Ear Lice on a Horse

Horses' ears can be a target for lice and ticks but seldom ear mites. Lice are small, flat-bodied, wingless insects that are only 2 to 4 millimeters long when fully grown. Because of their small size and the fact that they breed in the thick coats horses grow during cold months, lice can be difficult to detect. Lice reside on many areas of a horse's body, including the ears, mane, tail and around the hoofs.

  1. Types of Lice

    • A horse's head and neck, including the ears and mane, are prime breeding grounds for lice.

      Lice species can be divided into two main types based on how they feed; some feed through sucking, while others feed through biting. They are sustained either by skin waste or the bodily fluids extracted from skin. The legs of lice have claws that facilitate clinging to hairs or feathers. Horses can be infested by two species of lice: Haematopinus asini (H asini), the horse sucking louse, and Damalinia equi (D equi), the horse biting louse. Ear lice can be of either species.

    Symptoms of Lice Infestation

    • A horse can become anemic if lice infestation remains untreated.

      Symptoms of lice infestation in horses includes loss of hair and coat luster; matting of body, mane and tail hair; skin irritation; and itching. A horse that has lice may rub against poles, walls and fencing or bite at the skin in order to scratch a lice-infested area. In severe lice cases, a horse can become anemic due to ongoing blood loss. You can detect lice by parting the horse's hair and closely examining both the hair and the skin. Biting lice, which tend to be active, are generally easy to see moving through the hair. Sucking lice move more slowly and are often observed with their mouth parts embedded in the skin.

    Treatment Options

    • To treat lice infestation, apply a insecticidal medication or a lice-killing powder. Because the life cycle of lice is relatively short, administering the treatment every two weeks should be enough to eradicate them. If treatment is not provided frequently enough, the number of lice could continue to increase. In addition, clipping the horse's coat will also limit the number of lice as they will have fewer places to burrow in, hide and breed.

    Causes

    • When horses are grouped together, lice infestations are likely to increase.

      Because a horse's thick coat is a breeding ground for lice, any horse is susceptible to lice infestation. Horses that are less healthy tend to experience severe infestation. When horses are kept together in large groups, multiple cases of infestation are likely to occur because the lice travel from one horse to another, resulting in increased breeding.