An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure!

It's that time of year to be a responsible horse owner and deworm, and prep for your animal's vaccinations. I certainly am not claiming to be a veterinarin of any sorts. In fact I'm not sure that I can even spell it correctly. I have learned through trial and error, research, lots of questions to reliable sources, and the fact that my own herd of horse have managed to stay healthy.
Myth 1: Rotation is the best deworming program.
It's more effective to know which parasites you're trying to prevent in your horse before implementing a particular deworming strategy. " Horse Illustrated May 2007"
Myth 2: Horses living on dry lots in arid conditions aren't susceptible to worms.
The number of worms in dry lot if diminished, but even horses living in the desert get parasites.
Myth 3: Tapeworms only come from fleas, so horses dont get them.
Horses can get tapeworms, so speak to your veterinarian regarding how often to treat your horse with a product labeled for tapeworm control.
Myth 4: Only use ivermectin-based dewormers because they kill the most parasites.
Ivermection-based dewormers are excellent, but ivermectin alone is eneffective against tapeworms and there have been reports of ivermectin-resistant ascarids.
Myth 5: Daily feed-through products are dangerous for your horses.
Pyratel tartrate is the only chemical approved for daily deworming and has been proven safe. If you use a daily feed-through product, you'll still need to incorporate a broad-spectrum dewormer into your program at least twice a year.
Myth 6: Moxidectin-based dewormers harm horses.
Moxidectin is safe for healthy horses except those younger than 6 months old.
Myth 7: Don't exercise your horse right after deworming.
As long as your horse is regularly dewormed and isn't carrying a high parasite load, it's safe to exercise him.
This was taken from "Horse Illustrated May 2007"

Marlene's opinion: Most of the above is sound advise.
Parasites do and will exists in our area. It's important to educate yourself on what types are a problem in your environment. Become familiar with what to look for in your horses behavior, condition, appetite, and check his stools often. Remember that deworming medications are a poison and I prefer not to overdose my animals with chemicals that are unnecessary. Many veterinarians in this area prescribe ivermectin-based dewormer because it does eliminate most of the parasites. However, you should be familiar enough with your horse to know if your horse may need another treatment. (Check his stools!)
notes: Up until this year Ivermectin in ten dose bottle could be purchased from the veterinarian. This is no longer the case due to misuse. The entire bottle was to administered completely once opened. It was very cost effective for people with ten or more horses... It was not meant to be used on a few horses and then used later because of contamination. It has been pulled from distribution to the public. DANG!
Try this: Before administering deworming paste, tip the syringe with a half slice of apple, shoot, and hold his head up! Save the empty syringe, fill with apple sauce and administer to your horse on occasion. Next time you have to deworm he just may look forward to that syringe!