Dressage training for the EPSM horse

[darkbay]

My horse has recently been diagnosed as possibly EPSM. We have changed his feed, I understand that it can take a few weeks for them to adapt to the extra fat.

My question is for those of you with EPSM horses. I understand that regular exercise and turnout is important but what have you changed in your daily riding for your horse? I have read that some of you warm up at the walk a lot. It seems that my horse has to be super supple and relaxed before he will start trotting. If we take a walk break for too long he kind of seizes up almost. Canter still seems to be quite difficult for him and I wonder if I should be pushing it more in order to strengthen him. Before all this started we were solidly working at 1st level.

I also wonder if anyone uses a magnetic blanket before riding and whether this helps.
Thanks.

[sid]

Yes, I have had two of one of these and have for about 12 years.

The key...lots of turnout. If you can do field board that is the best for these horses. Don't have the horse in a stall for more than 4 hrs a day, and surely do not ride after the horse has been confined for more than a few hours.

Also yes, lots of warmup at the walk, with a ton of suppliing as it applies to dressage training. It may take 20 minutes or more of this kind of work depending upon how severe the case. If your horse starts to seize up, then you've not done enough warmup work or the horse has been confined in a stall for too long...or it there has not been enough time for the diet change to return the horse to normalcy. If the horse still exhibits symptoms right now, "pushing" will be more deterimental than helpfu.

My horse was severe, yet I've never had any problems under this regimen.

Also, if this was just recently diagnosed and you only recently changed the diet, it can take as long as 4 months for the horse to "recover". What you have now, may not be what you have down the road. The more turnout, with your new diet, the faster your horse will come back to normalcy.

Remember also, no high sugar treats. Ditch the carrots and other sweets...use alfalfa cubes or some other low carb, fibre based treat, if you must feed them.

Recovering from EPSM can take time, and management as outlined above.

[ltw]

Lots of walking and turnout. Takes 15-20 min. to warmup. Keep warmup easy. Add oil to his feed twice daily. Dr Valentine says as much as 4 cups. Diet is important.

I competed my guy at PSG last year. He did better in Spring and Fall but could not handle heat in summer.

Lots of Vit e, sel and magnesium. Very important to keep him from tying up. Diet is important. Google Beth Valentine- follow her diet.

[darkbay]

Thank you for your replies. I appreciate it will take a while for the diet adjustment to show. Tell me, how do you know if your horse is not warmed up enough?

[sid]

You'll know it...typically, reluctance to be truly "forward", sucking back(especially in the turns or on circles) , generally feeling tight.

At least, that's what my EPSM horse demonstrates. Once warmed up properly, it feels like you've flipped on the forward "switch".

[kahjul]

Sorry, I'm hijacking...I do pasture board, but at shows she obviously stays in a stall. Someone posted not to ride if they've in the barn for a time, how then do you handle showing? I walk often during the day, either in hand or under saddle around the grounds, but overnight, she is just 'in' for several hours.

[sid]

"ltw" might be able to help you on that one. She shows, I don't.

[darkbay]

Yes sid, that's exactly what I am feeling in the warmup. Can you explain what exactly is happening when the horse is confined that makes it a bad idea? Kahjul has a good point.

[sid]

darkbay and kahjul-- I can't tell you with any authority the physiological reasons. Your questoin would best be answered by getting on www.ruralheritage.com and contacting Dr. Valentine. She might be able to recommend how to handle your showing/stalling situation.

I don't think staying stalled for the night at a show is much of a problem as long as you do a lot (I'd think a LOT) of handwalking prior to actually showing. If was competing, I'd take the lazy way out and tack up very early and walk around the grounds for a nice long time before heading to warmup. That's only my best guess as I've not dealt with that.

As an aside, I'd post a sign on my horses' stall - no treats, no grain. It's amazing the number of passerby think it may be fun to give a neighboring horse some goodies.

Again, maybe ltw will see this and give you some advice.

[kahjul]

I do post an "I have allergies, please don't feed me" sign on her door along with phone numbers. She does have allergies, but also want to keep the sugar levels low and often neigbors want to offer a 'treat' when they feed their horses. I also think the allergy sign may deter theifs. Not sure if thats really a problem, but when you're out of town, you never know. So far we have done well with a 20 min handwalk before breakfast, another after breakfast, and saddling up at least an hour before our ride. 30 mins of that is walking the grounds, then a 30 min warm up. We also do 2 or 3 handwalks later in the day. So even though that has worked for us, I would welcome advice from someone with more experience in this.

[darkbay]

Dr Valentine was nice enough to reply to my email.

"I don't have a specific exercise protocol other than to give him as much turnout as possible and as much regular exercise as possible. Try to let him be your guide as to how much exercise is too much. If he gets stiff or uncomfortable during or after a particular exercise give him a few days off with plenty of turnout and try again. If he has to be confined to a stall hand walking if at all possible will be important. The right diet will help to protect EPSM horses from inactivity related muscle issues provided the stall rest isn't too long."

It sounds like stalling at a show is not necessarily a huge deal as long as they are on the right diet and still getting exercised. Kahjul, you sound like you have dealt with showing already. Have you noticed more stiffness at shows?

[sid]

You know, you might get some insight by posting over on Horse Care forum about showing/stabling situations for EPSM horses that compete.

[kahjul]

I have noticed that she warms up rough, but I also deal with alot more energy at shows because she is cooped up. At home she uses her field-alot. It's hard to say if the jerkiness and slowness to react are from stiffness or from not paying attention and wanting to buck. If we do more than 1 night in the stall, we have to hit the lunge line.

[ltw]

My horse is in all night and inside in bad weather. He has EPSM, but he also recovered from a tendon surgery so I cannot turn out in bad footing or in slippery hilly pasture. He is only turned out in a round pen as he jumps out of regular fencing and hurts himself. Unfortunately, this particular horse has more issues then most normal horses about turnout. He still thinks he is a stallion.

He is walked 15-20 minutes before real work starts. I have never had a problem stalling him at horse shows, and I would not follow the advice that says don't ride him if he is stalled. I do try to show close to home so I go home after the show and put him out in his round pen so he can walk around. The more he moves gently the better.

If your horse is stalled make sure you give him a nice long walk before you work him hard.

[darkbay]

Thanks for the info, ltw. I have definitely increased the walking at the beginning of my warmup and my horse is feeling better and better.

[Phyxius]

It looks like you're well versed on EPSM, but since you mentioned changing his feed I just wanted to make sure to add (as other posters did) that you may want to look into supplementing the feed with oil and a vit e & selenium supplement. Oil is just another way to add more fat to your horse's diet since you want high fat and high fiber while maintaining low starch and low sugar levels.

Selenium works on the nerves, acting almost like an insulator on a wire. Quite often nuerological appearing problems are actually caused by a lack of selenium. Many areas of the country have soil that are lacking in selenium and so the hay grown in those locations are also low in selenium.

When after a hard work your horse starts to cramp or tie-up this can often also show a selenium deficiency. The only way to know for sure is to do a blood test, but generally as long as you don't feed more than the recommened about adding selenium to the diet can help.

While hay is always important in your horse's diet fiber is VERY important to an EPSM horse. Also, if possible check the sugar content of your hay to make sure it's not too high.

At shows handwalking and relaxed long rein warm-ups are great. Also be sure to cool your horse out, especially in cold weather. Cramps and muscle spasms are much more likely to occur on a hot, hardworked horse in the cold weather than one in the summer.

Dr. Beth Valentine is fantastic and as another poster mentioned, she replies to email inquiries very quickly. Best of luck with your guy!

[Melyni]

increase the Magnesium in her diet the day before and whilst at the show.
Mg and also Omega 3 fatty acids really help these guys.

If the horse is hard to warm up try increasing the Mg in the diet overall and see if that helps
YOUrs
MW

[Lgd1]

I compete a Fell Pony with EPSM - he's out at Medium (L3) level.

We keep him pretty fit so he is now ridden most days, but in the early stages found he did better with a day on/day off schedule. Then upped to 2 days on/1day off, now does 6 days on/1 day off.

You can't ride him if he is cold - he is 'over-rugged' for a native pony but does better if kept warm.

Long warm-up in walk, lots of lateral work in walk. In winter he always wears a fleece quarter sheet until he has done some trot work.

He gets a low starch/high oil/high fibre mix - we found with him that the low starch is far more important than the oil. General vit/min supplement with selenium and Vit E. Cortaflex (he is 19yo) and limestone flour supplement.

Travels to competitions in a magnet back & quarter pad set - does help tremendously.