Going out on a limb here but would EPM possibly be a factor? My friend’s mare was parked out / acting weird and was diagnosed with EPM. Just a thought since I didn’t see it mentioned.
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This is a good thought. I’ll investigate that!
My epm horse tight roped behind.
I just posted in the dressage forum that my young and lazy, often stands parked out GRP had a turnaround when I changed saddles. He had outgrown his gradually and apparently it was constricting him! He never showed any back pain from his bodyworker and seemed happy and pleasant but OMG I had to work for every step.
We show first level right now and were getting decent scores but had no pizazz that would make him competitive. I was feeding him a ton, which was helping - he really was gaining muscle and using a lot of calories.
Changed saddles and now he moves forward easily. AND he’s stopped standing parked out. That surprised me and I didn’t quite believe it at first. Was I seeing things?
He also has a very high need for sheath cleaning and gets beans regularly which I can’t help but think contributes - if you’re all itchy up in there you might not feel like moving?
Good luck with yours!
@Bays4days
So you mentioned loose/liquid stools and lots of gas. My guy is very sensitive to grass and gets very gassy if he gets too much - meaning more than 4 hrs and that’s muzzled in a very small hole - Thinline Filly. And then with gas he gets very stuck. Doesn’t even want to walk when I’m exercising him. He stops and acts stuck.
What really helps him with his gas is GI Calm by Stride Animals health which is a leaky gut supplement. I’ve tried going off it a couple times - started it last January and just cannot do it.
I’ve tried. I also give him Gas X if he gets more than 4 hrs turned out because I know he’ll get tooooo gassy.
I cannot bear to take him completely off grass as that means dry lot (40 x 200) but he’s miserable.
My guy also parks out when he’s gassy and has too much grass.
I have noticed my guy will really get going out in the pasture - galloping/trotting and very forward. I figure he gets excited about something and his brain overrides the gas/muscle tightness (he’s VERY tight in his hind legs and I work on that a few times a week). And he does let out multiple bucks and I wonder if that’s gas pain and general tightness.
Also noticed yesterday, was trotting out my indoor and in the grass around the barn and back in and back out and he was much more forward. I’ve always figured he’d be much better out and around - outside the arena. How arena work is such a buzzkill ya know…
But he’s a young horse and just started under saddle in the past 5 months and had a history of HUGE bucks in the pasture. Bucking and bucking and me going, “that ain’t right and I don’t wanna get launched”. And a mental thing of me getting worried started. Horses at home, who would do the work if I got hurt, who wants to get hurt…
But, with the young horse starter he’s never bucked never did anything wrong really. So, I"m venturing out and we’re both enjoying it so much. He’s so much more forward out of the arena.
Because you mention gas and loose stool and parking out my next go to for you is leaky gut. For $300 bucks you could try that supplement and see if you notice a difference. How about muzzling all the time and cut back the grass and see if your gas subdues. What about those experiments.
Do you see your guy trot and canter the pasture with nice forwardness?
Since I last wrote here I started him on Misoprostal. The parking out has significantly improved. The forwardness is a little bit better.
Your story is super interesting and similar! I’ve seen him having a jolly time out in the field and I’m like “what the heck!”
I may give frequent muzzling a try. I don’t think I’d be able to put him on a dry lot. I don’t have one but I’d also feel bad 🫣
I will look into that supplement! Thank you!
That is super noteworthy about the Miso and him not parking out. Will be so curious to see what you report. When and how long was he on it last and did you notice remarkable improvements in all things before?
My guy on top of lots of gas would also get very loose stools and all that is gone. What I believe needs done in our case is stopping all gas and my dream is a tracked surface but that’s a couple years away financially.
I heard a “track” podcast recently and the woman interviewed remarked she had her PSSM horse on a surfaced track finally and the difference in his willingness was remarkable.
Last year when I put him on miso it was just to stop his EXTREME liquid diarrhea. His stance wasn’t a thought in that moment; my only concern was to get him better.
This time around it’s been about 3 weeks when I noticed a difference in his parking out. So I think I’m dealing with hindgut ulcers and gas.
I decided not to do the muscle biopsy for the other type of pssm,for now….
