Again, the BROWS!
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@Libby2563 how is your sleepless boy doing? I’m desperately combing threads to help my retired 25 yo Hunter pony mare with ppid, and came across this, which has a lot of similarities to what my girl has done…I’d love an update if you have a chance. Thank you! 
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@mfglickman, sorry for the delayed reply! I had to set aside some time to list everything out. Here’s an update from the last 11 months…hopefully I am remembering everything:
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Sadly I had to terminate the trial and send the sweet donkey back to the rescue. Not her fault she was so seductive, but my 28-year-old gelding just would. not. chill. the. f. out. He would corner the donkey to keep the others away, she would break free and trot across the field, he would follow her, the TB would follow him, and the young horse would realize everyone was having fun without him and chase after. All day long. Several times hooves were flying and I was worried the poor little girl would get kicked in the head by accident. So, she left and the boys all found their brains again. She’s not the first mare the old man has been turned out with, but apparently those long ears were just too much?
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Over the winter I tried the sleepless horse on a calming supplement for two months. SmartCalm Ultra I think? Zero effect.
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I got him on a regular bodywork schedule starting in January. Nothing crazy found and no apparent impact.
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In March/April he got a series of three sessions of neck/back shockwave. He was reactive to the treatment on the right lower cervical area, but he didn’t show any drastic change or improvement afterwards. He did get a routine mid-season soundness check in July and the vet said he felt super in his back, so that’s something I guess.
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In May I got his SI joint injected. He’s always been a bit of an idiosyncratic mover behind so I thought why not give it a try… you guessed it, zero effect (other than possibly contributing to the good mid-season check).
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In August he was diagnosed with a very minor soft tissue injury (which has already healed in two months, according to ultrasound!) so he moved to a rehab barn because I knew he would be upset stall-rested at home alone. This was the big experiment I had been wanting to try: a total change in environment. Instead of 12-24 hour turnout with a couple other horses, he has been in a barn with a couple dozen others around him and no specific buddies and no one to feel responsible for (which I truly think is the key to his hypervigilance). I gave the BO a heads up about his sleep deprivation and within a few days she said he had lay down to sleep! I was happy but also a little crushed that he couldn’t feel safe to do that at home. However, as time has passed I am not entirely convinced he is actually sleeping there either. She has been inferring sleep from flattened manure or sawdust on his belly, rather than actually seeing him nap. I’ve thought those things meant he was sleeping before too but when I played back my stall camera recordings I found that it was from falling. He does seem very happy there at my weekly visits, and is more snuggly than at home. However, it’s 90 min away and $$$, so he can’t stay there forever.
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Just a few weeks ago he tested positive for PPID, after two different vets told me not to bother testing because he was “too young” (15
) and “not fat.” It’s interesting that you mention PPID too–do you think that has something to do with your girl’s sleep deprivation? My guy has started on pergolide. Wouldn’t it be amazing if that was the key to this whole sleep deprivation thing?? I don’t have high hopes though. Have you checked out the Horses with Narcolepsy and Sleep Deprivation group on FB?
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Ugh - I’m so sorry this is still unanswered. Just fyi, my 12 year old tested positive for PPID and has been on Prascend for 2 months. I am definitely seeing a positive change in him. He seems way more comfortable in his body, and is losing weight (that’s a good thing).
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