Maz55
Well-Known Member
Hi there, I posted the other day about my mare who has suddenly started refusing to go forward under saddle. Vet has been and further investigatory work taking place next week but in the meantime I've happened upon PSSM and i'm now starting to wonder if that might explain some of her symptoms. I may be barking but any experts out there that can tell me if this is a possibility (or confirm i am barking lol)?
So my mare is a Connemara x TB. 16 years old. I've had her almost 6 years. Until about 3 months ago (which coincided with a yard move so might be the explanation but humour me for a moment...) she was extremely sensitive, sharp, very spooky, constantly anxious and tight, regularly needing work on her lumbar area/poll.
History:
Shortly after her arrival 5/6 years ago she started hopping in trot. She had a full work up/bone scan, etc at Rossdales and they were stumped. The only possible cause they could find was very mild inflammation in her hocks so those were injected. She has had on and off unexplained right hind lameness (1/10) pretty much ever since i've had her - my instructor put it down to a straightness issue.
Very occasionally when schooling she would lose her back end but it happened so rarely i didn't investigate further. Again my instructor put it down to her crookedness.
She would often get tense on the left rein in trot and resist the uphill transition - my instructor said it was down to me sitting crooked. She'd often always appear haunches in when on the long side. Getting the left canter lead was frequently a problem.
August 2017 - took her to riding club camp and she was acting strangely, not wanting to go forward but also explosive. Lameness evaluation and vet said she looked find.
In Oct 2018 my mare was out in the field and the weather was horrible. Although rugged she got wet and came in shivering. I dried her and put her in a warm stable with hay, and later that day went down to ride. Well it was like riding an ironing board, she felt so stiff. I called out the vet as i was convinced she'd tied up but he was adamant she hadn't. They sent me the test results which were as follows:
AST IU/L 276 (max 400)
CK IU/L 499 (max 350)
They took further bloods 7 days later and results were:
AST IU/L 362
CK IU/L 172
Neuts 22%
Ever since this episode i've been very careful about keeping her warm.
Oct 2018 she had some melanomas removed. She then suffered vasculitis as she was recovering from the surgery - very high temp and very swollen legs. Vet said it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotics.
Dec 2018 had her back done by veterinary chiro. the next day i turned her out in the snow (for a leg stretch) and she just didn't look right at all behind and was kicking out at nothing. she was really stiff afterwards.
Feb 2019 - became progressively worse to school. i sat on her one evening in the school and she felt explosive, like i didn't dare put my leg on. wouldn't go forward. my instructor and i were convinced of ulcers - scoped clear.
Roll forward to April 2019 and she has her first (and i hope last) bout of laminitis. Borderline EMS result. ACTH levels were ok.
During this period she was grazing on old cattle land (muzzled post-lami).
Winter 2019 grumpy with rugs and worse the following winter - she launched at my partner one day (this is a kind and gentle mare).
June 2021 move to a new yard - not cattle grass but plenty still and muzzled. Certainly happier in this environment but still showing some signs of spookiness and anxiety at first. chiro saw her and said she couldn't believe the difference in her and commented that she thought all her muscle tightness before was due to anxiety from the previous yard.
Moved to another field with hardly any grass and she rapidly became a lot quieter. Canter was perfect - for the first time i could get left canter on correct leg although this has always been her rein where she struggles to maintain the canter. Then the problems really began. Firstly she lost all the muscle over topline and hindquarters. in trot the losing the backend feeling that i'd experienced once or twice at most before became a regular occurrence. Then suddenly she started going banana shaped on left rein and resistant to trot but i could get and maintain trot. She then started saying no to trot - would do a stride or two then stop. then one day she felt really stiff and was short striding behind. Looked lamer on left hind.
she was better after a warm up, and happy trotting along her mate out on a hack. in school i'd really have to get after her to do anything and she'd stop and back up to say no. similar on the lunge in fact one day she refused to move at all - i've never had to use a whip on my horse always only the voice. She feels so lethargic now.
Vet came on Monday and said she's 2/10 lame on right hind and bilateral short behind. going in next week for lameness work up but something telling me something else is going on here or am i clutching at straws? I know my vet will laugh me off the planet if i mention pssm he already thinks im neurotic about this horse. I did send in the hair strand test a while back but it came back negative.
Feed is: speedibeet, forageplus laminae balancer, salt, linseed, turmeric/pepper, msm, milk thistle, boswellia, evenkeel 1 (although calmer has been substantially reduced and really isn't needed now - never thought i'd say that about this horse!), honeychop lite and healthy. The only real dietary change of any significance since moving to this yard and pre-dating the most significant of the issues with her is the addition of MSM and the fact she's now on very short grass and she's getting a bit more hay.
I realise this could be hocks, suspensories and all manner of other lameness issues but can anyone see anything from the history that's ringing any alarm bells? She doesn't have particularly tight muscles and i've never seen any spasms. only seen her stand camped out once or twice in all the time i've had her.
Thanks in advance.
So my mare is a Connemara x TB. 16 years old. I've had her almost 6 years. Until about 3 months ago (which coincided with a yard move so might be the explanation but humour me for a moment...) she was extremely sensitive, sharp, very spooky, constantly anxious and tight, regularly needing work on her lumbar area/poll.
History:
Shortly after her arrival 5/6 years ago she started hopping in trot. She had a full work up/bone scan, etc at Rossdales and they were stumped. The only possible cause they could find was very mild inflammation in her hocks so those were injected. She has had on and off unexplained right hind lameness (1/10) pretty much ever since i've had her - my instructor put it down to a straightness issue.
Very occasionally when schooling she would lose her back end but it happened so rarely i didn't investigate further. Again my instructor put it down to her crookedness.
She would often get tense on the left rein in trot and resist the uphill transition - my instructor said it was down to me sitting crooked. She'd often always appear haunches in when on the long side. Getting the left canter lead was frequently a problem.
August 2017 - took her to riding club camp and she was acting strangely, not wanting to go forward but also explosive. Lameness evaluation and vet said she looked find.
In Oct 2018 my mare was out in the field and the weather was horrible. Although rugged she got wet and came in shivering. I dried her and put her in a warm stable with hay, and later that day went down to ride. Well it was like riding an ironing board, she felt so stiff. I called out the vet as i was convinced she'd tied up but he was adamant she hadn't. They sent me the test results which were as follows:
AST IU/L 276 (max 400)
CK IU/L 499 (max 350)
They took further bloods 7 days later and results were:
AST IU/L 362
CK IU/L 172
Neuts 22%
Ever since this episode i've been very careful about keeping her warm.
Oct 2018 she had some melanomas removed. She then suffered vasculitis as she was recovering from the surgery - very high temp and very swollen legs. Vet said it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotics.
Dec 2018 had her back done by veterinary chiro. the next day i turned her out in the snow (for a leg stretch) and she just didn't look right at all behind and was kicking out at nothing. she was really stiff afterwards.
Feb 2019 - became progressively worse to school. i sat on her one evening in the school and she felt explosive, like i didn't dare put my leg on. wouldn't go forward. my instructor and i were convinced of ulcers - scoped clear.
Roll forward to April 2019 and she has her first (and i hope last) bout of laminitis. Borderline EMS result. ACTH levels were ok.
During this period she was grazing on old cattle land (muzzled post-lami).
Winter 2019 grumpy with rugs and worse the following winter - she launched at my partner one day (this is a kind and gentle mare).
June 2021 move to a new yard - not cattle grass but plenty still and muzzled. Certainly happier in this environment but still showing some signs of spookiness and anxiety at first. chiro saw her and said she couldn't believe the difference in her and commented that she thought all her muscle tightness before was due to anxiety from the previous yard.
Moved to another field with hardly any grass and she rapidly became a lot quieter. Canter was perfect - for the first time i could get left canter on correct leg although this has always been her rein where she struggles to maintain the canter. Then the problems really began. Firstly she lost all the muscle over topline and hindquarters. in trot the losing the backend feeling that i'd experienced once or twice at most before became a regular occurrence. Then suddenly she started going banana shaped on left rein and resistant to trot but i could get and maintain trot. She then started saying no to trot - would do a stride or two then stop. then one day she felt really stiff and was short striding behind. Looked lamer on left hind.
she was better after a warm up, and happy trotting along her mate out on a hack. in school i'd really have to get after her to do anything and she'd stop and back up to say no. similar on the lunge in fact one day she refused to move at all - i've never had to use a whip on my horse always only the voice. She feels so lethargic now.
Vet came on Monday and said she's 2/10 lame on right hind and bilateral short behind. going in next week for lameness work up but something telling me something else is going on here or am i clutching at straws? I know my vet will laugh me off the planet if i mention pssm he already thinks im neurotic about this horse. I did send in the hair strand test a while back but it came back negative.
Feed is: speedibeet, forageplus laminae balancer, salt, linseed, turmeric/pepper, msm, milk thistle, boswellia, evenkeel 1 (although calmer has been substantially reduced and really isn't needed now - never thought i'd say that about this horse!), honeychop lite and healthy. The only real dietary change of any significance since moving to this yard and pre-dating the most significant of the issues with her is the addition of MSM and the fact she's now on very short grass and she's getting a bit more hay.
I realise this could be hocks, suspensories and all manner of other lameness issues but can anyone see anything from the history that's ringing any alarm bells? She doesn't have particularly tight muscles and i've never seen any spasms. only seen her stand camped out once or twice in all the time i've had her.
Thanks in advance.
