Ticks have become a significant concern for horses with their presence spreading to previously unaffected areas. The reasons behind their increased prevalence vary, including global warming and the rise in tick-infested deer and wildlife populations. Besides itchy skin and blood loss, ticks also transmit serious diseases like Lyme Disease, Equine Piroplasmosis, Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, and Tick Paralysis. Because ticks are not species-specific, they can feed on horses, dogs, and humans alike.
Ticks are blind and detect their hosts by sensing ammonia from a horse’s breath or body during sweating, as well as by detecting moisture, heat, and vibrations. They wait for a host on grasses and shrubs, extending their first pair of legs. When a horse passes by, ticks quickly climb aboard and can attach immediately or move around the horse in search of areas with thinner skin, such as the chest, underbelly, mane, tail, or flank. Tick bites are often itchy and appear as small, firm nodules. Once engorged with blood, ticks can exit the body to molt and lay eggs.
Since ticks usually require a feeding period before transmitting diseases, it’s crucial to remove them promptly. Thoroughly check horses for ticks after a ride and at least daily if they’re out on pasture. Sometimes it’s easier to feel ticks than see them, so use your fingertips to scratch the horse’s skin in areas where ticks tend to attach, looking for small bumps indicating immature ticks that are hard to spot. If you find a tick, remove it immediately. Avoid the harmful rumors surrounding tick removal, such as crushing or twisting the tick, smothering it with baby oil or petroleum, or using a lit match. Instead, wear gloves and use tweezers to gently grasp the tick by the head where it enters the skin. Pull firmly, slowly, and steadily straight away from the skin until the tick’s head detaches. Place the detached tick in a small jar of rubbing alcohol to kill it. Wash the attachment site with a mild antiseptic and clean your hands.
To decrease the number of ticks your horse encounters, manage the pasture by removing brush and mowing tall grass where ticks typically reside. Discouraging wildlife like deer can also help prevent tick reintroduction. Tick prevention involves a combination of locating and removing ticks, applying topical acaricides directly to the horse, and implementing environmental controls. Common repellents include pyrethrins and synthetic pyrethroids. It’s important to check the labels of these products to ensure their effectiveness against ticks as some horse fly sprays are not effective against ticks. Apply the repellents to the horse’s mane, tail head, chest, and underbelly before riding or turning them out on pasture.
Alternatively, oral administration of ivermectin or moxidectin dewormers can be effective against ticks, but the ticks must feed on the treated horse for the drugs to take effect, so still can cause transmission of disease.
Essential oils have been studied for their potential as natural tick repellents. While some essential oils may have repellent properties, it’s important to note that their effectiveness can vary, and they may not provide the same level of protection as synthetic chemical-based repellents.
Research suggests that certain essential oils, such as citronella, lavender, lemon eucalyptus, and geranium may have some repellent effects against ticks. These oils contain compounds that can act as natural deterrents for ticks and other insects. However, the efficacy of essential oils as tick repellents can be limited in comparison to synthetic repellents that have undergone extensive testing and development. It’s important to consider that essential oils may offer a shorter duration of protection and require more frequent application compared to commercial tick repellents.
Lyle Sunada is a pharmacist specializing in veterinary medicine and alternative medicine at Cloverdale Pharmasave. Lyle has helped small and large animal owners for over 30 years and believes in looking at the root cause of health conditions. Everything mentioned in the article is available in-store.
