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[RC] EPM and Rascal update,10 months post - Laurie Durgin

Yahoo!! Started riding my bratty boy two weeks ago on a startback conditioning schedule, after watching him gallop up the easement and dancing and spinning, I said, "it's time boy for both of us." He had gradually gotten more and more surefooted and sassy, gradually losing the shortstriding and gait abberation.
It has been 10 months now since his diagnosis and treatment with Marquis. From info on the epm'ers on the net. I learned you you need to dose higher than weight or longer than Bayer recommends. Seems a vet panel just came out saying the same thing. People are under dosing by weight and relapses on Marquis may be related to too short or too low a dose.
Rascal got 1200 lb dose for his 920 weight for one month. He also was on Fastrac,MSN, C, Beta carotene and very important 8000-10000 . of Vit. E. He is still on MSN (he does get mane/hair problems), and 6000-8000 Vit. E (water solubable.)
At end of treatment he had a gait abberration still on his right rear, and short striding, and was still watching the ground alot and seemed not 100% sure of the ground, he also didn't trot on his own much.(and as an interesting sideline, he was "dropping daily" this horse never drops for the 6 years I have owned him in my backyard) I was disheartened to say the least. But everyone said , give him a year at least. And don't try to work him too soon or too much or he is more likely to relapse. Also don't give Ivermentin or Quest for a year at least. And skip multiple shots, especially Rhino . Boost immune system any way you can. Let the body heal. It takes time for the nerves to grow into the damged area , a year will tell. There also seems to be some evidence that other things can inflame the damged areas, so neuro symptoms can 'flare up".(like the wormers, shots ,etc.)
Gradually over time he got better. he is turned out on a hilly paddock of about 2 acres,and the hay ,water, barn arrangement is such he has to up , down and around to eat and drink. He also has to go over mud, logs and rocky areas.His personality and energy returned, he got more sure and he started trotting, then cantering , then galloping when it got dry enough.
He is ready is he will ever be.
So I am pleasantly sore again!! We are only riding in arena, till I l am sure. But I am pretty sure!! He tried to 'run out ' on the curves, and did his 'reining' act .He goes over the pole grid with no taps (he'll even veer over to it on his own, if I drop reins, cause I think he likes it.)
We are working on stopping and backing (missed by his early training) alot. He also remembers and can do diagonal movements I taught (to the best of my limited ability).He is very energetic and sassy again. I lounged him again yesterday to asess his gait and couldn't see any abberation!!! Not short striding, he is tracking up and over his front feet (now this is from a 14.2.5 SQUARE arab.Think of a cube and you got his build)
I think I was lucky, it was quick onset, We started treament immediately, he was only grade 1-2. Though watching a never been lame, in condition, drop his rear leg into circles and trip up and down the hill repeatedly, when he regularly danced over rocks, roots , and hills like nothing was a horrible shock.
Sadly there have been many horses come on the list with epm who haven't made it this year, they seem to be older (20's), more severe (grade 4) and have other lamenness issues or back, stifle problems)They seem to be the ones that don't make it. Some get rid of their horses too soon, and they go on to recover later with new owner. Some expect the horse to 'recover ' when the drugs are done. But it only kills the protozoa, it doesn't heal the horses damage, only time can do that.Then there are the ones who have other things, but it takes some persuasion to get them to do all the tests to figure it out, and many do not have access to knowledgable vets or univ.Amazingly , some are told, to give the medicine and keep working them. We have people jumping nuero, easily fatiqued horses , scary.These go on to say, later, I should have left him alone, then restarted slowly. After all the info I have read, the groups anecdotal evidence , the university sites,that's what I recommend, let their bodies heal, destress their lives, boost immune system, then slowly as they seem to get energy and ability back, start slow.(I also wonder: that some university studies may not see the "whole horse" like owners who have them on a daily basis in a more natural setting, with
Hopefully, on our way. . . Laurie/Rascal/Honey/Scout


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If you treat an Arab like a Thoroughbred, it will behave like a Quarter
horse. ~ Libby Llop


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