7 Best Horse Fecal Test Mail In Services For Remote Farms For Herd Health
For remote farms, mail-in fecal tests are vital for herd health. We review the 7 best services to help you simplify parasite control and management.
Trying to get a vet out to the back forty for a routine fecal test can feel like a logistical nightmare, not to mention an expensive one. For those of us farming far from town, simple diagnostic tasks can become major hurdles in managing herd health. The good news is that mail-in fecal testing services have completely changed the game, putting the power of data-driven parasite control directly in our hands.
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Why Mail-In Fecal Tests Are a Remote Farm Essential
Living remotely means you have to be self-sufficient, and your animal health plan is no exception. Waiting for a vet visit to check for parasites is often impractical. Mail-in fecal test kits bridge that gap, allowing you to collect samples on your own schedule and get objective data without the cost and delay of a farm call.
This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about smart management. The old way of deworming every horse on a fixed schedule is outdated and contributes to dangerous parasite resistance. By testing first, you only treat the animals that actually need it, with the right product for the job. This targeted approach saves you a significant amount of money on dewormers you didn’t need to buy.
Ultimately, using mail-in services shifts you from a reactive to a proactive manager. You’re not guessing about your herd’s parasite load—you know. This information is fundamental to maintaining a healthy, thriving herd, preventing pasture contamination, and ensuring your deworming program is actually working.
Horsemen’s Lab: Simple Mail-In Kits for Quick Results
Horsemen’s Lab has built its reputation on being incredibly straightforward. Their process is designed for busy people who need a reliable answer without a lot of fuss. You order a kit, it arrives with everything you need, you collect the sample, and you pop it in the mail using the pre-paid mailer.
The real value is in the clarity of their results. The report provides a Fecal Egg Count (FEC), typically categorized as low, moderate, or high. This gives you a clear, immediate action point: a low count means your program is working, while a high count signals it’s time to deworm. There’s no need to interpret complex data.
This service is perfect for routine monitoring. If you’re simply checking to see if your pasture management and deworming strategies are effective, the speed and simplicity of Horsemen’s Lab are a major advantage. It provides the essential data you need to make a confident decision without overwhelming you with information.
Para-site Equine for Detailed Parasite Analysis
When a basic egg count isn’t enough, Para-site Equine is the next step up. They go beyond just counting eggs per gram and often provide speciation, meaning they identify the types of parasite eggs present. This is a critical distinction for effective treatment.
Knowing whether you’re dealing with strongyles, ascarids, or tapeworms dictates which dewormer you should use. Using a product that’s ineffective against the specific parasite plaguing your horse is a waste of time and money, and it accelerates chemical resistance. Para-site Equine provides the detailed intelligence required for a truly targeted deworming strike.
This level of detail is invaluable in specific scenarios. It’s a must for a new horse entering quarantine, an animal that is failing to thrive despite a "low" FEC, or a herd that seems to have persistent parasite issues. It’s the diagnostic tool you pull out when the simple answer just isn’t cutting it.
Eggzamin Kits: Convenient At-Home Fecal Testing
Accurately assess your animal's parasite burden with this fecal egg count kit. It includes McMaster slides and easy instructions, helping you monitor health and dewormer effectiveness for sheep, goats, alpacas, and llamas.
Eggzamin operates on a model of convenience and preparedness. Instead of ordering a service, you buy their pre-packaged kits to keep on hand in your own barn. These kits are widely available online and in many feed or tack stores, making them easy to acquire.
The primary benefit is readiness. Having a few Eggzamin kits in your vet box means you can test a horse immediately when the need arises—no waiting for a kit to ship to you. This is perfect for testing a new arrival before they join the herd or doing a quick check if a horse seems off.
Once you collect the sample, you mail it to their designated professional lab for analysis. You aren’t sacrificing quality for convenience. Eggzamin offers a great balance for the organized farmer who wants the tools on hand to act quickly while still relying on expert laboratory analysis for accurate results.
Cornell AHDC: University-Backed Diagnostic Accuracy
Sending a sample to a major university lab like the Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) is a different experience. You are tapping into a world-class institution known for its rigorous standards and deep expertise in veterinary parasitology. This isn’t just a test; it’s a university-level diagnostic service.
The primary reason to choose a lab like Cornell is for unquestionable accuracy and reliability. If you’re dealing with a confusing health issue, a suspected resistance problem, or have high-value animals, the peace of mind that comes with a report from a leading diagnostic center is worth it. Their findings are often considered the gold standard.
The process is typically more formal than with commercial kits. You’ll likely need to download a submission form, follow specific packaging protocols, and provide a detailed history. It’s less of a user-friendly "kit" and more of a direct-to-lab submission, but for cases where you absolutely cannot afford to be wrong, this is the path to take.
Gluck Equine Center: Research-Grade Fecal Analysis
The University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center is another titan in the world of equine health. Submitting a fecal sample here is essentially participating in the highest level of equine science. Their work informs veterinary practices worldwide, particularly on the subject of parasitology and anthelmintic resistance.
Choosing Gluck means you’re getting analysis from the researchers who are often leading the charge on new parasite threats and treatment protocols. This is the service for complex, herd-wide problems. If your deworming program has completely failed or you’re managing a large, diverse herd with a history of issues, their insights can be transformative.
Like Cornell, this is not your quick-and-easy option for a routine check. It is a specialized, research-grade service. The cost and effort are higher, but the report you receive will be backed by some of the best minds in the field, providing a foundation for a truly robust and scientifically-sound herd health strategy.
Equine Fecal Lab for Fast and Reliable FEC Results
Sometimes, all you need is a quick, accurate Fecal Egg Count (FEC), and you need it now. Equine Fecal Lab is a service that specializes in exactly that. Their entire operation is streamlined for one purpose: to deliver reliable FEC results with a fast turnaround time.
This speed is a significant practical advantage. When you’re managing a herd, you often need to make decisions for the entire group. Getting results back in a day or two, rather than a week, allows you to act decisively on deworming or confirm your pasture rotation is working without delay.
While they may not offer the in-depth speciation of a university lab, their focus on the core FEC test makes them a dependable workhorse for routine management. For the twice-a-year checks that form the backbone of a strategic deworming program, their combination of speed, affordability, and reliability is extremely practical for a remote farm.
Horsemany: Subscription Plans for Herd Management
Horsemany brings a modern subscription model to the world of equine parasite control. Instead of remembering to order tests, you sign up for a plan, and they automatically send you testing kits at scheduled intervals throughout the year. It’s a "set it and forget it" system for responsible herd management.
The biggest benefit here is consistency. For a busy hobby farmer, it’s easy for routine tasks like fecal testing to fall through the cracks. A subscription automates the process, ensuring you stick to a regular monitoring schedule without having to add it to your mental to-do list. The kit just shows up in your mailbox when it’s time to test.
This model is particularly powerful for managing multiple horses. You can create a plan for the whole herd, making it simple to track each animal’s results over time and identify trends. It transforms fecal testing from a sporadic, reactive chore into a seamless, proactive system for long-term health.
Ultimately, the best mail-in fecal testing service is the one that fits your farm’s specific needs—whether that’s the diagnostic power of a university lab or the simple convenience of a subscription box. The crucial takeaway is that geography is no longer a barrier to smart parasite management. By embracing these services, even the most remote farm can move from guessing to data-driven decision-making for a healthier herd.
