What is PSSM?
Tying Up is a muscle disease that causes painful muscle contractions. Symptoms include severe muscle pain and distress, apparent colic, excessive sweating, elevated heart and respiration rates, a stiff gait, muscle tremors and a reluctance to move. Milder forms may make the horse simply appear stiff, lazy or slightly lame.
There are various forms of tying up, with the two most common being Recurrent Exertional Rhabdonmyolysis (RER) and Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM). The PSSM form commonly affects Warmbloods, Quarter Horses and draft breeds. Standardbreds can be affected by both forms of tying up.
The form of tying up a horse is affected by determines how it needs to be managed nutritionally.
Pryde's EasiFeed Products That Can Help
When to use this feed
Use EasiSport when a non-grain, high energy feed is needed for working horses prone to PSSM.
Feed it With
Feed EasiSport at its recommended feeding rates with 1/2 to 2 cups per day of Pryde's EasiOil and low non-structural cabohydrate chaff, hay and/or pasture. If additional weight gain is required, use EasiFibre.
When to use this feed
Use EasiFibre to add extra energy to a diet in place of other high energy feeds like grains, pellets or sweetfeeds.
Feed it With
EasiFibre is not a fortified feed, so it needs to be fed with a complete feed like EasiSport or with a concentrated vitamin and mineral supplement like the EasiFeed 300 Pellet.
Other Tips
Avoid high sugar forages like ryegrass pasture or hay, oaten hay or chaff and wheaten hay or chaff. Average quality lucern hay, Rhodes grass hay or mature non-rye grass hays are best.
Never give feeds with grain, grain byproducts or molasses to horses with PSSM.
Implement a suitable work regime and allow PSSM prone horses to gradually build up the required fitness level.
Avoid over-exertion. Avoid prolonged periods of stall confinement.
