This story hits close to home. We write it — not only to share the success story — but also to tell you, WE GET IT!  When your animal isn’t right, nothing is right! It’s incredibly stressful and we understand!

Dr. Katherine Johnson’s personal horse, Beetle, began to show odd signs. He felt sluggish under saddle. He wasn’t lame, but he didn’t feel right. He seemed sensitive and sore all over, but there were no clear, consistent patterns of pain. He seemed distant and dull, and his personality had changed. He wasn’t laying down to sleep and as a result started falling asleep standing up. He would sway and buckle down to his knees in the stall. His bloodwork was normal. His neurologic evaluation was mildly abnormal. A full neurologic panel was run. He was tested for EPM and was positive.

We quickly started Beetle on treatment for EPM and started rehab for neurologic disease. We started working him in the underwater treadmill at varying water level heights to help with strength and coordination. We began lunging him in the Equicore system to improve use of his body and connection between his front and hind end. Vibration plate therapy and balance pad exercises were used to improve his proprioception. We included varying surfaces — sand, pebbles, grass and water — to further challenge his proprioception, and introduced obstacles to rebuild the neurologic pathways of coordination.

Slowly Beetle began to feel better under saddle. His strength and impulsion returned. He started laying down to sleep again and he stopped falling asleep while standing. The light returned to his eyes and his personality slowly came back.  It was a long road, but he is doing so much better. He is back to work, well-rested, and happy — and we couldn’t be happier to have him back!

When neurologic signs occur, there is often a feeling of hopelessness. These cases are challenging, but there is often hope for horses with this diagnosis. It takes an owner willing to try and a team of veterinarians and support staff who will give it everything they’ve got!