Types of Lice

• A horse's head and neck, including the ears and mane, are prime breeding grounds for lice.BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  Lice species can be divided into two main types based on how they feed; some feed through sucking, while others feed through biting. They are sustained either by skin waste or the bodily fluids extracted from skin. The legs of lice have claws that facilitate clinging to hairs or feathers. Horses can be infested by two species of lice: Haematopinus asini (H asini), the horse sucking louse, and Damalinia equi (D equi), the horse biting louse. Ear lice can be of either species.