What Are the Treatments for Horse Lice?

Lice are not as common on horses as they are on humans and other animals, but infestations can occur. Horse lice won't affect humans or any other types of animals, and human or other types of lice will not affect horses. Horse lice infestations are not very common, but can cause irritation and sickness when they do occur.

  1. Lice

    • Horse lice can be found in two different types, each causing a different problem for horses. One type of horse lice sucks blood by burrowing down into the horse's flesh. This can cause a horse to become anemic or weak from blood loss. These types of lice can also stunt a young horse's growth.

      The other type of lice is chewing lice. These lice survive on dander and skin and can cause severe irritation to the horse. These types of lice can make the horse very itchy, causing him to rub and scratch his body against fence posts, trees, stall walls or anything else he can rub against. Hair may become thin in the areas where he is rubbing, but you won't see lice there. Once the hair becomes very thin or is missing, the lice move to areas of the body covered in hair.

    Treatment

    • Since horse lice infestations are not common, most healthy horses won't ever have to deal with lice. If your horse does become infested with lice, there are several ways to successfully get rid of the parasites. Begin by de-worming your horse with a paste wormer.

      Depending on the weather and temperatures, there are several topical treatments that rid your horse of lice. Louse control sprays can be sprayed onto your horse's hair, wetting the hair completely to the skin. This treatment works well in warm weather. A dust product can be used on horses during cold weather or for horses that won't stand to be sprayed. Wipe-on louse control can be used around the sensitive areas such as the face and ears.

      After the initial treatment, re-apply the louse control product again in 2 weeks. This ensures that all adults and eggs are killed.

    Prevention

    • To prevent horses from contracting lice, keep them in good health and in a low-stress environment. Horses that are thin or stressed are more prone to getting lice. Feed and groom your horse daily to keep him healthy and free of the irritating parasites.

      Clean and disinfect all tack, bedding, stalls, buckets and other areas that come in contact with a horse that has had lice. Lice can live for days on these items and can spread to other horses who come in contact with them.