mightymammoth
Well-Known Member
I was just wondering if anyone had a hair analysis done on their horse? If so was it useful and where did you have it done?
Has anyone had their horses hair analysed?
- Thread starter mightymammoth
- Start date
Greylegs
Well-Known Member
Why would you do this? Is it to diagnose an illness? Just curious really, no experience ...
catembi
Well-Known Member
Yes. There is a test for EPSM. However, there are 2 types of EPSM & only one type shows up on the test. It came back -ve. I had my other horse tested at the same time just to rule it out & that came back -ve as well. He turned out to have KS/ulcers, has had KS surgery, ulcers treated & will be coming back into work fairly soon.
The EPSM horse def DOES have EPSM - gets a lot better on DMG powder, gets a lot worse on cereals, responds to high oil diet, takes a while to warm up etc, but I just wanted a nice +ve test to go with it. The muscle biopsy doesn't always 'work' as it can affect different muscles, so you might biopsy one that doesn't have it, & also it can take until the horse is 12 for the damage to show up, & he was a lot younger than that at the time. He'd had enough fruitless poking & prodding by then, so I didn't want to put him thru the biopsy.
I was also going to get Catembi DNA tested to check that he really was by Cruising, but he died of protein losing enteropathy before I got around to it.
T x
The EPSM horse def DOES have EPSM - gets a lot better on DMG powder, gets a lot worse on cereals, responds to high oil diet, takes a while to warm up etc, but I just wanted a nice +ve test to go with it. The muscle biopsy doesn't always 'work' as it can affect different muscles, so you might biopsy one that doesn't have it, & also it can take until the horse is 12 for the damage to show up, & he was a lot younger than that at the time. He'd had enough fruitless poking & prodding by then, so I didn't want to put him thru the biopsy.
I was also going to get Catembi DNA tested to check that he really was by Cruising, but he died of protein losing enteropathy before I got around to it.
T x
EquiEquestrian556
Well-Known Member
If I'm correct it's often to see what colour your horse/ pony truly is, and a cheaper/ pain-free alternative to blood testing for purity in certain breeds. Or some illnesses.