An international dressage rider and coach has spoken about the tragic loss of her much-loved homebred yearling in an effort to increase awareness surrounding worms in horses.Carolyn Mellors future star Tigger went from being a picture of health to suddenly losing his sparkle and rapidly deteriorating, and despite best efforts to save him, eventually the kindest option was to put the youngster to sleep.Carolyn, who is based in Comber, Northern Ireland, told Your Horse she now wants to ensure equestrians are made aware of the risks posed bywormsand form a better understanding of up-to-date best practice surrounding parasite control.She explained that Tigger had been his usual playful self the day before he became unwell, bucking and squealing in the field with the other youngsters. The following day she noticed him looking a bit dull and despite his temperature being normal, she called out thevetas she still thought something was wrong.After conducting tests which came back clear it was suspected Tigger may have been feeling unwell after being gelded three weeks previously, so he was put on antibiotics in case of infection. However, he did not improve and further tests revealed his white blood cell count was very high and he needed to be taken to the equine hospital.Further investigation of tests found that Tigger was infested with redworms and that his colon was enlarged. A faecal sample was also conducted which came back clear forworms a fact which Carolyn highlights as showing that samples of droppings alone are not adequate for detecting allworms.After five days athospitalTigger was able to come home and was put on steroids and an intensive worming programme, but he went downhill again and had to return to thehospital. Two days later he tested positive for salmonella and Carolyn made the difficult decision to put him out of his suffering with the support of hervets.Lack of awarenessCarolyn said her experience was not an isolated event and that many other owners have experienced similar heartbreak and reached out to her following Tiggers loss. She believes there is a lack of knowledge on modernwormtesting methods, parasite management and wormer resistance.It is becoming a real problem and is escalating, she said. A lot of people think theyre experts but theres so many people that have messaged me from all over the world that said they had no idea [about faecal egg counts not always revealingwormburdens], not just amateur riders but professionals.Its not commonly known but it needs to be put out there.Carolyn urged horse owners to speak to theirvetabout the best course of action for their animals and to not rely on faecalwormcounts alone, particularly for very young or old horses.She said that after she shared Tiggers story online she heard from another 10 owners who had lost youngsters that week toworms.All the horses on her yard have now had blood tests and only two required worming. Carolyn has also taken the horses off her land and will graze sheep on her paddocks to further mitigate the risks.Tigger went from one day being a playful, stocky, fat yearling to looking so thin tucked up and miserable it was frightening how quickly it happened, she said.A special youngsterTigger had an exciting career ahead of him and was a special member of the herd.He was just an amazing yearling, Carolyn said. From when he was first born he was cheeky and forward, also the most trusting. He caught everyones eye, he was beautiful and moved really well.He was a very nice person and never had any issue with anything, he wasnt frightened and was up at the door chatting to us from when he was born.Its a real shame to lose any, but he was one I earmarked to keep and had a good young rider in mind to produce him. I really thought he was special and he was going to be a real superstar.Carolyn hopes Tiggers life wasnt in vain and that his story will show thatwormscan affect anyone, however experienced, and for others to be vigilant of signs their horse may be suffering.VetadviceOne of Carolynsvets, Zoe Jameson MRCVSof Tullyraine Equine Clinic, supports Carolyns ambitions to raise awareness among owners of correct parasite control.As a practising equinevet, I see first-hand how muchwormingstrategies have changed in recent years and how important it is for horse owners to move away from routine, calendar-based dosing, she told Your Horse. With increasing resistance and no newwormertypes in development, winterwormingneeds to be thoughtful, evidence-based, and tailored to each horse.The most important step is simple:test and risk-assess before you treat. Regular faecal egg counts (FECs) give a reliable picture of how many strongyle eggs a horse is shedding. When followed up with a faecal egg count reduction test (FECR) afterworming, we can confirm whether a product has worked and monitor for resistance developing on the yard.Winter is also the time when we must be especially mindful ofencysted redworm, one of the most dangerous parasites affecting horses. These larvae hide in the gut wall and do not show up on routine FECs, which is why a proper winter risk assessment is essential: looking at age, grazing density, pasture management and testing history.Young horses, older horses, newcomers to the yard and those with limited testing records often need more targeted winter protection.Zoe explained that tapeworm control has also evolved. Because tapeworm eggs rarely appear in droppings, saliva or blood antibody testing is the most reliable way to assess exposure and avoid unnecessary treatments.Choosing the rightwormermeans focusing onactive ingredients, not brands, and matching the product to the parasite you are targeting, she said.Alongside this, good pasture hygiene; regular poo picking, rotational grazing and avoiding overstocking remains the most powerfulworm-control tool we have.Zoe has created aWinterWormingGuideshe is happy to share for free. Those interested in finding out more can emailhello@zoejamesonvet.co.ukand she will send a copy.You can also follow Zoes advice online via her social media@zoejamesonvetMore from Your HorseWhich parasite and why: essential seven-step worming planEssential horse worming schedule and management tips from a vetProgress made in battle against equine parasite resistanceVet warning after rise in cases of colitisThe post Owners urged to be vigilant after loss of beloved youngster appeared first on Your Horse.