Horses with cushings

[nativepony]

My 19 year old NF mare was diagnosed with Cushings last week and is now on Pergolide. I had no idea she had this and was completely devastated. She seems perfectly healthy in every way although had lost a bit of topline. The vet said its fine to ride her but I have only ridden once (just a gentle hack) since finding out and it felt wrong to be riding her if she's ill. She'd be miserable if I retired her as she loves being ridden but I just feel weird about it. Before I found out I was schooling and hacking as normal and in fact she has never worked so beautifully when being schooled. I'm also still finding it hard to come to terms with her having the disease.

Don't really know why I'm posting this but just wondered if anyone else has experience of feeling like this and of Cushings in general.

Not sure if I should be posting this in veterinary.

 

[fatpiggy]

Don't worry, it is a very common problem and lots of horses and ponies are managed perfectly well for years with it.

 

[touchstone]

My mare is seventeen and starting to show signs of cushings disease too. I haven't started pergolide with her yet though, but may need to in the future.

The thing is that they can go on to live happy useful lives with the disease, it just means that you may have to be more careful management wise.

I keep my mare on a high fibre low sugar diet; she gets restricted grazing with soaked hay and two feeds a day of Fast Fibre with some Naf Slimline added. I've also just ordered some chaste tree berries to add to her feed which are supposed to help cushings ponies/horses.

Exercise is beneficial, keeps everything working properly and helps the metabolism, so no need to stop riding!

Coat wise my mare grew a slightly longer summer coat this year, so the clippers came out and she's had a full clip and I think she probably feels much better for it!

There is a group on yahoo called The Metabolic Horse, which is great for info and advice on dealing with cushings. Lots of horses and people in the same boat!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

My old boy had Cushings; what you have to watch is the fact that Cushings can predispose horses to laminitis so you will have to watch the weight of yours and be very strict about her/his? grazing, also watch out for feet problems such as absesses which may become more common with a Cushings. You will need a good farrier who is experienced at remedial shoeing if it becomes necessary.

The vet prescribed ACP for mine, which was costly - about a fiver a day, and that was five years ago.