The strongylus vulgaris is found in the large intestines and colon of horses. Strongylus vulgaris (large strongyles), commonly known as the blood worm, is a common horse parasite in the phylum Nematoda. It looks like a long worm with a large biting mouth, as shown in the picture. They are usually reddish in color because of all the blood they take from the equine host.
This nematode is considered to be one of the "most pathogenic" of the large strongyles subphylum and is distributed worldwide, wherever there are grassland and temperate environments. It generally lives in the large intestine with larvae that migrate into the mesenteric arteries.
