How Prevalent are Lice in African Horses?

Recent research revealed a high incidence of equine lice infestations, especially in saddle horses.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Researchers know that lice can be a serious welfare issue for affected horses. But just how prevalent are they, especially in developing countries? Recent research in Africa revealed a high incidence of equine lice infestations—especially in saddle horses.

As many as 28.8% of horses in Ethiopia are probably infested with lice, according to the results of a survey carried out in central Oromia by Bersissa Kumsa, PhD, of Aix Marseille University, part of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, in Marseille, France, and his research team. Most of the infestations were found in the highland areas, and most of the affected animals were saddle horses, he said.

Kumsa said cart horses tended to benefit from better care because, as working animals, their health is important to the owner’s profits. Their owners also tend to be more knowledgeable about veterinary health because they work in towns where they have access to such information.

Saddle horses are usually found out in the African countryside and aren’t usually used for financial gain, Kumsa noted. Plus, “many owners don’t have sufficient knowledge about equine veterinary health,” he relayed

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

How much time do you usually spend grooming your horse?
439 votes · 439 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!