|
|
Red Hot Cardinal Fan
Posts: 4122
 
| Those of you that have dealt with EPM, how did you bring your horses back to being competitive? Mentally for yourself and physically for your horse? My mare was diagnosed in May, we did treatment and vet gave me the go ahead to start legging her back up. Although now it seems like every slight bobble that she makes or misstep, I find myself questioning her balance, etc. I trust my vet completely and her balance appears to be back to where it should be.
Also what kind of excercises did you do when legging them back up? Anything different or your previous routine?
Any input about recovering from EPM in general would be greatly appreciated!
|
|
| |
|
 Pork Fat is my Favorite
Posts: 3791
  
Location: The Oklahoma plains. | Maybe Liana will see this and post her Youtube video on strengthening exercises. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1857
| Be careful on the amount of stress you put on her when bringing her back, it could cause another flair up...It did to mine. I'm no expert on what works because I've only had a couple that got EPM but I just started them back slow, straight lines, large circles, hills. It took me twice as long to bring them back to running shape than normal. One never made it back and now is my 6 year olds horse the other is doing really well, 3 years no epm. |
|
| |
|
| Interested to see the responses to this because I'm very close to having to bring mine back from EPM as well! |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 538
Location: Central Texas | What do you do when they have a "flair up"? Is that something that can continue to plague them for their life? My mom's mare was diagnosed with it. She was given the ok to start stregthening her back up. Then over the winter she got worse. No, she wasn't being worked too hard. She really wasnt worked much over the winter months. |
|
| |
|
Red Hot Cardinal Fan
Posts: 4122
| Thanks for the response so far! Anyone else? |
|
| |
|
  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7616
Location: Dubach, LA | I'm watching too. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | txcajuncowgirl - 2014-07-26 11:46 AM
What do you do when they have a "flair up"? Is that something that can continue to plague them for their life? My mom's mare was diagnosed with it. She was given the ok to start stregthening her back up. Then over the winter she got worse. No, she wasn't being worked too hard. She really wasnt worked much over the winter months. Â
It can be chronic if their immune system drops out again which is more likely during the winter months when its cold. You wouldn't have to work them much. Maybe try again in the summer or spring, make sure they get plenty of feed and maybe an immune supplement. They may have to go much slower too. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 306
Location: Albany, Georgia | I have a gelding that I'm currently starting to bring back. Today I am taking him to a facility that will swim him for a month. I've heard good things about the swimming exercises. I will keep everyone posted on his progress! I've also heard from others do lots of backing to strengthen the hindend and make them aware of where their back feet are. Also hill work...going up and down slopes and also backing up slight inclines to strengthen the rear. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3514
| Be sure you keep them on a immune builder. Equine Natural Care has a good one. |
|
| |
|
 Member
Posts: 25
Location: TN | txcajuncowgirl - 2014-07-26 11:46 AM
What do you do when they have a "flair up"? Is that something that can continue to plague them for their life? My mom's mare was diagnosed with it. She was given the ok to start stregthening her back up. Then over the winter she got worse. No, she wasn't being worked too hard. She really wasnt worked much over the winter months. Â
I have a stallion with EPM. We treated it 3 different times over the span of a year and finally got everything under control. He has been sound and symptom free for 4 years now. The way that my vet explained it to me was that he would always have it and that he could either go his entire life without another issue from it, or it could flare back up. He told me that stress is a big factor in flare ups. Anything that can dampen their immune system can trigger a flare up.
We did A LOT of slow work to bring our boy back. A lot Straight lines and then BIG circles. EPM effects their neurological system so you have to patient while bringing one back from it. Not only do their bodies need time to recover but just like their riders, they need to regain confidence in themselves as well.
Best of luck with your girl! |
|
| |
|
Red Hot Cardinal Fan
Posts: 4122
| Thanks for all of the information! |
|
| |
|
| Add vitamin E and iodized table salt to your horses feed daily. It will help a horse with epm. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 306
Location: Albany, Georgia | FlyingJT - 2014-07-25 4:03 PM
Be careful on the amount of stress you put on her when bringing her back, it could cause another flair up...It did to mine. I'm no expert on what works because I've only had a couple that got EPM but I just started them back slow, straight lines, large circles, hills. It took me twice as long to bring them back to running shape than normal. One never made it back and now is my 6 year olds horse the other is doing really well, 3 years no epm.
Yes Ive heard the same thing...any kind of stress whether it be hauling or what can cause a flair up! And yes, big circles and straight lines to build up their confidence! |
|
| |
|
| I had a mare that got it, but we caught it SUPER early... Treated for a month and a half and now is perfectly fine. I've put about 6 rides on her so far after
Treatment. The last ride I did a few smaller circles and she has been working wonderfully. Should I be going slower with her or does it depend on the situation/horse? I would take her to go swim.. But I have another horse who just was sent to the pool to swim for a month after a deep digital flexor tendon tear and id rather not spend the money to have two horses swimming... |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3514
| The one that I had that had EPM , I kept on a I
Immune Builder and treated her with Worm Foe from SilverLining every 60 to 90 days for a week. She was great. The immune builder I used was from Silver Lining but Equine Natural Care has one too that is good. |
|
| |
|
 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | what made you suspect EPM and what treatments are out there? |
|
| |
|
Red Hot Cardinal Fan
Posts: 4122
| wyoming barrel racer - 2014-08-06 10:57 PM what made you suspect EPM and what treatments are out there?
I did not suspect it in the least bit, but my chiro found a few indicators toward EPM and I followed up with my vet who confirmed he would get her tested. He uses Pathogenes and she came back a slight positive so we treated her with Origin 10, and she's made a complete 180 with the indicaotrs she had before.
A couple of things that the chiro did that lead him to believe possibly EPM was pulling her tail when she was lead in a straight line. Typically with a little bit of pressure on their tail, horses will continue to walk in a straight line. But with her, she would dang near fall over in her hind end from being off balance. There is an accupuncture point near a horses gaskin that is related to EPM and she was highly reactive to that. She had slight muscle atrophy on the left side of her chest, and he also did a leg cross test but I can't remember exactly what he did there.
Prior to the chiro visit, which lead up to me taking her to the chiro, she fell with me on the second and after looking at the video she stumpled pretty good at the first that run too. Looking back, I can think of her stumpling several times when exercising. She was also very off balanced in the trailer. She would have black marks on her from the dividers, which she typically never had before and now has gone back to not leaning on them.
Sorry for the novel, but hope that helps you out some. |
|
| |
Folks on-line