News

I have to go back at least 7 years when Fred, my horse, got Atypical Myopathy. So some things could be a bit vague.

We had had the first named storm of the Autumn in October.  Fred was down the bottom of the field on a strict diet in a bare paddock. I was working outside and looked and thought he looked a bit weird!  I went down and he was walking with tiny steps in sort of a daze. Very quickly it started to look like colic but didn’t tick all the right boxes so rang my dear friend who was a semi retired vet.  He came straight away and as he drove Fred lay down.  I screamed at him so he got up thank goodness.  The vet did the usual checks etc – gave him pain killers and other injections and took blood.  He left saying he would be back as soon as he had the blood results. 2 hours later he came back with results of Atypical Myopathy.  He said “the machine” that ran the bloods spat the sample out reading “error” 4 times .  4 times he diluted the blood and on the 5th time a very high reading of the toxin / muscle enzymes was recorded. He warned me that the prognosis was grim but he would do all he could and not to travel him to vet hospital as he was in too much pain and it would be too stressful for him.

We had to sedate him to tube him to get vital fluids into him as he was already in great pain. Also more medication. The vet returned 3 times that day to sedate and tube him, the last time being midnight.  I had no stable so he stayed out right by our house and I sat on a bucket just watching him. He lasted the night and the vet came back the next day 3 more times to sedate and hydrate him. This couldn’t carry on so I needed to ge thim to drink from  a bucket.  Chopped apples and carrots in syrupy water – eventually he took a small amount. He then had a pee and it was yellow not brown / blood urine so that was the crucial turning point. He then picked on some hay and after 6 days and nights he started to improve.  This awful poisoning goes for the muscles so it hurt him to breathe, walk, his heart was being tested big time.

Things began to improve very slowly and Fred got better – this took a good 2 years before I even thought I could ride him again. The day came and we went for a quiet plod down the lane, it was a miracle. BUT I don’t think he will ever be 100% – he is now 25yrs old and his eyesight isn’t the best and has aches and pains like me!

Every single day since that awful storm I check wind direction for the helicopters and everyday I walk the fields picking up seedlings. I have asked, begged Forestry England (we live in the Forest of Dean) to cut their trees down but they won’t – I even told them Sycamore trees are not native to the British Isles – they are not interested. There is a row of Sycamore trees on the opposite side of our lane. I have asked the owner to cut them down but he won’t. Our area is heavily populated with horses and ponies – but no one will listen.

Susan’s pointer are;

• Horses on bare ground are more likely to eat Sycamore Seeds
• Always put Ad Lib Hay out for your horses where Sycamore may be present
• Horses with Atypical Myopathy can be given fluids at home in situ. If your horse is not well enough to travel this is an option.