I have found my happy again...it’s AWESOME.....the roller coaster rolls on, and it fell off the rails! I sold my happy!

[KBC]

@SuzieQNutter to be fair to both of us…that isn’t me trying to lunge, I was just moving him on a circle to check on his soundness, I thought he was off on the off hind, turns out it was that, and near fore!

Lol, you may cringe at this as well, but went out to round pen, found no lunge line out there, so let him work with side reins, for the first time, just in the pen. Had them on loosest setting just while he got used to them.

First time in side reins

I don’t own a proper lunging cavesson at the moment, haven’t even seen one in use at the barn. I tend to use a bridle with the line fixed on the off side, then run over the crown and out to my hand.

He doesn’t get fed much, mostly hay, then soaked beet after he has worked with scoop of Purina Trimax, but I will cut that out and see what happens, seeing the change only happened after I added it!

[SuzieQNutter]

Lucky you having a round pen. I use the lunging cavesson because I am lunging in an arena. It is much easier to alternate the direction without changing the rein over the poll.

You do not need to tighten the side reins, that is a mistake newbies make. That is like riding front to back, when you want to ride back to front.

Get him more forward after he is used to them and only 10 minutes a day. Watch him change over 2 weeks without tightening the side reins as he learns contact. It will happen quicker if he is already used to contact under saddle. At least that is what happens to me using solid side reins, not elasticized side reins. I know controvercial, but my choice and I would never use elasticized side reins. I cut the rubber ring off.

His outline will change because of you the handler changing how he works without tightening the side reins.

Once he is used to and comfortable wearing them of course.

No manure pickup today. I was probably not in the arena long enough. 3 jobs to go to today, so I better get in the shower.

[KBC]

Damn horse, left him tied in the barn aisle yesterday, happily eating his lunch, while I went to watch a new school horse being worked.Came back to find he had finished his food, reached as far as he could, pulled the most expensive blanket in the barn onto the floor, and PEED on it!

Seeing as the temps are well into freezing had to roll up the stinking mess and bring it home to wash it! He’s obviously feeling better in himself!

Still on ground work here, and he is going a lot better, so am I, now leading him through differing height cavaletti, and we are both learning to pick our feet up.

[SuzieQNutter]

Bahahahaha

I found with Sim no amount of leading over solid trot poles did any good. He was fine under saddle.

[KBC]

Feeling all sorts of down now, haven’t ridden the boy since November. His issues of spookiness got worse, still having vague looking off, not lame, not sound, just meh…

Has a couple of sessions of bodywork, looked a lot better, so gave trainer go ahead to start him back. That didn’t go well, so she suggested getting his eyes checked.

First visit, couldn’t get a good look at his eyes, because he was being a dick, and just blew through the two different sedatives she gave him. She did see uveitis though. She did suggest running a 5 panel on him, and even though I was pretty sure he was supposed to be N/N I decided to do it. Well turns out that my ex stud, verbally told was N/N, isn’t…he is N/P1…great.

Vet came back with a suitable cocktail of drugs and the good news is that his eye structure looks good. So was feeling very relieved, wearing a mask had helped his eyes, and I know PSSM1 can be managed with diet and exercise.

Then Saturday his pupils were really dilated, still are, vet is looking to source a machine to test his pressure. His heart rate is also high, so all around not a happy bunny. I lunged him yesterday and he started so soft and sweet, then the OTHER Mellow took over, and he is spooking, bucking trying to run. I just wanted to cry. I have to believe my sweet baby is in there, and it’s his conditions I’m seeing. Just so down and frustrated here.

[shiloh]

Oh no. I am so very sorry and sad to read this. I hope to hear better news.
again so very sorry

[seriously1]

Take a look at Warwick Schiller’s stuff for ground work to build relationships.

[RedHorses]

PSSM sucks, but can be quite manageable. I suspect Mellow’s PSSM will be as he was good for quite a while. Figuring out what is needed takes time, and then a little paranoia about messing it up before it becomes just “how this horse is managed.” I haven’t given it much thought in years except when changing barns.

Now the obvious - you did test for Lyme, yes?

[KBC]

@RedHorses

PSSM sucks, but can be quite manageable. I suspect Mellow’s PSSM will be as he was good for quite a while. Figuring out what is needed takes time, and then a little paranoia about messing it up before it becomes just “how this horse is managed.” I haven’t given it much thought in years except when changing barns.

Now the obvious - you did test for Lyme, yes?

I know it can be managed, but still going through stages of oh Fruitbat about the whole thing. A couple of weeks ago I hadn’t really heard, didn’t know anything about PSSM1, so still learning and adapting.

Yesterday we had the best session we have had since November, he was peaceful in the arena, reacted to noise, but didn’t over react. Walked, then actually trotted on the lunge with no explosions, I can see MY Mellow again. Today I have hope, we know what it is, it can be managed, and by listening to him, i’m sure we have a good future.

No, no Lyme test black legged ticks aren’t native to this Province, so chances of infection are really low.

[KBC]

@seriously1

Take a look at Warwick Schiller’s stuff for ground work to build relationships.

I’ve started looking at his stuff, and also am lucky enough to have a trainer on site who is a big fan of ground work, and seems to have a great way of working.

[findeight]

Oh, bummer. Its always something…

One thought, this is a tough time of year when whatever is wrong with them seems worse and even the (rare) completely healthy one act great one day and like total jerks the next.

On top of the season and weather effects on basic behavior, Mellow has bad a very busy last 5 or 6 months and his life has greatly changed from what it was previously. Lot to absorb. Suspect as we move into spring and you continue to manage his condition, you will see more consistency in his behavior.

But…spring is in the air, literally, as mares systems awaken, He was intact as an adult and you might encounter increased… distraction…on his part. Scent of a receptive mare can carry for some distance and distract even lifelong geldings. . Be aware. Little Vicks between the nostrils might be a good idea if his attention wanders at this still early point in his transition from lawn ornament to working horse.

[KBC]

@findeight

Oh, bummer. Its always something…

…
But…spring is in the air, literally, as mares systems awaken, He was intact as an adult and you might encounter increased… distraction…on his part. Scent of a receptive mare can carry for some distance and distract even lifelong geldings. . Be aware. Little Vicks between the nostrils might be a good idea if his attention wanders at this still early point in his transition from lawn ornament to working horse.

Good thought, spring, hormones, ice slides off the arena roof, building cracking as it warms up…all that good stuff.

[RedHorses]

Sorry! I was trying to offer reassurance that once you get it figured out it’s not going to be something that is going to take up much headspace.

Take the opportunity now to really study his behaviour and how he feels (when you ride) on good days and bad. This will help you recognize PSSM vs NQR in the future. And that is important because when we might give the horse a day or two off due to NQR (“is it budding lameness?”) PSSM needs the work to clear the excess glycogen.

It also lets you try and figure out what changed that might have allowed more glycogen storage. There was a time my horse’s herd got second cut grass round bales. It took a few days for me to figure it out and then the BO put first cut out the next time which subsequently confirmed my theory. The BO felt bad, but I hadn’t known and once we did that herd only got first cut hay.

My boy was diagnosed in late November and he was actually worse for December and January than before diagnosis, then gradually improved and was a totally different horse by April. There was little information available and low veterinary recognition back then - and even so it felt overwhelming. I get what you’re going through! That was over 15 years ago and I really don’t think much about it anymore - beyond keeping him in steady work as much as possible. If I only have time to ride one horse it’s usually him because of the PSSM.

You got this!

[timmy]

Forgive me, but your horse looks quite lame behind in the lunging & round pen videos. I suspect that’s the cause of him acting up. Best of luck getting this sorted out.

[Posting_Trot]

@timmy

Forgive me, but your horse looks quite lame behind in the lunging & round pen videos. I suspect that’s the cause of him acting up. Best of luck getting this sorted out.

I’d totally agree that he looks very sore behind, even at the walk. To my eye, it seems like the inside (left) hind that he’s not wanting to put full weight on.

It’s possible, though, that this soreness is an injury caused by compensating for other issues elsewhere, but that’s what I see in the two videos now.

Good luck!

[KBC]

@timmy

Forgive me, but your horse looks quite lame behind in the lunging & round pen videos. I suspect that’s the cause of him acting up. Best of luck getting this sorted out.

Well the reason he was being lunged, and round penned was because he wasn’t being ridden, because apart from other symptoms we knew he was NQR in his body. Now with the PSSM1 info, they make perfect sense.

@RedHorses THANK YOU! Yes you gave me hope with your first post, and again now.

[RatWrangler]

Did the vet test for EPM? That can cause a lot of varying symptoms as it is neurological. And there is a treatment now for it, though expensive.

[KBC]

@RatWrangler

Did the vet test for EPM? That can cause a lot of varying symptoms as it is neurological. And there is a treatment now for it, though expensive.

Nope no test, another disease I know little about, but if opossums are key, the we don’t have them here, soporific unlikely?

[KBC]

Looks like we are getting better, I was able to lunge him on Friday, 5 minutes walking each way, with one lap of trot, and he didn’t explode or resist.

Suddenly it feels possible that I can get my sweet boy back again.

[Bluey]

@KBC

Looks like we are getting better, I was able to lunge him on Friday, 5 minutes walking each way, with one lap of trot, and he didn’t explode or resist.

Suddenly it feels possible that I can get my sweet boy back again.

That would be so nice.

Some times, horses go thru a spell that vets scratch their heads over.
After a time horses get well again, no one will figure what happened and what cured them.

Maybe that is going on with your horse and he may be on the mend.