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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 306
Location: Albany, Georgia | Has anyone brought a horse back after they have successfully been treated for EPM? If so what exercise routine, supplements, etc did you use? |
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
  
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | Exercise isn't really all that different...I started out with straight line, level surface long trotting until mine toned up. Then just regular workouts. I started exercising mine just slow trotting 1/2-3/4 mile down the sand road and back off the 4 wheeler, gradually increased the speed and distance as her stamina and tone increased. I was running her again 6 weeks post treatment. She was a 2D/3D horse. After treatment, she became a super solid top of the 2D horse, and snuck in the 1D occasionally towards the end of last year. Last weekend (1 year post treatment) she made her first 1D run at a larger race, 18th out of 212.
I maintain her on high quality feed (lower starches) and Animal Element Detox. You are supposed to feed them Vit E, but I can't get mine to eat it, so I feed her Alfalfa pellets and a loose mineral in her feed. I also use a PHT sheet on her religiously when I haul her, or after a hard workout. It's on her at a race pretty much anytime the saddle isn't. I believe it really helps reduce any inflammation. The other thing I'm OCD about it chiro care. She is prone to locking up her pelvis and being out in her lumbar region. I'm lucky that her chiro is also her vet, and she's a barrel racer so she keeps a close eye on her when we are at the same races. At home, I can tell if she is out because she will drop a back lead while playing in the pasture, and she won't roll when I turn her out. When I see those things, I make her an apt to be adjusted.
Edited by RockinGR 2014-03-22 9:19 AM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 440
Location: The Frozen North | Rehabing a horse after EPM is really dependent on how severely the horse was affected. I am in the process of completing my certification as an Equine Rehab Practitioner through the University of Tennessee vet school (I'm also a human PT). We addressed rehabing from EPM alot and I actually did one of my case studies on it. I would recommend you look at this website http://www.utcaninerehab.com/united-states.asp (equine practitioners are listed also) and find a specialist. This is a neurological injury and just like in people there are very specific impairments to address. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
 
Location: Florida.. | Just one or two things I will add.. If horse was severely affected neurologically.. then its a very slow baby step process.. it can take months .. and down the road if horse is stressing and weak it can relapse into problems .. so be diligent as to pay attention to horse..
if its just a treat but dont know 100% then Id just do as horse can handle..
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 346
Location: USA | If their symptoms are very minimal, like the only thing he does is crossfire, can I still ride him while I give him the Oroquin? I am on day 4 of the Oroquin and I would like to keep him in shape. But not sure I should be riding him. |
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Expert
Posts: 3514
| I wouldn't . You don't want to stress them. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 440
Location: The Frozen North | When you can begin riding again in really a question I would ask your vet but I wouldn't ride while he's still receiving medical treatment. One thing you could start with is lateral tail pulls, making him weight shift and "hold" against you, this is good for core strength and balance. Horses more severely affected could lose their balance with this so start small and be careful. A healthy horse should be able to resist quite a bit of pull or resistance without having to take a step. Also, obstacles like ground poles etc. are really good to be doing in hand, makes him work on proprioception (where he's putting his feet) as well as core strength and balance. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 306
Location: Albany, Georgia | It's a really bittersweet story...its a horse I bought close to 10 yrs ago, trained myself, won nbha res. state champ, and then my parents sold him out from under me when I moved. He won his current owner close to $45,000 before issues arised. It took her hauling him from Ark. to Fl to get the emp diagnosis. He did a 6 month treatment that ended in Dec. she has been lounging him and even loped him through the pattern the other day he is real swingy with his rear end in his turns. She called me the other day and is basically giving him back to me (small sale fee but definitely not anything close to what he's worth). So I wanted to hear success stories and hay I need to do to get him back to his old self
Edited by DustToDiamonds 2014-03-23 1:35 PM
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Member
Posts: 19
| I have had 2 horses with EPM. Once my mare was cleared to be ridden again. I did lots of straight line trotting and swimming on a aqua sizer to help her strengthen her hind end. I also used small poles on the ground to see if she new were her feet were being placed. I took it really slow bringing her back but I never felt she was the same as before the EPM. It really just depends on how much neurological damage has been done. I keep mine turned out as much as possible. I use non grain feeds with high Vitamin K and as little stress as possible. It was suggested to me that i should use Marquis before any big shows to try and keep any relapses at bay. |
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 Texas Lone Star
Posts: 5318
Location: where ever my L/Q trl is parked | DustToDiamonds - 2014-03-23 1:33 PM It's a really bittersweet story...its a horse I bought close to 10 yrs ago, trained myself, won nbha res. state champ, and then my parents sold him out from under me when I moved. He won his current owner close to $45,000 before issues arised. It took her hauling him from Ark. to Fl to get the emp diagnosis. He did a 6 month treatment that ended in Dec. she has been lounging him and even loped him through the pattern the other day he is real swingy with his rear end in his turns. She called me the other day and is basically giving him back to me (small sale fee but definitely not anything close to what he's worth).
So I wanted to hear success stories and hay I need to do to get him back to his old self
Don't be set on him coming back to 100%.... my mare got EPM in January 2007, very early stages as far the diagnosis.
Did the Marquis, vit C and good feed suppliments etc. Retreated with ParaNex and EqStim Immun during the summer of 2007. It's been 7 years, I would say she came back to 90%. She was off all of 07 till 2/08 when I started legging her up very slowly to run her in June. The side effects I see in her that she didn't show before the EPM is limited patience while standing still, pulling her head away while we trail ride or just walking and not wanting to be caught in the pasture. Sometimes it will take me 5 minutes to convince her that I'm not the bad guy. She gets good care, chiro, vet when needed and good quality hay- turn out 24/7 on 8 acres.
So just be aware that they all don't come back 100%.
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| My guy took forever to diagnose. Looking back he showed symptoms for a few years but it wasn't severe enough to pinpoint. Many vets said he was the type that would need injections some day but missed it. Once I treated him all his weird lameness issues stopped. I started riding him around slowly before his treatment was over because I was so excited and he was running around bucking like a crazy man in 2 weeks. I let him come back on in his own. He was so happy to feel good he just kept going faster. I sounded like an idiot telling him good boy the whole run. About 5 weeks after treatment started he was laying it down again. As he gained confidence his back end wasn't going to slip he got even faster. |
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