Control of Bovicola equi infestation in a herd of horses using an environmentally sustainable treatment protocol

Bandelj, Petra (author), Peregrine, Andrew (author), Joachim, Anja (author)

In March 2024, a Slovenian warmblood gelding presented with severe pruritus and skin lesions throughout its head, neck and around the base of the tail. The owners had observed increased pruritus in multiple animals within the herd. After careful examination, Bovicola equi were found in all five horses, but not the pony. Horse owners requested an environmentally sustainable treatment plan, which consisted of (a) mechanical removal of lice by shaving and/or combing, (b) application of 0.2 g/horse (0.1 g/pony) neem extract, geraniol (0.5 g/horse, 0.25 g/pony) and diatomaceous earth (250 g/horse, 50 g/pony). Clinical signs ceased 1 week after the initial treatment, no lice were found after 3 weeks, and skin lesions resolved within 6 weeks. Although there was no control group to estimate the true efficiency of the described treatment, upon follow-up, all horses remained lice-free for at least 18 months after the last treatment.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Bovicola equi, diatomaceous earth, geraniol, horses, natural treatment, neem extract, veterinary medicine
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 7 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 14, iss. 1, art. e70317
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177857
• UDC: 636.09:616.9
• ISSN on article: 2052-6121
• DOI: 10.1002/vrc2.70317
• COBISS.SI-ID: 262827779
• Publication date in RUL: 09.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Veterinary record case reports
• Shortened title: Vet. rec. case rep.
• Publisher: Wiley, British Veterinary Association
• ISSN: 2052-6121
• COBISS.SI-ID: 68960771

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: Bovicola equi, diatomejska zemlja, geraniol, konji, naravno zdravljenje, nim, Azadirachta indica, izvleček

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0092
• Name: Zdravje živali, okolje in varna hrana

• Funder: Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection