New Australian Horse Worming Guidelines: What Every Horse Owner Must Know

New Australian Horse Worming Guidelines: What Every Horse Owner Must Know main image New Australian Horse Worming Guidelines: What Every Horse Owner Must Know image
Australia’s new 2025 horse worming guidelines replace outdated 6–8 week drenching with smarter, seasonal treatments. Learn why foundation doses matter, how to match worming to your horse’s age, and which wormers fit best.

New Australian Horse Worming Guidelines 2025: What Every Horse Owner Must Know

For decades, horse owners in Australia followed the same worming advice: drench every 6–8 weeks, rotate chemicals, and keep parasites under control. While this approach worked in the short term, it also created a serious problem — worm resistance. By treating too often and without strategy, horse worms adapted. Today, resistance is one of the biggest threats to horse health in Australia.

That’s why in 2025, the Australian Equine Parasitology Advisory Panel (AEPAP) released the updated Australian Guidelines for Equine Internal Parasite Management (AGEIPM). These guidelines are based on the latest science and tailored specifically to Australian conditions. For horse owners, they represent a shift away from outdated blanket worming, and towards a smarter, more sustainable way of protecting horses.

Why the Old Approach No Longer Works

The old-school approach of worming every 6–8 weeks had two major flaws:

  • It encouraged resistance: Worm populations exposed too frequently to drenches evolved resistance. Resistant worms survive treatment, breed, and spread.
  • It overdosed horses unnecessarily: Many horses naturally carry low worm burdens and didn’t need treating as often as they were being wormed.

The result? Resistant small strongyles (cyathostomes) are now widespread across Australia, making some wormers less effective. Once resistance develops, it does not reverse.

What’s New in the 2025 Australian Guidelines?

The updated guidelines focus on smarter, evidence-based control rather than blanket treatment. Key changes include:

  • Stop calendar worming: No more routine 6–8 week treatments.
  • Foundation treatments: Most adult horses need only 1–2 strategic worming treatments per year (spring and late autumn).
  • Young horses need more: Foals, yearlings and horses under 3 require more frequent worming due to weaker immunity.
  • Optional testing: Vets may use faecal egg counts (FEC) to fine-tune programs, but for most owners the key rule still applies: all horses require at least two worming treatments a year with the right products.
  • Rotation = slow, not constant: Instead of swapping drenches every dose, rotate chemical classes every 12 months, if resistance isn’t already present.

How to Worm Smarter Under the New Guidelines

1. Focus on the Right Times of Year

  • Spring: Treat for strongyles and tapeworms. Use a combination wormer with praziquantel such as Equimax Plus Tape.
  • Late Summer–Autumn: Target bots and strongyles. A broad-spectrum wormer like Virbac Ultimum is ideal.
  • Late Autumn–Winter: Provide a foundation dose for strongyles and tapeworm using Virbac Equimax or Strategy-T.

2. Match the Program to Your Horse’s Age

  • Foals and yearlings: Need 3–4 worming treatments per year, with a focus on roundworms (Parascaris) and strongyles.
  • Horses 1–3 years: Still require 3 worming treatments annually until their immunity strengthens.
  • Adult horses (3+ years): Usually need only 1–2 treatments per year — in spring and late autumn — unless they are high shedders.

3. Quarantine New Arrivals

Any new horse entering your property should be wormed with a combination product and kept in a clean yard until clear. This stops resistant worms from being introduced onto your pasture.

The Role of Pasture Management

Worming works best when combined with good pasture hygiene:

  • Remove manure at least twice weekly.
  • Rest or rotate paddocks to break parasite lifecycles.
  • Cross-graze with cattle or sheep where possible.
  • Avoid overstocking, which increases exposure to worm larvae.

Which Wormers Fit the 2025 Guidelines?

Delzani supplies a full range of wormers that align with the new best practice recommendations:

  • Equimax Plus Tape – Broad-spectrum coverage including tapeworm.
  • Virbac Ultimum – Dual-active protection for bots, strongyles and more.
  • Virbac Equimax – Trusted broad-spectrum wormer with praziquantel.
  • Strategy-T – A proven rotation option with pyrantel and oxfendazole.

Key Takeaways from the New Guidelines

  1. Stop routine calendar worming — focus on 1–2 foundation treatments per year.
  2. Use combination wormers that cover strongyles, bots, and tapeworms.
  3. Young horses require more frequent dosing than adults.
  4. Quarantine new arrivals to prevent resistant worms entering your horse on your property.
  5. Combine worming with good pasture hygiene for best results.

The 2025 Australian guidelines make it clear: smarter worming protects both your horse’s health and the effectiveness of wormers for the future. With the right seasonal approach and the right wormers, you’ll keep your horse healthy and reduce the risk of resistance long-term.

Shop Delzani’s complete range of horse wormers today to follow the latest guidelines and keep your horses protected year-round.