Fudge’s EPM Rehabilitation

Many years ago, I saw Billy Joel in concert and he had this great song…

This came out in 1979. Am I really that old?

What I’m really discussing is vaccines for the recovering EPM horse.  We had to vaccinate Fudge shortly after his diagnosis of EPM in April of 2009.  I had to search far and wide for single disease vaccines, and space the injections out over time.

This year we gave the normal combination shots, but spaced them out over weeks.  He did not have any visible reaction to the shots.  I will probably continue this for a few years, if not indefinitely.

One theory I’ve heard is that vaccines made from equine dermal cells may be the culprit of reactions by EPM horses.  There is no proof of this, and no studies have been carried out.  The previous EPM vaccine, which is no longer available, had a history of reactions to it.  The vaccine was produced using equine dermal cells, and was made by Fort Dodge.

Discuss the spacing of vaccines with your vet.  My vet said every four days, and I gave them at one week intervals because it was easier to schedule.  One EPM researcher suggests one vaccine per month, and only single dose vaccines.  They also suggested giving only the most critical vaccines.  Prophylactic administration of Banamine should help.

In the same vein as “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til its gone,” you don’t know how UNHEALTHY your horse is until you’ve seen him get better.  It took six months for me to realize how sick the horse had been when we bought him.  It has now been one year since he completed treatment for EPM, and I think we might be about topped out. 

The natural trimmer, Dawn Willoughby commented on him when she was out in February.  The vet and the dentist commented on him when they were out earlier in March.  WOW! This horse looks great.  His coat is exceptionally glossy without oil or silicone.  His eyes are bright.  He trots out with a twinkle in his eye (and mischief in his head).

FUDGE is feeling better!

It has taken one full year for this horse to turn around.  Good nutrition, no stall time, low stress, and trimming his feet.  I am not as worried about a relapse now.

If you are dealing with EPM, you need to realize how low your horse’s immune system is.  Your horse is broken.  Take the time to fix him before you plan your next outing/show/hunt.  It will take longer than you believe.  It will take longer than your vet is willing to tell you.  It takes more than one month of FDA drugs, nutrition, trimming, and money.  It takes time.

The blizzard of 2010 kept us busy clearing the driveway and cars this morning.  We are lucky to still have power after the high winds and heavy snow.  The horses are rarely stalled, but we put them in last night due to the possibility of branches coming down.  They were very happy to get out. 

Fudge (star) plays with Drifter (star and stripe) in the 28″ of snow.  Fudge has come a long way in his recuperation.  He is still not ride-able at more than a walk or trot.  We will continue to work on this rehab with ground exercises, and walking the trails.  It’s a very long way to the hunter pace this May.  I don’t know if Fudge will ever come back far enough to ride at a canter.  Time will tell.

The Mustang mare is obviously bored with the play of the geldings.  She is eating from one of the slow feeders.  It’s made from a small mesh hay net over a muck bucket.  It closes with a double ended dog snap.  These slow feeders are easy to fill and drag over the snow.

It has been one year since we purchased Fudge from Paula Derby of Lazy D Acres.  She has relocated to Ocala , FL.  She still obtains horses from the infamous New Holland Auction in Lancaster, PA. 

One of the things that stresses horses is trailering.  Long distance trailering suppresses the immune system.  When researchers want to infect horses with EPM, they use the trailering stress model.  Somehow, I can’t see the auction process, followed by long distance trailering as beneficial to the health of a horse.

I’m about as late with this post as I usually am with the Christmas cards each year.

The quick update is that Fudge is slowly getting better, but is not ready for prime time yet.  When ridden on dry level ground, he doesn’t have any mis-steps.  Taken out in a slick mud farm field, his rear end is all over the place.  He has learned to compensate for the loss of feeling and proprioception in his rear feet - to some degree.  When you add in terrain that is tougher than usual, he can’t compensate for it.  We are riding him for short walks to try to build up his muscles.

I just trimmed Fudge today, and his feet are looking better.  The shape is getting round, the sole is becoming concave, and the thrush is better. 

We have added another type of slow feeder to the paddock, and the three horses really seem to like these.  I’ll get pictures up soon.

Horses evolved to eat full stem, sparse grasses, while on the move.  A few stems here, a few steps, a bite there, a 1/4 mile, then another few stems.  The grasses on the Steppe of Asia were dry, sparse, and mixed with broad-leaf plants.  The near constant walking aided the digestive tract.  The near constant, slow-intake grazing matched the slow, but steady output of gastric acid in the stomach.

Fast forward to domestication, and current stable practices.  Horses are often stationary in stalls 12 to 24 hours per day, with large amounts of food placed in the stall twice per day.  They eat the available food quickly, in large mouthfuls.  Then they wait… and wait… and get impatient for the next feeding.  Their stomachs are on fire with gastric acid, and no fiber to digest.

Field board often solves some of these problems, with the ability to move and steady intake of forage.  It can also create other health problems with unlimited access to lush grass.  The slow food movement has entered the equine world.

Slow Feeders involve limiting the rate at which the horse can consume the available hay.  Spreading the consumption out over time means fewer problems with stomach acid upset.  Feeding grass hay means fewer problems with insulin resistance and laminitis.  Feeding near the ground means less choke.

We recently built a slow feeder for Fudge.  It is based on a pallet design, and was built with left-over scraps from other projects.  Yes, we have more left-overs in the barn than we do in the ‘fridge.  We did have to purchase (2) 2″x6″x10′ boards to complete the project.  It took three hours to cut and screw the pieces together, and three hours to coat it with opaque stain.  (Note to wives:  the 3-hour trip to shop in Home Depot for 2×6’s is not included in the time estimate for the project.)

The design is a box the size of a pallet, 48″x40″, and 36″ high.  The top is a grid made from 2 layers of hog-panel.  The layers are adjusted to produce the smallest holes possible.  We have used wire ties to temporarily connect the hog-panels together, while we see how fast the horses can consume the hay.  After some observations, we will tack-weld the layers together.  This design will easily hold two square bales, and can hold three if the bales are inserted on their side.

The bottom line:  the horses consume the hay slower, they are entertained for longer during the day, and I am making fewer trips to the paddock to put out hay.  The downfall is that the horses stand in one place to consume the hay.  Stay tuned for the next farm improvement - Paddock Paradise, and it’s use for an EPM recovery.  I highly recommend the book, “Paddock Paradise,” by Jamie Jackson.

Best site for more information on Slow Feeders and Paddock Paradise:  http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/

Pallet base, small wood strips to limit bottom holes added later.

2 sides on, (2) 2x6 uprights on each corner

uprights are screwed together and to pallet base

On side, ready for stain. 2x4 top rail added for stability of sides.

Hog-panel grid, 2 layers adjusted for small holes. Will connect with chain and snap inside box

If I had to do this again, I would try to find a liquid goods wire pallet, or a liquid goods plastic pallet (both have sides), and modify it for use.  Make sure that any feeder has sides high enough to prevent the horses from getting their feet inside.  Make it heavy enough so they can’t tip it over, and strong enough to resist kicking.