RESUMO
The emergence of drug resistance among parasites is a side effect of the common use of chemotherapeutic agents in horses. Combating parasites typically involves routine deworming treatments twice a year (before and after the grazing season). However, in grazing farming this treatment may be insufficient. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of programs to combat the invasion of strongyles (Strongylidae) in horses in the selected stables of Western Pomerania. Coprological examination was conducted in 85 horses from three stables located in Western Pomerania. Horses from all three stables remained in the pastures in the period from spring to late autumn, and deworming treatment was performed twice. The examination of horses has found nematodes of the family Strongylidae. The average prevalence of infection in horses in the studs tested was 36.16% for Strongylinae, and 58.49% for Cyathostominae. Administration of the medication twice did not eradicate the invasion of strongyles in the horses investigated. A significant reduction of strongyle invasion was observed directly after treatment, followed by rapid reinvasion. It appears necessary to monitor the effectiveness of deworming treatments by performing parasitological examination of feces. The participating stables should develop and implement new strategies to combat parasitic invasions in horses that will be adapted to the environmental conditions (the life cycle of parasites).