“Our offer is head and shoulders above what other businesses are offering in the region . . . perhaps even nationwide.”
Michelle Billington, who works at TFM Country Store in Whisby near Lincoln, had the bright idea of setting up an in-store faecal worm egg count laboratory.
Her boss says her work has transformed the retailer’s parasite control service to local horse owners.
And now Michelle has been named Equine SQP of the Year at the National SQP Awards 2024, run by Lewis Business Media, publisher of OvertheCounter magazine.
Demand is growing
Under Michelle’s tenure as lab co-ordinator at the Lincolnshire store, 563 samples were tested for faecal worm egg counts in the first seven months of 2024 alone – and demand is growing.
If a wormer is prescribed, the customer gets the cost of their egg count refunded. The lab also sells saliva tests and offers free faecal egg count reduction tests following worming to check for resistance development.
Michelle been an SQP/RAMA – qualified to advise on and prescribe certain animal medicines – since March 2017. She has an equine science degree and previously worked at the Bransby Horses charity.
A game-changer
“[The lab] means that we, as a company, can promote best practice and responsible use of medicines by making FWECs available and/or more easily accessible for all our customers,” says Michelle.
Nikki Annibal, managing director of TFM Country Store, adds that Michelle’s idea to open a lab has been a game-changer.
“The offering TFM has developed due to Michelle’s work in the field of anthelmintic resistance is head and shoulders above what any other businesses are offering in the region . . . perhaps even nationwide?”
