Forage Mites
Found during a routine worm egg count: not a parasite, but a peculiar little passenger!
This spiky character turned up in a recent FEC (faecal egg count) sample. While it might look like something out of a horror movie under the microscope (those legs! those bristles!), this is most likely a free-living forage mite—and not a threat to your horse’s health.
Forage mites live naturally in the environment—especially in hay, straw, pasture, manure heaps, and even decomposing organic matter. Horses can accidentally ingest or carry them into manure samples when:
• Grazing close to the ground
• Eating from hay on the soil
• Rolling in bedding or pasture
They’re not parasites, and they don’t require treatment. These mites feed on organic debris, fungi, and occasionally bacteria—not your horse. So while they might photobomb your sample slide, they’re just innocent bystanders.
Forage mites can be mistaken for parasites by the untrained eye, but their:
• Body shape (oval or rounded with distinct legs and hairs)
• Movement (many are active and quick)
• Lack of parasitic egg stages
make them easily distinguishable from worm eggs with experience and the right setup.
This is why FEC interpretation is about more than just spotting “something.” It’s about understanding what you’re seeing—and what it doesn’t mean. Not everything under the microscope is a cause for concern. Some things are just cool!
At Mal’s Equine Worm Egg Counts, we combine years of research, training, and global collaboration with parasitologists and other FEC specialists to bring you smart, strategic, and science-based worm control. Because targeted treatment starts with accurate information.
So next time you hear “we found something,” don’t panic—it might just be one of nature’s tiny composters minding its own business!
🔬 Reference: Information adapted from veterinary parasitology and acarology resources, including microscopy guides from NSW DPI and Merck Veterinary Manual.
