What does PSSM look like in your horse?

[blueribbonpaint]

I’m puzzled by my gelding right now. He’s just returning to work after several months rehabbing a stifle ligament tear. After our recheck the ultrasound showed significant healing and he’s beginning to return to expertise. He walked under saddle for 2 weeks and I’ve now begun trotting straight lines. He’s happy to walk, but as soon as I add the trot after 4 or 5 straight lines he shuts down, halts, backs, turns, just generally shuts down and refuses to go forward. He is sound while he’s trotting, but he’s very unhappy about it. The vet is coming this afternoon, but in the meantime I’ve been thinking about a few different possibilities. One that seems likely is PSSM. While he’s not presenting as a typical horse “tying up” he is refusing to exercise. This is not a generally stubborn horse, I really don’t think this is just him being a jerk about going back to work after time off. He’s a very easy keeper and is definitely overweight right now because he hasn’t been exercised in months. I’m wondering if this period of time off has caused the PSSM to present.

if you have a horse with PSSM, how did it present? What were you noticing that led you to the diagnosis? I’ll certainly ask my vet to test today, but I’m curious if other horses have acted like mine.

Thanks!

[Showbizz]

We got a Quarter Horse mare in to “fine tune” a couple of months ago. She was unfit. We tried to start slowly, but she was extremely forward and hot, so we found that difficult. She tied up really bad about ride 6. We treated her, then handwalked for some time and then ponied her. Mid-pony one day, she tied up badly again. Sent her home and had her tested.

[turningpointequine]

My Dutch Warmblood had those exact symptoms. He would walk but slammed the brakes on as soon as you asked for a trot. He has been diagnosed PSSM type 2. Never tied up, just reluctance to go forward, girthy and sensitive to groom. When he was really bad (before figuring out his diagnosis and diet plan) he would also rope walk, bunny hop at the canter and topline muscle loss. He is now 80-90% a normal horse. His supplements look like a pharmacy but the biggest changes came when I added magnesium and vit E. My vet never suggested PSSM. I googled his symptoms because it was driving me crazy and I had him tested myself through EquiSeq.