Dewormer and shots

Question
Hello Will be bringing home a 6 month old colt and yes it is male. We will be working on weaning him. 50 miles apart so that should work. Not sure when to give him shots (age wises) and what kind of dewormer and when to start it.  Do have 4 other horses and deworm them every two months and shots twice a year.  I would be grateful for a reply

Have a great night

Answer
Dear Mandy,

Congratulations on your new colt!  Weaning is a stressful event no matter how old the colt or how it is done and this needs to be considered in your worming and vaccination plans.  As I am not a vet I can not advise you on the specifics of these issues and would recommend that you talk with your vet about the best plan before bringing your horse home.  You are wise to want to vaccinate him and worm him as young horses are prone to worms and also are more susceptible to viruses etc.  It is not uncommon for weanlings to develop colds due to the stress of weaning and the fact weaning typically occurs right when the weather gets bad.  Additionally mares milk is a great immune system booster which suddenly disappears right at the time when they are confronted with new bacteria etc.

If he was mine I would do a few things to give him a fighting chance before you move him.  First off I would want to make sure he is getting some kind of balanced grain for growing horses before he is moved and that he is eating it well.  This will help to prevent him from dropping weight as he weans.  You want to create a slow transition.  I would also consider vaccinating and worming him before you move him for the same reasons.  Once he is at your barn I would feed him separately to the other horses so you are sure that he gets what he needs and isn't being bullied.

I don't know whether you have access to progressive nutrition products but their foals first starter and creep is a good product for weanlings as is the mineral supplement made specifically for weanlings and young horses the rejuvinaide.  You can look them up online
http://www.prognutrition.com/EquineProducts.htm

If you can't get these products then something similar is probably made by the feed company that you have easy access to.

Feed him as much grass hay as he will eat during the transition and if you can see if you can get a bale from his current owner so that you can feed him familiar hay for the first week.  I would get him some Forco or RationPlus which are both probiotics and will help his digestive system as he changes diet and goes through a stressful situation.  It is very important that all horses but especially young horses get a balanced diet that meets the extra demands of growing.  Please let me know if I can help you put together a balanced diet for him.

I am sorry that I can not be more help re the specifics of a worming and vaccination program but your vet will be able to give you help in that area.

Good luck and enjoy your new boy.
Best wishes
Clair Thunes, PhD

Independent Equine Nutritionist,
Equilibrate Equine Consulting
www.equilibrateequine.com
info@equilibrateequine.com