A webinar on managing equine parasites and anthelmintic resistance at the end of the month is presented by worming expert and British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) President-Elect, David Rendle.

Organized by the Mare and Foal Sanctuary, “Defusing the Timebomb” will be an opportunity for veterinarians, owners, yard managers, students and anyone else interested in equine health to learn more about this complex and important.

It will provide in-depth insight into the best ways to manage worms and anthelmintic resistance and offer a mix of up-to-date scientific knowledge and practical advice that can be used by everyone from veterinarians and yard managers to individual owners.

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary is at the forefront of finding new ways to combat heavy loads of worms in horses and ponies. The charity’s team have gained a wealth of knowledge in running their own courses and providing free, shameless advice to both their own carers and the wider equine community.

Resistance to deworming drugs is becoming a significant problem for those caring for horses and ponies.

As early as the 1980s, veterinarians and horse professionals noticed that worms could become resistant to available drugs. When this happens, the treatment stops working and the worm load begins to increase, causing health problems for the affected equine.

There are five main types of worms in equines: small red worms, large red worms, tapeworms, roundworms and bots. All of these can seriously affect a horse’s health, causing life-threatening gastrointestinal issues such as colic, ulcers and blocked intestines. Without effective anthelmintics, the equine population is at serious risk of health problems and even premature death.

Mare and Foal Sanctuary chief executive Sarah Jane Williamson said there was a lot to learn about anthelmintics, and the charity was grateful to Rendle for taking part in the webinar.

“As one of the experts in the field of anthelmintics, we want to learn from him. We are very proud of what we have achieved so far with our approach to anthelmintic resistance, but we know there is still much to learn about how we as an equine community can work together to ensure the safety of our horses and ponies.

” Register for Defuse the ticking time bomb May 26 at 7:30 p.m. (GMT). The webinar costs £5 (plus booking fee). All money raised will help the sanctuary continue to provide loving, lifelong care for horses and ponies in need.

David Rendle works as an independent consultant in equine medicine and therapy, and has lectured and published on a wide range of topics. He is particularly interested in gastrointestinal medicine and has been campaigning for several years to act on resistance to anthelmintics. Rendle, a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, is also deeply involved in recent work to support equines and their owners in Ukraine.