Smarter Worming Starts Here

For many years, horse owners followed a simple routine—worm every horse every few months and hope for the best.

Today, we know there's a better approach.

Modern parasite control is about treating the right horse with the right wormer at the right time, helping to keep horses healthy while slowing the development of wormer resistance.

One of the most versatile products available is Virbac Equimax® Elevation—a unique triple-active wormer designed to tackle a broad range of parasites while helping protect the effectiveness of our worming treatments for the future.

Before reaching for any wormer, it's worth asking one simple question:

A Faecal Egg Count (FEC) is a quick, affordable test that measures the number of worm eggs your horse is shedding. It helps identify horses carrying significant worm burdens, allowing treatment to be targeted where it's needed most.

Not every horse carries the same parasite load. In fact, many healthy adult horses naturally carry very low worm burdens and may not require treatment as often as others.

Using FEC testing means you can:

• Avoid unnecessary worming.
• Slow the development of wormer resistance.
• Save money on treatments.
• Make better-informed decisions about your horse's health.

While FECs are excellent for monitoring common intestinal worms, they don't detect every parasite. That's why strategic treatments for parasites such as tapeworm and bots are still recommended at certain times of the year.

Unlike many horse wormers that contain one or two active ingredients, Equimax® Elevation combines three:

1. Ivermectin
2. Pyrantel
3. Praziquantel

This unique combination provides broad-spectrum control of susceptible equine internal parasites, including:

• Large and small strongyles
• Roundworms (ascarids)
• Tapeworms
• Bots
• Lungworms
• Intestinal threadworms
• Certain skin parasites such as summer sores and neck threadworms

Having three active ingredients means Equimax® Elevation offers excellent coverage in a single dose.

One of the biggest challenges facing horse owners today is wormer resistance.

Over many years, some parasites have become less susceptible to commonly used worming ingredients. Young horses, in particular, are seeing increasing resistance in ascarids (roundworms) to the mectin family of wormers.

The inclusion of both ivermectin and pyrantel provides a double action against these parasites, while praziquantel delivers highly effective tapeworm control.

Using combination products strategically is considered one way to help delay the further development of resistance and preserve the effectiveness of our available wormers.

Foals and young horses have immature immune systems and are far more susceptible to worms than adult horses.

Ascarids are particularly common in horses under two years of age and can cause:

Because resistance in ascarids is becoming more common, Equimax® Elevation is an excellent option for young horses from around 6 weeks of age, providing broad protection during this important stage of development.

While every horse's worming program should be tailored to its age, management and FEC results, Equimax® Elevation is particularly useful during autumn and winter for Adult Horses and in spring for foals and weanlings.

These seasons are an ideal time to target:

• Tapeworms, which are commonly treated once or twice a year.
• Bots, after the first frosts when bot activity declines.
• Horses requiring a broad-spectrum treatment following FEC monitoring.

Equimax® Elevation has been extensively tested for safety and can be used on:

Its apple-flavoured paste also makes dosing straightforward for most horses.

No wormer can do the whole job on its own.

Good pasture hygiene also plays a huge role in reducing parasite exposure. Simple management practices such as:

can all help reduce parasite burdens naturally.

Effective parasite control isn't about worming more—it's about worming smarter.

Regular Faecal Egg Count testing helps identify when treatment is genuinely needed, while strategic use of quality broad-spectrum products like Virbac Equimax® Elevation provides excellent protection against a wide range of important parasites.

With its unique triple-active formulation, broad parasite coverage and particular benefits for young horses and resistance management, Equimax® Elevation is an excellent choice as part of a modern, evidence-based worming program.