May/June 2025 Issue

Page 14 May/June 2025 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN By Cassy Streeter, Equi-Analytical. Is your horse putting on more weight than usual? Per- haps they’re struggling to keep condition eating this year’s hay? It might be time to check your horse’s diet and Equi-Analyti- cal can help! Equi-Analytical, based in Ithaca, New York, is a feed and forage testing labora- tory that can provide you with a complete nutritional analysis of Turn to Equi-Analytical to Analyze Your Horses’ Diet your hay, pasture, feed, and even treats! Horse owners can collect samples and send them directly to Equi-Analytical for analysis. We will test your sample and then return a report to you with infor- mation on the protein, fiber, fat, sugar, starch, and mineral content of your feed or forage sample. A common question we get at Equi-Analytical is: how do I collect a hay sample? For the best tool to collect a representative sample, we recommend a hay probe or hay corer. Hay probes are available for sale on our web- site, though you may also check with your local extension office, pony clubs, or veterinarian’s office to see if they have a hay probe available to use. Sample at least 12-20 bales and combine the core samples into a single quart size plastic bag. Complete the sample submission form and then mail the form and sample to Equi-Analytical. The next question is: what to do with the results? There are several options for evaluating your analysis, including working with a vet, an equine nutritionist, or a feed company representa- tive to help you figure out how to supplement your horse’s diet appropriately. Equi-Analytical exists to help horse owners see what they’re feeding their equines. You can learn more about all our services by visiting our website, equi-analytical.com . Sending in a sample for analysis today will help improve your horse’s overall health. It’s no longer enough to ro- tate wormers. Overuse of equine deworming products has led to the development of parasite resis- Fecal Egg Counts are the First Step in Deworming Your Horses tance. Veterinarians now recom- mend a personalized deworming schedule based on the individual horse’s needs. The only way to determine whether your horse is a low shedder of parasite eggs (under 200 eggs per gram), a moderate shedder (200 to 500 epg) or high shedder (500+ epg) is a fecal egg count. And Horsemen’s Laborato- ry is here to help. Their Fecal Egg Count test will identify the parasites and the egg quantity. The tests can detect Strongyles (most common), Roundworms, and occasionally tapeworms and pinworms so you know which dewormer is best to use. In addition to helping to combat parasite resistance, these tests save money by allowing you to treat only for the amount and kind of parasite they find. The kits come with ev- erything you need to send in a sample for each horse including postage paid envelopes with tracking. The results are pro- cessed the day they are received and emailed that afternoon. Horsemen’s Lab also offers a fecal tapeworm test that is 90 percent accurate for tapeworms when there are 20 or more tape- worms. The accuracy decreases to 60 percent when one tapeworm is present. It also includes the fecal test. Horsemen’s Laboratory strives to provide very fast accurate results (generally within 3-5 business days) as well as excellent customer service and consultation on which dewormers to use. “We strive to be an honest, personable company where you will speak to an actual person who is knowledgeable about parasites and parasite resis- tance,” said owner Ivy Lewis. “We also strive to answer all questions and if we do not know the answer we will work to find one.” Visit online at horsemenslab. com or call 800-544-0599 for more information or to order.