I wanted to share with everyone this article from this week’s Chronicle. This was my horse Sheldon. I am on a mission to help inform people about this horrible disease as well as other neurologic disorders. If anyone wants to reach out to me privately about their horse I am happy to try and help. I know when I was going through this with Sheldon that I really valued speaking to people who had been through similar situations.
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Got the issue yesterday. Thanks for telling us about it. Sorry for you and your horse
Thank you for sharing your experiences. Open flow of information will help figure out this disease.
Thank you both. I really hope it helps people.
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I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you so much for sharing this - there is much information here I had never heard about, and I think this is too important an issue for it to remain so unknown. I am just sorry that so much grief had to be a part of the process of education and sharing your story.
@majanick if you don’t mind I would love to know if your horse was being tested for vit E at any point and if it was low and difficult to increase his levels with supplimentation? And did he pass regular vets neuro exams prior to being seen at New Bolton?
Ive had a couple of clients horses who have struggled and had extremely low Vit E results and probably absorption issues. Neuro exams were always ok but we ended up retiring one horse and another couldn’t do the job so has been given an easier working life. Both were very low vit E and struggled and “acted out” when in regular work; especially in stressful situations (lessons or shows etc) Now I wonder if they had this condition going on.
We have extremely low vit E in northern NJ and most horses we buy tend to be very low (especially the couple that came over from Europe) and we immediately test now and then aggressively suppliment with 10,000 IU natural vit E.
Happy to chat in PM if you prefer.
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I’m going through something like this. Personality change, discomfort in the hind end. I’m so worried. We just did lab work but I will keep this disease in mind also.
Im sorry for your loss.
Thank you all for your kind words. Guyot so sorry for your trouble and I am happy to message with you privately but forgive my tech skills. How do I do that? CBurkott I am sorry for what you are going through. I am happy to message with you as well if you want.
This is a paragraph from an article I am linking below. I find this incredible.
“In 2014 Emil Olsen, DVM, PhD, MRCVS, who has studied ataxic horses at the Royal Veterinary College’s Structure and Motion Laboratory, in London, published a study in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. In it, he and his colleagues found that equine health professionals have difficulties agreeing on whether horses are ataxic and to what extent, especially when clinical signs are subtle.”
For anyone who is interested Free clinic at The Hampton Classic Horse Show tomorrow which will also be livebroadcast free on the Hampton Classic website under the live feed for the Grand Prix field.
“Equine Neurologic Disease - Is your horse Neurologic or Lame?”
Please join us for an informal seminar led by Dr. Amy Polkes, medical director of Antech Diagnostics’ Equine Division. Open to all, Tuesday, August 27 in the Der Dau/CWDRider’s Lounge following the last class in the Grand Prix ring (approx. 4 pm).
