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["Jean Miller" <jcmiller@jackpine.com>]

Lori, EPM is Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis.  This is a disease which opossums spread thru their feces. It is a parasite that horses pick up from their food sources and then the parasite causes neurologic problems in the horse, progressive incoordination in the hind legs, etc.  My horse had it in 93 and it took us a long time to realize what was going on.  He would be lame and then not lame. He guit associating with the other horses and then couldn't lower his head to eat.  He lost his muscle tone and got quite ribby.  He was put on 27 pills a day and this became a challenge to figure out how to get all those pills in him!  We did it for 6 months.  I was afraid to take him off the medication for fear there would be a relapse!  I finally talked to David Granstrom DVM in Kentucky, and when I told him that the horse gave me blisters on my fingers from holding him in, the doc said, "For goodness sake, stop the medicine!"  Bay went on to do more rides and today at 17, still gives me the best ride in our barn!  I was fortunate and had some darn good vets who encouraged me the whole time.  Dr. Granstrom has a book on EPM if anyone is interested.  Jeanie