC. That being said, let’s shift into the chemical vs. herbal wormer discussion.
 
If we must utilize non-holistic practices with our horses, I personally use the risk vs. benefit thought process. Because I have seen some very negative physical effects in horses with bots, tapeworms, and worm aneurysms, I utilize chemical wormers at the smallest amount and frequency possible for my horses. Chemical wormers have been shown in studies to detox from tissues easily and in humans are actually shown to be beneficial in ways other than deworming. I most commonly use Zimectrin Gold (Ivermectin and Praziquantel ) for my horses. My horses are all consistently classified as Low Shedders and my vet advises deworming twice per year for tapeworms and bots. I do not personally recommend anyone use Quest or Quest Plus. I have seen some very adverse reactions to those products. Chemical wormers are still chemicals, and anytime we introduce chemicals into our horse’s bodies, it is a wise thing to provide a detox. A couple easy and safe approaches to this are administering liquid bentonite clay (or powder that is hydrated) at a rate of 1 ounce per day once per day for 4-5 days. Please remember that bentonite clay will not allow the body to absorb anything for up to 2.5 hours after giving it. I recommend not giving it at the same time as other supplements or medications your horse is taking. Another option is to feed one handful of dandelion leaf once per day for 10 days. So does this mean I am opposed to herbal wormers? No. I think herbal wormers can be useful when fed to a horse that has shown a trend to be a Low Shedder. However, I have not seen evidence that they are a solely reliable source of eliminating tapeworms or the large strongyle larva that can migrate to the mesentery artery and cause a worm aneurysm. What’s a worm aneurysm? I’m glad you asked.
 
A worm aneurysm, or Verminous Arteritis(I just noticed this is mentioned on the back of the Zimectrin box!), occurs when the Large Strongyle Larva migrate into the mesentery artery and nest under the L2-L3 vertebrae in the back. The degree of the worm aneurysm is graded 1-4, with 4 being the most severe and the vertebrae becoming fused. Two questions probably came to mind, is this reversible? And, what causes it? The answer to the first question is, it depends. If the worm aneurysm is a Grade 1-2, it is usually resolved with a specialized worming treatment involving a Panacur PowerPak and an Osteopathic session to clear the artery. Unfortunately, Grades 3-4 can only be helped by preventing the larva to do any further damage to the artery, but the vertebrae are usually fused by that point. I have worked with several horses with Grades 3-4 who are able to comfortably be ridden at a lower impact discipline. The cause of worm aneurysms is confirmed to be due to a large parasite load of Large Strongyle, but there also seems to be an element of lifestyle and diet that play a factor. Horses who are continuously under stress, fed an inflammatory diet, and wormed regularly are still at risk. This is a good reminder of how powerful inflammation is in the body. If you suspect your horse may have a worm aneurysm, it is best to consult an Osteopathic Practitioner and your vet.
 
Blessings,
Amy

In early April my childhood horse, and lifelong friend of 27 years (Lancelot), passed over at the age of  30 to receive his renewed body and eternal life with our Father. As with all things, I felt God was showing me important parts of the entire process that I needed to share with you. You see, learning to process grief is not just about the grief. It’s about all the other emotions you experience throughout your life too. If grief is not processed like it needs to be, it will adversely affect other areas of your life…including how you experience joy. As a society, we are not comfortable with and try not to discuss something that at some point we will all face… grieving the passing of a beloved animal.  I hope this will give you some insight and possibly provide some support and healing to those who have also experienced the passing of a beloved animal.
 Prepare Where Possible
While you are in the middle of enduring the pain of a passing or planning to help an animal pass, is not the best time to make decisions on arrangements for burial or veterinary support. It’s a difficult subject to think about, but I encourage you to think through what works best for your situation. Have numbers of contacts on hand so you are not scrambling to find phone numbers for mobile veterinarians or burial services. When the time came that we determined we needed to help Lancelot pass, I was grateful I had already determined we would enlist the help of our longtime friend and veterinarian to make a farm call and arrange cremation. Each person’s situation may vary depending on the services in your area, where your horse lives, and your personal wishes. Please take some time to think through what will work best so you don’t have to add those decisions to an already incredibly difficult time.
How do you know it’s time?
I think one of the hardest decisions we must make as stewards of animals and beloved friends, is when it is time to help them pass. There is no one size that fits all answer. I once had a dear veterinarian friend tell me that it is rarely too soon, and that has been my experience. If your horse is not able to live out their life in a happy and pain-free manner, you should evaluate all the factors. Sometimes it can be helpful to have a trusted friend or wellness team member to seek their opinion. When we are really close to our friends, it’s common that we can be blinded to the reality of the situation. When I knew it was time for Lancelot, only part of me would accept it. The other part of me was blocked and reasoning as to why it was not time. What I realized was that the blocked part of me was scared. I was scared of the process, scared of the hurt I would endure, scared of… Once I realized that the only reason the blocked part of me was not in support of me helping Lancelot pass was my own selfish fear, I knew I had to be brave to do the very kindest thing any of us could ever do.
Healing Afterwards
Allow yourself to grieve. I mean really grieve. Don’t put yourself in situations that you will have to subdue emotions. This may involve you taking time off work for a week or more. When the emotion to cry comes up and it is subdued, it will manifest itself later in a more intense way with some unresolved feelings attached to it. With the passing of Lancelot, I truly allowed myself to cry when and where I needed to. To be honest, I still have days I cry. But the reality is, I will always have days I cry. That’s how grief works. You never “get over it”. You learn to find a duality of living a joyful life while also having the hurt of them not being present with you sometimes pop up…and that’s a completely healthy and normal response. It is important to remember that everyone has a specific way they need to process grief. Remember those 5 Stages of Grief we’ve all heard of: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance? Those were developed from a study of people who were diagnosed with a terminal illness and had limited time remaining. Those are NOT the way we all grieve and it’s unfortunate that we have all learned them as “The Way” everyone processes grief! The processing of grief is very individualized because we are individuals, and our brains are all unique. It’s normal that you will bounce around between all the stages in different orders and could have your own stage as well.
 
​Let’s talk about the brain for a moment. When you experience grief, your brain is affected. Yes. There are literal changes in your brain that cause you to have brain fog, feel depressed, feel angry, etc. It’s important to know this if you are supporting a friend, or experiencing it yourself. There is nothing wrong with you…you are healing. Grief is the brain’s survival response, and it needs time. I can completely attest to my brain being affected. I have tried to sit down and write new content for the past 6 weeks, and I wasn’t able to do it. I would just sit at the computer. I finally told myself it was “Ok”. I had to heal how I had to heal and I was open to whatever that looked like. Everyone heals at different rates. As a society, we would think oh that happened two months ago, 6 months ago, a year ago…she should be over that. No, that’s not how grief works. You never “get over it”, and the path to healing is different for everyone. Be gracious with yourself and your friends.
 
Have someone you can talk to. Whether it’s a friend, spouse, or therapist. I had the most healing occur when my husband would ask “How are you doing?” and I would actually answer truthfully how I was doing and what I was feeling. Then I would be that person for him and ask him how he was doing (Lancelot was also a huge part of my husband’s life too for almost 20 years). Perhaps YOU can be that person for your friend. Reach out and ask how they are doing. Truly ask and encourage them to truly answer.
 
This is an excerpt from an article for The American Brain Foundation: “Grief is a normal protective process,” says Dr. Shulman. “This process is an evolutionary adaptation to promote survival in the face of emotional trauma.” Changes in brain function go largely undetected when an individual continues functioning normally, but these experiences still affect how the brain works. [1]
 
I have found it helpful to have goals to be working towards. The structure helped me feel accomplished and like I was still moving forward. When you are in the midst of processing, you feel almost numb and like time stands still. Work towards baby steps on what your brain can be open to and be gracious with yourself. Be gracious with your friends.
 
What do you say?
It can be hard to know what to say to support a friend during their grieving period. Most of the time, a simple “I’m so sorry” is the best thing. Don’t make it about you. Acknowledge the passing of your friend’s horse and offer compassion. If you’re not comfortable about saying the right thing, sometimes just being there and not saying much is most helpful. Small acknowledgements like a card, text, or email are extremely helpful to know that other people recognize you are hurting.
I had two people say things to me about Lancelot’s passing that will always stay with me. One friend described our relationship as an “Epic Love Story”. The other told me that the passing of our heart horses affects us like no other passing…we never stop the grieving, and that is ok. That’s ok. There was something about hearing someone else say that it was ok to be hurting and there would be times for years to come it may come up that allowed me to be gracious with myself.
I am very cognizant about words I use. I do not like to use the words referencing euthanasia such as “Put to Sleep” or “Put Down”. I prefer to use the words “Helping Pass”. I also think we should re-evaluate using the word, Loss. When someone passes, we don’t lose them. I didn’t lose Lancelot. I know exactly where he is. Using the word Loss or Lose makes it sound like an unresolved incident. Just something to think about.
I truly believe God sends the exact horses into our lives that we need. I am forever grateful God sent me Lancelot. We grew up together and he taught me things no other horse has. I am focusing on our amazing time together and look forward to seeing him soon. I scattered part of Lancelot’s ashes under the trees in his pasture where he liked to nap. When I would go catch him, I would tell him to meet me at the gate, and he would walk up to meet me. As I scattered his ashes, I remembered those words and realized he would me at a different gate now. The gates of Heaven.
 
I hope this may help some of you out there. Whether you are going through the grief of a horse passing, or you know someone who is. I want to thank you for reading this too. It took me a while to write this, and even now with tears streaming down my face, I find more healing occurring.
 
Blessings,
Amy


[1] https://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/how-tragedy-affects-the-brain/