Can horses with PSSM be ridden?

Can horses with PSSM be ridden?

Once conditioned, some PSSM horses thrive with four days of exercise as long as they receive daily turnout. For riding horses with type 2 PSSM, a prolonged warm-up with adequate stretching is recommended.”

Can horses with PSSM eat grass?

These low-starch feeds should be fed with good-quality grass hay or a maximum of 50 percent alfalfa hay. Regular turnout for as much time as possible is critical to successful management of PSSM horses. They do not do well confined to stalls or missing days of exercise.

What breeds get PSSM?

PSSM is most prevalent in American Quarter Horses and their related breeds (Paint horse, Appaloosa, Appendix Quarter Horse), Draft horse breeds (especially Belgian Draft and Percherons), and Warmblood breeds. The Belgian Draft been shown to have a 36% prevalence of PSSM.

What’s the difference between PSSM1 and PSSM2?

There are different types of PSSM: PSSM1 and PSSM2. PSSM1 is a well-defined syndrome with an established genetic background, and PSSM2 is a generic term for other muscular diseases that also involve the abnormal accumulation of sugar in muscle cells but do not include the genetic defect that causes PSSM1.

What are the signs of PSSM?

Clinical signs of PSSM range from mild to severe. They include sweating, lameness, sore muscles, undiagnosed lameness, poor performance, and muscle tremors (“tying up”). These may occur with or without exercise. Under saddle, affected horses may be reluctant to go forward or collect.

What should you feed a horse with PSSM?

Forage and feed choices for PSSM horses are centered on minimizing sugar and starch intake. Forage requirements. Forage can be supplied as pasture, hay, or hay alternatives such as pellets or cubes. Well-maintained pastures should contain low-sugar grasses and few legumes (clover, alfalfa or lucerne).

How do I know if my horse has PSSM?

Horses with PSSM1 can exhibit symptoms without exercise. During an episode, horses seem lazy, have a shifting lameness, tense up their abdomen, and develop tremors in their flank area. When horses stop moving they may stretch out as if to urinate.

How do you know if your horse has PSSM?

You can test your horse for PSSM 1 through the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Here they can perform DNA blood or hair tests. Muscle biopsies are required to test for PSSM 2. You should consider a muscle biopsy for horses with muscle pain if they test negative for PSSM 1.

How do you feed a horse in PSSM?

How do you treat a horse in PSSM?

How is polysaccharide storage myopathy treated? Dietary nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) intake in affected horses should be limited to less than 12% of the diet to keep blood insulin levels low and reduce glycogen storage in muscle. Horses must exercise daily to maximize the muscles’ ability to burn glycogen.

How do you manage a horse in PSSM?

You can manage PSSM in your horse by providing an alternate energy source to sugar. Avoid feeding grains, sweet feeds and other feedstuffs high in sugar. Fat can be a great alternative. Rice bran or vegetable oils can stabilize blood sugar and provide energy.

Is beet pulp good for PSSM horses?

To the contrary, beet pulp is very low in starch and sugar, usually containing only 2-10% total carbohydrates. Thus, it is a safe feedstuff for horses with metabolic concerns such as equine Cushing’s syndrome, insulin resistance and polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM/EPSM).