Removing Ticks on a Horse's Ears

Ticks carry numerous diseases, and can be devastating to humans as well as animals -- even massive, seemingly unpenetrable horses. These insects can pass along blood-born illnesses that can weaken the immune system, destroy muscle mass and even cause death. Ticks should be removed immediately when discovered, and should be killed after removal to prevent reattachment to another horse, animal or human. If a tick is discovered in a horse's ear, removal must be executed with great caution and care as many horses are skittish when faced with ear discomfort or pain.

  1. The Tweezer Method

    • Have a helper handy to hold the horse while exercising this method of tick removal. Treats are also handy to distract and ultimately soothe your horse. Using the tweezers, grasp the tick firmly behind its head and pull straight out. Do not twist or bend the tick, or attempt to force it out with Vaseline or baby oil; these approaches are often ineffective and the tick burrows more thoroughly into the skin, or remains steadfast in its spot.

    Endo Parasiticides

    • While many horses can eat daily or monthly supplements in their feed to kill internal parasites such as round worms and bots, external, or endo-parasites cannot be killed this way. Instead, use a spray or dust designed to kill these pests on contact. Often these chemicals are safe for moderate use on horses, but take care to prevent excessive inhalation of the material. When applying on the ears, be sure to protect the horse's eyes and nostrils.

    Suffocation

    • Because ticks use their heads for embedding themselves into skin and sucking the blood there, they do not breath through conventional means. Instead, they breathe through their abdomens, which leaves them susceptible to suffocation. Carefully approach your horse and use a cotton ball soaked with rubbing alcohol. Hold it over the tick for at least a minute and a half, then carefully attempt to pull the tick out with tweezers. If there's any resistance, repeat the process, this time waiting longer with the cotton ball.

    Prevention

    • Protect your horses from re-infestation by mowing all surrounding fields and treating common standing areas in paddocks with the aforementioned external tick parasiticide. Do this at least twice a season, and check your horse regularly for ticks. Fly masks with ear coverings can also be purchased, and are an inexpensive method of prevention; these masks are made of mesh and fit over your horse's ears and eyes to dissuade ticks from entering sensitive ear canals.