How to Remove Ticks From Horses

Never attempt to remove a tick from a horse with a lighter or baby oil.

There are several types of ticks that you will find on your horse, including American dog ticks, deer ticks, Rocky Mountain wood ticks and Pacific Coast ticks, according to Doctors Foster and Smith. Some of these ticks will cause a minor irritation to the horse's skin. Others will lead to potentially dangerous illnesses, including Lyme disease, Colorado tick fever, tick paralysis and equine granulocytic anaplasmosis. Safely removing a tick from your horse will prevent the tiny insect from spewing blood back into the horse's system, potentially making the possible infection worse.

Things You'll Need

• Cotton balls
• Rubbing alcohol
• Tweezers
• Mason jar
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Antibacterial soap

Instructions

1. Examine the horse for any ticks while it is comfortable and occupied, such as during mealtime.

2. Wet a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and use it to sterilize a pair of tweezers.

3. Locate any ticks by thoroughly examining the horse's skin. Grasp the tick firmly with the pair of tweezers on the head at the point where it is entering the horse's skin, according to Doctors Foster and Smith.

4. Gently pull the tick straight back away from the horse's body.

5. Place the tick immediately into a mason jar filled with rubbing alcohol. Cover the mason jar with a lid to ensure that the tick perishes.

6. Wet a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and wipe down the affected area.

7. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap and hot water.

Tips & Warnings

• Inspect the horse thoroughly at the end of each day for ticks, especially if the animal has traveled through a wooded area or anywhere with a heavy tick population.

References

• Doctors Foster and Smith: Ticks on Horses: How to Identify and Control
• "TrailBlazer Magazine": Pests on the Trail; Willis Lamm