A Closer Look At Equine Lice

Lice infestation, also known as pediculosis, can occur in horses of all ages. Horses are affected by both sucking (Anoplura) and biting (Mallophaga) lice. These lice are host specific, meaning they only cause infestation in equids. The life cycle of a louse consists of three phases: egg (nit), larvae (nymph) and adult. All three phases of this life cycle need to occur on the horse or other equids. Adult females deposit eggs near the skin where they develop into nymphs and later adults.

Transmission occurs through direct contact between horses or indirectly though brushes, blankets, saddle pads and other grooming equipment and tack. The majority of transmission occurs quickly as lice cannot live off of the host for more than a few days. Infestations appear most commonly in the winter because lice cannot survive the warm body temperatures that occur in summer when horses are exposed to sunlight. There is some evidence of “carriers,” or animals that can remain infected throughout the summer months, that lead to re-infestation of the other members of the herd come fall. Immunocompromised, under-conditioned or sick equids are more likely to become affected.

The most common sign associated with lice infection is itching or pruritis. Depending on the severity of the infestation, hair loss and skin lesions (dry, ulcerated or crusty) may be present. Horses may cause trauma to themselves attempting to itch and loss of body condition and/or anemia (low red blood cell count) can occur with more severe infestations. Lice are often most apparent in the mane and tail, and infestations occur more commonly in horses with heavy hair coats.

Diagnosis is made by visually identifying the lice. Infestations will range in severity and the number of lice present can vary dramatically. Lice tend to migrate toward the tip of the hair shaft when the horse is warm or sweaty, so exercise can sometimes exacerbate the number of lice visible.

Individualized treatment recommendations should be made by the owner's primary veterinarian. The type of treatment can be dependent on the type of lice with multiple oral deworming products or topical insecticides (shampoos, sprays, wipes, powders) available. It is important that treatment is done at proper intervals, and more than once, as no products are effective against the egg stage.

Management strategies include continual surveillance of the herd while paying closer attention to any new or sick or immune-compromised horses. Once an infestation is identified, the affected animals, and those in contact, should be isolated and treated. Additionally, cleaning and applying an insecticide to brushes, tack and saddle pads is recommended.

For more information on lice, visit the American Association of Equine Practitioners website.

Sign up for the University of Minnesota Extension Horse Newsletter here.

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Despite $20K Monthly Exterminator Bill, Rat Problem Persists in Laurel Stables

Despite paying more than $20,000 monthly to exterminators to try and quell an ongoing rat problem on the Laurel Park backstretch, the infestation has persisted, leading track management to seek additional professional help by soliciting new bids from additional companies.

Sal Sinatra, the president of the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which owns both Laurel and Pimlico Race Course, disclosed the plan of action during the Jan. 28 Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) meeting.

Sinatra has mentioned the track's efforts to control the rats at previous MJC meetings. But when he didn't bring up the subject during the MJC's monthly update that was on the agenda, commissioner Thomas Bowman asked him to detail a private discussion the two of them had recently about the rats, because Bowman said other commissioners should be aware of what is going on.

“We tried the experiment of emptying one barn out and letting the exterminators in there to do a 'full-court press,'” Sinatra explained. “It seemed to work for a couple of weeks. But after the horses and everybody were settled back in, they returned.”

As is the case in any rodent-control effort, educating the people who work in the stables about proper protocols and getting them to adhere to those guidelines is a key component of the plan.

“Right now it's a work in progress,” Sinatra said, adding that there will be a renewed focus to “clean up some bad practices that we all do back there that are actually keeping the rats, you know, healthy.”

Sinatra said that effort includes making sure horse feed is tightly secured in containers that are above ground level and taking care not to dump uneaten horse feed near the shed rows when meal buckets are cleaned out.

“We're currently paying well over $20,000 a month to these people [and] we need some extra expertise,” Sinatra said. “It's not that the company that were using isn't doing a good job and aren't responsive. But whatever they're doing, they're not getting ahead of the rat infestation.”

The commission's other business was brief on Thursday. The MJC voted by voice without objections to eliminate the allowable race-day threshold for clenbuterol that it proposed back on Oct. 22. No objections to the rule had been lodged during the rule's public commentary period. It takes effect Mar. 1.

J. Michael Hopkins, the MRC's executive director, said this time frame would “give all the horsemen ample time, if they are using clenbuterol, to cease using it for at least 30 days” before the rule takes effect.

The MJC also voted, without any voiced objections, to clarify, on an “emergency” basis, the language on its no-Lasix policy for 2-year-olds and in graded stakes races.

Other jurisdictions have recently enacted similar clarifications that led to unintended consequences when horses shipped from one racetrack to another and/or dropped out of stakes company back into a Lasix-allowed race.

Although the exact language of this new rule was not read into the record, Hopkins explained it is designed to prevent a horse from having to sit out for 60 days and then become recertified by a veterinarian as a bleeder to resume using Lasix, which unfairly penalizes those horses that participated in Lasix-free races.

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