My old horse Esteban who i sold this fall just got diagnosed with EPM this week and I was wondering its its worth the medication for recovery. he is only 9 years old the new owners said that his xrays are really bad but you can barely tell all that he is doing is tripping alot. What can I do to help him? what is the treatment like?
What is the recovery rate of horses with EPM? 2 years ago I got a 20 year old trail horse for free, they said he had EPM, but was almost fully recovered, but I'd never be able to jump or show him. Now he jumps 2'7 and shows english pleasure.. he is perfectly sound and healthy.. I was just wondering, because I don't know much about EPM..
Evil Possums.. there was one in my barn once and I freaked out..
Hi im Hanna im 13 Years old I have just found out a couple days ago that my 18 year old horse Molly has EPM she has always been a healthy good looking horse shes strong and loves to run, i show western pleasure with her and i have just been hoping and praying she will be ok but we called the vet and shes on the right kind of medicine that shes needs but could you please tell me how you got your horse to be healthy and good again? thanks
My horse Belle contracted EPM when she was 15 and we didn't know it when we bought her. After the fact her former owners told us why she tripped sometimes, and my parents weren't pleased but i refused to give up on her. I just sold her a month ago to a family with three wonderful kids that would take good care of her.
Cal is such an inspiration. My boy was diagnosed with EPM last December... he was only three years old and was just starting his career. He had so much ahead of him. I could tell something was off... but couldn't put my finger on it. He moves just like your boy, now that he is finishing up his medication. Thanks for sharing.
@appaloosasport I hope your boy is doing well now after treament. See my comment below to acagle 2828 about homeopathic treatment and preventive that I have my horses on now. Best healing thoughts and energy to you and your horse . .
I have a 6yr old gelding that I've had since he was 1.5yrs in the hopes of him being my next dressage horse. I took him to a dressage clinic at a barn surrounded by woods and one week later he was dragging his right hind leg funny. That was four months ago and we're still trying to figure out what's wrong with him. The vet took a blood sample today to test for EPM.
@Romaridge After no help from a vet that basically told me I was nuts and I just needed to send my horse to a trainer, I found an old cowboy who does chiropractic on horses. Turns out his pelvic joint was out. After an adjustment to put it back in he's been back to normal. So no EPM.
@unbridledtrainer1 That would be such a relief if that's all my horse has. Mine has randomly lifted same hind leg up high and to the side. When he takes normalish steps that leg always swings a bit to the outside and he also ca'nt bring it under him as far as the other one. What symtoms did you're horse have?
@naulaaprillia When he moved it looked as if one back leg was "stiff"...as if he didn't have the full range of motion in it. When I rode he was very uncomfortable and would kick that same back leg up and out a little...as if he was trying to pop the joint back in by himself.
@naulaaprillia Forgot to mention that I have some videos up of him being ridden and lunged while he had his problem....feel free to click on my username to visit my videos and watch them...it was his right hind leg so you know which one to watch.
@unbridledtrainer1 Hello! I never got notice of your messages here until today. That's interesting about your horse--sounds like what my Cal did/does. I'm not cantering Cal under saddle any longer as last year he went down with me while we were cantering in the arena--gratefully he was able to pick us back up--it could have been a really bad fall. So now no faster than a collected trot. . . Will get back to you after I watch your vids--tx for the comments. Karen
He's so lucky to have survived. I had my baby put down after a year of fighting it. We were so close. He was a very valuable roping horse that survived a shattered leg. But he couldn't beat EPM. I've always taken precausions to keep my feed up. And then the vet said he could have gotten it from the grass.
@acagle2828 I'm so sorry about your lovely horse succumbing to EPM. What a nasty, nasty disease--heartbreaking . .
I've now put my horses on a homepathic preventitive for EPM and Lyme's Disease. Get it from a vet in FLA who's done some good research and shows good results with his remedies. Let me know if you'd like info. on this.
I want a bumper sticker that says "save a horse, kill a possum" :) I have a gelding that has recently recovered from EPM. He was a rather odd mover to begin with but now he is just flat out weird lol he will allways be a little bit out of whack..but he will make a good horse for just riding:) EPM leaves it's mark sometimes I guess.
Cal here too has some EPM quirks as you can see. But he's worth his weight in gold. Makes a great therapy and trail horse and is always at the top of the herd . . .
It is SO hard to hear abou tall of the horses that are being put down from having EPM. I have a horse (harmony) had had EPM very badly. She was a rescue and by the time she got treatment she could hardly walk. It has taken her a long time to recover but she has done it! I just wanted to say that it is do-able. I think Cal is a shining example of the will and power horses possess. Harmony is also doing fantastic we are not cantering yet, but she now hardly ever trips when trotting or walking.
Hey how far gone was ur horse when EPM was diagnosed? my horse is very bad i got him only 4 mo ago and hes EXTREEMLY bad! he can barley walk! Still have not gotten the test results but were almost 100% sure he has it!
How long did it take you to find out he had EPM? They finally did the test for mine this week. How safe is yours to ride now? How much stumbling does he still have, if any?
Cal probably had EPM a couple of years before it got diagnosed. Went to a neurological vet specialist. Cal is safe for trail rides, walk/trot. I don't canter him under saddle anymore as he does stumble . . .
I do have him and my Thoroughbred on a homeopathic preventitive.
Best of luck with your horse. Let me know how he does.
you have a nice horse. I have a friend and her horse got EPM and the vet told her it was best to have the horse put down? i did not know a horse could get better from it.
Sorry to hear about your friend's horse. Guess it depends on how long the horse has had the parasite(s) and where in the nervous system it has settled. It was incredibly expensive and took quite a lot of time to treat.
Cal will never be the same--but he's a wonderful horse who has an important place and job here . . .
What are some of the first signs of this EPM? My horse has been stumbling a bit more lately and I came off when he fell to his knees (separated my shoulder). Then, when my replacement rider came off three weeks later due to the same circumstances, I started to get worried. BUT, I don't notice a swagger, and he seems to only stumble in the bridle (under rider or on the longe). We are also on grass footing now and he was used to sand arenas ...
A vet would be the one to ask as I'm not a vet. But my horse's first symptoms were, in fact, stumbling and falling to his knees while being ridden. In all the years I've been riding, I've never known it to be normal for any (healthy) horse to stumble while being ridden on a wide variety of footing conditions. Good luck with your horse. It might be a good idea to consult a vet who has expertise with neurological disorders.
How much was all his treatments? My friends horse was diagnosed and got better then went downhill. Now she's donating him to A&M to be studied... then eventually when there through with him put down... I could never do that till he was in pain the nput him down. I wanna cry its sadd
I just foud out today that my 10 yr old Paint gelding has EPM. The vet said he has had it for several years. Every other vet I had taken him too or discribed what was going on said it was a urinary infection or a kidney infection so they gave me sufla drugs and Tucaprim. He was constantly dribbling, he could not control his bladder. He would lay down in the trailer when I would take him places, but he never fell with me ridding him. Hes a big horse about 17 1/2 hands. I love him very much.
My dressage horse has EPM now, and we are just waiting for him to recover. How bad were Cal's syptoms? How long did it take for him to heal to be able to be ridden again? What was his infection count at first?
I could feel the unsteadiness in his gaits but it was inconsistent with some days worse than others. He would FEEL as though he was going to fall down. I did start riding him about two months or so afterward--just walking over poles/up and down hills collected. Some trotting. We did a lot of alternative tx post Marquis--acupuncture, etc. Took about one year for him to get to the point of where he is in this vid.
My friends just had to put hers down a couple of weeks ago. He was 20. She had him for 8 years. He was unridable. He was like that when she got him unaware of his condition. She bought him as a quick sale from a vet.
His back started twisting, he was putting more weight on one side then normal. The vet had came out a few times and she told her that he wasn't getting any better. With winter coming she didn't want him to go down and have to make that decision then.
Oh that's sad! Cal was doing the weight to one side thing and had an ouchy back when it first started--also totally changed his personality from sweet to crabby and explosive. Now he's back to his sweet, clownlike self but it took LOTS of time, treatments, money, patience.
That's too bad about your friend's horse--but was the best option to put him down if he was that bad with winter coming--that sux!
thank you for the reply, im waiting on the lab results but it seems promising that he has it, after he was cleared up, how often does he drag his feet or go down?
Cal does well on flat ground like this arena at all gaits--no problems stumbling or fallng. Out in the field or on trails I rarely go faster than a slow trot as uneven ground still trips him up. Don't think the residual nerve damage will ever completely lift.
Yes to both. He dragged his feet all the time. He went down on his (front) knees more than one time while I was riding but was able to pick himself back up. my then trainer said at the time he was being "lazy". I knew there had to be something else up. This horse is built for athletics, not falling on his face.
Thanks Julz. Glad you don't have possums but not sure I could handle the rattlesnakes!
Legend has it that in Kentucky horse country, whenever you see a break in a fenceline from a vehicle crashing it--that means another possum has been done in--yeah!
Thanks for watching and the kind comments Joe & Bill. Back before I knew he had EPM, he sometimes would just fall down to his knees for no apparent reason (but always had enough heart to pick us back up).
hey karen...your horse is going good. Has a nice canter and stops pretty good. I didn't know that about possums...we have them everywhere here in alabama.
My old horse Esteban who i sold this fall just got diagnosed with EPM this week and I was wondering its its worth the medication for recovery. he is only 9 years old the new owners said that his xrays are really bad but you can barely tell all that he is doing is tripping alot. What can I do to help him? what is the treatment like?
horselvr26 9 months ago
What is the recovery rate of horses with EPM? 2 years ago I got a 20 year old trail horse for free, they said he had EPM, but was almost fully recovered, but I'd never be able to jump or show him. Now he jumps 2'7 and shows english pleasure.. he is perfectly sound and healthy.. I was just wondering, because I don't know much about EPM..
Evil Possums.. there was one in my barn once and I freaked out..
Cal is gorgeous :)
XxHorsexObsessionxX 11 months ago
Hi im Hanna im 13 Years old I have just found out a couple days ago that my 18 year old horse Molly has EPM she has always been a healthy good looking horse shes strong and loves to run, i show western pleasure with her and i have just been hoping and praying she will be ok but we called the vet and shes on the right kind of medicine that shes needs but could you please tell me how you got your horse to be healthy and good again? thanks
LazyBonz763 1 year ago
My horse Belle contracted EPM when she was 15 and we didn't know it when we bought her. After the fact her former owners told us why she tripped sometimes, and my parents weren't pleased but i refused to give up on her. I just sold her a month ago to a family with three wonderful kids that would take good care of her.
angela122345678 1 year ago
Cal is such an inspiration. My boy was diagnosed with EPM last December... he was only three years old and was just starting his career. He had so much ahead of him. I could tell something was off... but couldn't put my finger on it. He moves just like your boy, now that he is finishing up his medication. Thanks for sharing.
appaloosasport 1 year ago
@appaloosasport I hope your boy is doing well now after treament. See my comment below to acagle 2828 about homeopathic treatment and preventive that I have my horses on now. Best healing thoughts and energy to you and your horse . .
Romaridge 1 year ago
I have a 6yr old gelding that I've had since he was 1.5yrs in the hopes of him being my next dressage horse. I took him to a dressage clinic at a barn surrounded by woods and one week later he was dragging his right hind leg funny. That was four months ago and we're still trying to figure out what's wrong with him. The vet took a blood sample today to test for EPM.
unbridledtrainer1 2 years ago
@unbridledtrainer1 Did you find out if he has EPM? It's good to catch it in the early stages for treatment purposes I'm told by my vet . .
Romaridge 1 year ago
Comment removed
unbridledtrainer1 1 year ago
@Romaridge After no help from a vet that basically told me I was nuts and I just needed to send my horse to a trainer, I found an old cowboy who does chiropractic on horses. Turns out his pelvic joint was out. After an adjustment to put it back in he's been back to normal. So no EPM.
unbridledtrainer1 1 year ago
@unbridledtrainer1 That would be such a relief if that's all my horse has. Mine has randomly lifted same hind leg up high and to the side. When he takes normalish steps that leg always swings a bit to the outside and he also ca'nt bring it under him as far as the other one. What symtoms did you're horse have?
naulaaprillia 1 year ago
@naulaaprillia When he moved it looked as if one back leg was "stiff"...as if he didn't have the full range of motion in it. When I rode he was very uncomfortable and would kick that same back leg up and out a little...as if he was trying to pop the joint back in by himself.
unbridledtrainer1 1 year ago
@naulaaprillia Forgot to mention that I have some videos up of him being ridden and lunged while he had his problem....feel free to click on my username to visit my videos and watch them...it was his right hind leg so you know which one to watch.
unbridledtrainer1 1 year ago
@unbridledtrainer1 Hello! I never got notice of your messages here until today. That's interesting about your horse--sounds like what my Cal did/does. I'm not cantering Cal under saddle any longer as last year he went down with me while we were cantering in the arena--gratefully he was able to pick us back up--it could have been a really bad fall. So now no faster than a collected trot. . . Will get back to you after I watch your vids--tx for the comments. Karen
Romaridge 1 year ago
He's so lucky to have survived. I had my baby put down after a year of fighting it. We were so close. He was a very valuable roping horse that survived a shattered leg. But he couldn't beat EPM. I've always taken precausions to keep my feed up. And then the vet said he could have gotten it from the grass.
acagle2828 2 years ago
@acagle2828 I'm so sorry about your lovely horse succumbing to EPM. What a nasty, nasty disease--heartbreaking . .
I've now put my horses on a homepathic preventitive for EPM and Lyme's Disease. Get it from a vet in FLA who's done some good research and shows good results with his remedies. Let me know if you'd like info. on this.
Romaridge 1 year ago
I want a bumper sticker that says "save a horse, kill a possum" :) I have a gelding that has recently recovered from EPM. He was a rather odd mover to begin with but now he is just flat out weird lol he will allways be a little bit out of whack..but he will make a good horse for just riding:) EPM leaves it's mark sometimes I guess.
MangoRoX87 2 years ago
Like that bumper sticker idea--lol!
Cal here too has some EPM quirks as you can see. But he's worth his weight in gold. Makes a great therapy and trail horse and is always at the top of the herd . . .
Romaridge 2 years ago
It is SO hard to hear abou tall of the horses that are being put down from having EPM. I have a horse (harmony) had had EPM very badly. She was a rescue and by the time she got treatment she could hardly walk. It has taken her a long time to recover but she has done it! I just wanted to say that it is do-able. I think Cal is a shining example of the will and power horses possess. Harmony is also doing fantastic we are not cantering yet, but she now hardly ever trips when trotting or walking.
rlandwehrle 2 years ago
Hey how far gone was ur horse when EPM was diagnosed? my horse is very bad i got him only 4 mo ago and hes EXTREEMLY bad! he can barley walk! Still have not gotten the test results but were almost 100% sure he has it!
cheeriomare 2 years ago
How long did it take you to find out he had EPM? They finally did the test for mine this week. How safe is yours to ride now? How much stumbling does he still have, if any?
Gretavk 2 years ago
Cal probably had EPM a couple of years before it got diagnosed. Went to a neurological vet specialist. Cal is safe for trail rides, walk/trot. I don't canter him under saddle anymore as he does stumble . . .
I do have him and my Thoroughbred on a homeopathic preventitive.
Best of luck with your horse. Let me know how he does.
Romaridge 2 years ago
you have a nice horse. I have a friend and her horse got EPM and the vet told her it was best to have the horse put down? i did not know a horse could get better from it.
baileyhorse1 2 years ago
Sorry to hear about your friend's horse. Guess it depends on how long the horse has had the parasite(s) and where in the nervous system it has settled. It was incredibly expensive and took quite a lot of time to treat.
Cal will never be the same--but he's a wonderful horse who has an important place and job here . . .
Romaridge 2 years ago
i wasn't going to but i remembered what you said on your profile. bad luck for the possum guy.
ccrushed 2 years ago
i run over a possum today for you.
ccrushed 2 years ago
Hey thanks!!
Romaridge 2 years ago
What are some of the first signs of this EPM? My horse has been stumbling a bit more lately and I came off when he fell to his knees (separated my shoulder). Then, when my replacement rider came off three weeks later due to the same circumstances, I started to get worried. BUT, I don't notice a swagger, and he seems to only stumble in the bridle (under rider or on the longe). We are also on grass footing now and he was used to sand arenas ...
Gretavk 2 years ago
A vet would be the one to ask as I'm not a vet. But my horse's first symptoms were, in fact, stumbling and falling to his knees while being ridden. In all the years I've been riding, I've never known it to be normal for any (healthy) horse to stumble while being ridden on a wide variety of footing conditions. Good luck with your horse. It might be a good idea to consult a vet who has expertise with neurological disorders.
Romaridge 2 years ago
How much was all his treatments? My friends horse was diagnosed and got better then went downhill. Now she's donating him to A&M to be studied... then eventually when there through with him put down... I could never do that till he was in pain the nput him down. I wanna cry its sadd
thinkathinka123 2 years ago
That's sad about your friend's horse. Sometimes treatment starts too late but it so difficult to get diagnosed sometimes . .
Romaridge 2 years ago
I just foud out today that my 10 yr old Paint gelding has EPM. The vet said he has had it for several years. Every other vet I had taken him too or discribed what was going on said it was a urinary infection or a kidney infection so they gave me sufla drugs and Tucaprim. He was constantly dribbling, he could not control his bladder. He would lay down in the trailer when I would take him places, but he never fell with me ridding him. Hes a big horse about 17 1/2 hands. I love him very much.
HelloKitty7769 3 years ago
So sorry about your gelding HK. EPM can be such an ellusive diagnosis. Is he being treated?
That certainly is a BIG horse! I hope that he pulls through for you with the right meds this time. Please let me know how it goes with him . . .
Romaridge 3 years ago
My dressage horse has EPM now, and we are just waiting for him to recover. How bad were Cal's syptoms? How long did it take for him to heal to be able to be ridden again? What was his infection count at first?
541dressage 3 years ago
I could feel the unsteadiness in his gaits but it was inconsistent with some days worse than others. He would FEEL as though he was going to fall down. I did start riding him about two months or so afterward--just walking over poles/up and down hills collected. Some trotting. We did a lot of alternative tx post Marquis--acupuncture, etc. Took about one year for him to get to the point of where he is in this vid.
Good luck with your horse.
Romaridge 3 years ago
Thank you very much for your info and advice. It helps to actually see that horses can recover from this diesease.
541dressage 3 years ago
My friends just had to put hers down a couple of weeks ago. He was 20. She had him for 8 years. He was unridable. He was like that when she got him unaware of his condition. She bought him as a quick sale from a vet.
His back started twisting, he was putting more weight on one side then normal. The vet had came out a few times and she told her that he wasn't getting any better. With winter coming she didn't want him to go down and have to make that decision then.
lazyhorse73 3 years ago
Oh that's sad! Cal was doing the weight to one side thing and had an ouchy back when it first started--also totally changed his personality from sweet to crabby and explosive. Now he's back to his sweet, clownlike self but it took LOTS of time, treatments, money, patience.
That's too bad about your friend's horse--but was the best option to put him down if he was that bad with winter coming--that sux!
Thanks for watching and commenting LH .
Romaridge 3 years ago
thank you for the reply, im waiting on the lab results but it seems promising that he has it, after he was cleared up, how often does he drag his feet or go down?
avidplayer007 3 years ago
Cal does well on flat ground like this arena at all gaits--no problems stumbling or fallng. Out in the field or on trails I rarely go faster than a slow trot as uneven ground still trips him up. Don't think the residual nerve damage will ever completely lift.
Romaridge 3 years ago
before the epm was treated, did your horse often fall when you were riding him, or drag his front feet often?
avidplayer007 3 years ago
Yes to both. He dragged his feet all the time. He went down on his (front) knees more than one time while I was riding but was able to pick himself back up. my then trainer said at the time he was being "lazy". I knew there had to be something else up. This horse is built for athletics, not falling on his face.
Romaridge 3 years ago
Congratulations on his recovery. He's a lovely boy. :)
Bearslittlewhisper 3 years ago
Thank you Bears--that's very kind! K
Romaridge 3 years ago
Good Job, Karen.
After reading the story of this horse, let me commend YOU for having the heart to pull him through EPM.
So glad we don't have possums up here in the desert.
filly4billy2002 3 years ago
Thanks Julz. Glad you don't have possums but not sure I could handle the rattlesnakes!
Legend has it that in Kentucky horse country, whenever you see a break in a fenceline from a vehicle crashing it--that means another possum has been done in--yeah!
Romaridge 3 years ago
Boy Karen , you are a really good rider and your horse is very well trained, this was a great vid,thanks for sharing. JOE
joescolors 3 years ago
Thanks for watching and the kind comments Joe & Bill. Back before I knew he had EPM, he sometimes would just fall down to his knees for no apparent reason (but always had enough heart to pick us back up).
Romaridge 3 years ago
hey karen...your horse is going good. Has a nice canter and stops pretty good. I didn't know that about possums...we have them everywhere here in alabama.
wildbill100 3 years ago