PSSM Symptom Question

[Spangles]

Do horses always present with a tying up episode ?

Welsh type pony hasn’t tied up but has a small muscle dent on one side of the back of the bum. Previous yard owner thought there was some muscle wastage, nothing horrendous - thought through lack of schooling (can’t school due to suspensory)

Very happy out hacking.
Has been reticent about head & neck being touched (this is an intermittent issue and has been fine til recently)

Physio has treated for poll stiffness in past. Have booked a good body worker to come & check posture & musculature etc

Pony will also turn her head away & look away towards her flanks.

Could a vitamin E deficiency be a likely cause of this behaviour - seeing as we’ve had no typing up issues ?

 

[Patterdale]

Lots of welshies don’t like their heads being touched. I’ve got 4, all from different backgrounds and they are all funny about the head.

I wouldn’t go looking for problems to be totally honest. If it’s happy in its work then there won’t be much far wrong

 

[planete]

PSSM horses do not always tie up. She could be PSSM2 but there could also be many other causes for the symptoms you are describing. They are probably too vague and mild at the moment to investigate if the pony is otherwise happy and working well.

 

[I'm Dun]

Some never tie up in a way to be noticed but yours doesnt sound like PSSM. Someone posted a really good video on here once, let me see if I can find it

 

[I'm Dun]

found it! theres a type 2 one that should follow on.

 

[planete]

Unless you are seeing definite signs of PSSM, if you really want to investigate a potential problem it would be better to get a vet involved but if you are seeing no loss of performance they may not have any idea where to start. The one thing I am picking up from your post is the looking at the flanks. In what circumstances does she do it? Is the trigger for the action always the same? Does she always turn to the same side or is it both sides equally? Does she look calm when she does it or slightly worried?

 

[Pippity]

I had mine for three years before she tied up, with all sorts of niggling issues along the way that have been explained by the PSSM1 diagnosis. (Including a period of turning to look at her flanks that was treated as "a weird sort of colic? Strange." at the time.) It's £30 to test for PSSM1, which may give you a definite yes but won't give you a definite no.

Alternatively, give them a couple of weeks of high-dosage vitamin E and see what happens. It took less than a week for mine's muscles to turn to jelly, and her tail to loosen up.

 

[SEL]

Mine doesn't obviously tie-up but when she's sore and you ask for a trot she looks lame all round.

Unlikely to be PSSM type 1 in a pure bred welsh but if your horse's breeding isn't known then could be type 1 or 2.

I'd try vitamin E first especially as we're towards the end of winter. A friend has just started her gypsy cob on it and she's already moving much better. Also rugging up especially if its wet and windy.

Trot and canter OK? You'd never know there was anything going on with mine if she's just walking but in trot its obvious. Otherwise I'd keep going with the bodywork.

 

[Spangles]

Unless you are seeing definite signs of PSSM, if you really want to investigate a potential problem it would be better to get a vet involved but if you are seeing no loss of performance they may not have any idea where to start. The one thing I am picking up from your post is the looking at the flanks. In what circumstances does she do it? Is the trigger for the action always the same? Does she always turn to the same side or is it both sides equally? Does she look calm when she does it or slightly worried?

Sports massager found her withers to be reactive which in turn has made her shoulder stiff. Pony was wormed a few days before so crossed my mind tummy was a bit sore. But always turns on the sore side, as if to avoid any contact. It’s very intermittent though .. pony very calm, almost like he’s pointing ‘there, that’s where I’m telling you’
Getting vet out to re x-ray back

 

[planete]

. A possibility? Wither reactivity can be a symptom of ulcers.