Could you switch to long lining instead of lunging? Less stress on the horse’s joints & (for me, anyway) less chance of vertigo for the human!
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NO!
I did try it, but walking on the arena footing doesn’t work for my joints these days.
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I detest lunging and I find my 2 mid teenagers really don’t need it anymore , even after a week off. We are able to just get on and warm up under saddle instead.
I do lunge my 2 year old a bit before riding him but that is a must and it still feels like an eternity.
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I don’t longe my PSSM horse before riding. At most I’ll handwalk for a few minutes, and that is rare. I do longe the drama llama, at times before every ride.
I prefer to feel how my PSSM horse is going rather than watch. There is the physical, but also the mental, and the combination of the two. How did he respond mentally and how did his body respond. I can get an easier read riding.
Do be careful with trying various warm ups with Mellow. Some of those offered could lead to disaster for a PSSM horse. Too much demand too early results in too much glycogen that the muscle can’t break down fast enough to provide the energy required to perform which leads to muscle damage.
If the horse needs to be sluggish for a few minutes to get the muscles working and breaking down glycogen as efficiently as they’re capable of, then it is important to allow the slug. This is where riding makes it easier to determine lazy slug vs. needs to warm/loosen up slug and when needs to warm up starts to become lazy.
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Just to chime in: All of my vets told me to let my horses warm up in any frame they wanted at any speed they wanted. Once they were warmed up then I could start making demands - or not depending on how they felt.
I feel so bad for you, OP. I know you wanted this to work out and it all seemed so wonderful in the beginning. I am so sad that this has turned out tis way. I hope you can either work with him or get another horse that you can work with. A dead head is not so bad. Boring horses go everywhere and do everything.
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I am late to this party but this horse doesn’t sound fun for you. Like, it’s not like you owned him and knew him inside and out and he developed “ABC” condition. Instead you bought an issue and now you wonder every day if the issue will be an issue. That’s not fun.
I’d cut my losses and sell him. Been there, done that. We bought a gorgeous and talented gelding that I could ride w/o issue and he was a real head turner, a lovely horse… but he could and would violently shy at…nothing. And he was a total dickweed in the pasture. He was DH’s horse, and there was something amiss about him. I never could get my internal ‘hmmm’ to turn off. We sold him and he’s thriving with a better rider in a different set up. And he’s in mixed T/O with a more dominant gelding so he’s meek. Go figure.
I’d sell. I’m sorry - but that’s where my head would be.
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I think he was fine when first purchased by @KBC and then over a period of time things slowly went wrong?
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OP sorry you are going through horse issues again. Wasn’t this horse a former stallion and basically untrained? With possible unsoundness issues also. That’s a lot to go against.
I would find a good home for Mellow if I were you.
Take some time to reflect on what your goals are, personally and horse wise.
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She bought a green 8YO in Aug 2020 and was not riding him by November 2020. She had 3 fun months then I think as he got worked and brought into fitness. the PSSM emerged as a real problem. It would be like buying an HYPP+ horse and getting lucky for 3 months before they drop out from under you and seize.
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He was great for the first few months, green but very sensible. Things went down hill from, I guess this time last year. It’s frustrating because I was told he was five panel negative, but stupidly never got the paperwork, NOW I know why that is important.
We then fought until January thinking he was lame, sore, crazy, until the vet had a lightbulb moment and said, we’ll run a panel on him…since then we have been on the roller coaster of finding out what works for him.
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And, this is why these horses can be hard, my expectations for yesterday were low, first really cold day that we have had, not been ridden for a couple of days, convinced myself not to lunge, just get on, walked him for 10 minutes, always on a looser rein, and despite the fact it was colder. Windy as all heck, so we had whistling and banging from the roof, it was the first time we had ridden completely alone in ….I can’t remember, and a feed delivery turned up, so there were doors banging outside the arena, he was pretty good. 
He was worried, but I could distract him by asking him to flex, or leg yield, just to get his attention. Did lots of transitions, never staying in one pace for long, and he was really good.
Again, when he is like this, I could see someone buying him, the right person and situation, he might do well. At the same time, when he is like this, I want to keep him, because, well he is fun.
Just sitting on it for awhile, see what happens when the new owner takes over, I hear one of her great skills is matching horse and rider, so it might be good for both Mellow and I
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Ah ok. This story makes sense. I would suggest finding him a light riding home with 24/7 turnout on a free lease which will keep you in the loop if big decisions need to be made and not sold down the road with no full disclosure. Fortunately it sounds like he’s quiet enough for a kids horse or occasional weekend guest horse.
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Yeah, but. Isn’t it the case that a horse with PSSM does better with consistent work? 24/7 turnout isn’t always (often?) enough to keep them rideable.
Yup, he needs to be worked more, not less, and while turnout and moving is good for them, grass can be a trigger, too much sugar. Same as the next conundrum, keeping him warm, they don’t do cold or wet, but also Mellow has been happier since I took his fly sheet off.
There isn’t one answer for the PSSM horse, only trial and error, AND only changing one thing at a time, so you can assess what worked.
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This is exactly why I persisted with my drama llama - I mean younger horse!! Well that and the fact that he’s really cute. 
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Time for end of year round up…yes I know the year isn’t done, but hopefully tomorrow we are flying out for a months vacation with family.
We have had so many ups and downs this year, definitely a roller coaster, but in the end? Well I still love this damn horse, I’d rather own him than be a dressage rider, or any other competition rider. One fun thing since last update in October, I’ve had my own body issues, so the horse that wasn’t good being ridden, got to be loved on by the owner who couldn’t ride
So where have we ended up?
Well fingers crossed, we seem to be at a good place. He is the best he has been think, have pulled his shoes, kicked him out to pasture, the change of ownership at the barn meant a whole bunch of new horses coming in, and he is in a big group, with plenty of room, no one bullies him, he has buddied up with a couple of youngsters, so has company. We keep him well blanketed, have his supplements sorted, and he feels like a real horse again.
New owner is now new coach, had one trial lesson with her, and it went well. Seems I have got in the habit of babying him, and not asking him to work, and what do you know, ask him to put some effort in, and he is moving well. I’m having some rides put on him when I am away, hopefully we can pick up well when I’m back.
Nice, once again to have someone confirm that we are a good pair, and I ride him well, so she has no issues with us…and this is the person who buys and sells, so would be in for commission if we did sell.
So, onward and upward, goal for the New Year, go to a cattle handling clinic, very low key, slow paced, but the one I audited was such fun to watch!
Handsome dude
Total failure of new remote camera video
Cattle work, br8ng it on.
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Stuck here in UK, Covid testing issues, so my trainer sent me this video. So happy to see my boy, and delighted that he is overcoming his nemesis of crossing over things.
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Oh, he is very brave! Because, don’t ya’ know, trolls can live under bridges. And just when you step on the bridge with your hoofs, the trolls jump out and spook you!
Nice thing is, once they get that they won’t die going over bridges like that, they’ve pretty much got the idea that it’s okay to step on Stuff That is Not Like the Rest of the Ground. (Ask me how I know this). 
Sorry you are stuck away from home. Hope everything gets cleared up soon!
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What a good boy! I love how his ears are just going going going. But brave him to get up there and not leap off the side or the end when he was done. And even at that distance he is very handsome. And clean, too.
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Well still here, seems that the number of ways you, or others can screw up is big…
He sees the trolls under bridges, so to face them down is awesome.
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