Protecting Horses from Ticks

Ticks have been active this spring and early summer despite a harsh winter and will be around until August. The lone star tick and the American dog tick are the most troublesome species in Kentucky. Lone star tick bites are very irritating and tick feeding wounds can become infected. Check with your veterinarian about tick-borne disease incidence in your area.

Protecting horses from ticks can be challenging. They usually pick up ticks while grazing in overgrown pastures, next to woods, or while being ridden through tick-infested areas. There are no shortcuts or magic tricks, but it helps to use the tick’s perspective when developing a management strategy.

Ticks spend most of their lives on the ground, digesting a blood meal, molting