A Terrible Disease
After a 30-year break from owning a horse, I decided it was time to revisit my youth. As children, my sister and I shared many fond memories of hitting the trails with our dad, camping out overnight with our horses, and showing in the local 4-H events common in our part of Iowa. I’d been thinking about it for years, and because my children were getting older, I found myself with a bit of free time and plenty of enthusiasm for the pursuit of a new horse. I searched the Internet for an animal that would fit my beginner’s skills, but was smart enough to know how easily I could end up with the wrong horse. I finally decided it would be best to call around to some local stables for help. I felt an experienced person could help me locate the horse of my dreams.
At a barn not far from my home, I talked to the owner, Stella. She seemed knowledgeable and caring and I believed she had my best interests at heart. She competed regularly in local shows and also gave lessons. I definitely needed someone to take me under his or her wing and reacquaint me with the basics of horsemanship. I told Stella I needed a beginner horse that I would feel comfortable allowing my children to ride. Right away, she said her best friend, Jamie, had just put her 6 year- old Appaloosa gelding up for sale. Stella said Jamie held much of the same training philosophy as she did and she was certain Benny would be a perfect match for me. He was priced at $4,000, which I hoped would fall into the price range that would help ensure a healthy horse without major behavioral issues. I viewed a video of Benny online. He was a stocky, loudly colored Appy, with big, glorious spots on his rump. What a beauty! He did great in the video. He had an easy trot and picked up his leads, even though he was ridden in a large, lush green pasture. The video even showed the rider opening and shutting a gate from the saddle. I just knew in my heart that this was the horse for me. My only concern was Benny’s age. A 6 year-old horse was still very young, but I trusted Stella’s judgment.
Stella had Benny trailered to her barn. When he arrived, I noticed the horse seemed agitated in his stall, but he was in new surroundings and that was to be expected. Stella and Jamie tacked him up and each rode Benny in a few small circles around the arena. All went well and I rode him, but with a lunge line attached to his bridle. I was beyond excited!
Jamie offered me a month’s trial lease on Benny but recommended I take out an insurance policy on him. She even helpfully gave me the name of an equine insurance company. I really didn’t see the point because his asking price was not exorbitant, but I didn’t give it much thought. Stella checked his vet records and informed me that he wasn’t current on vaccinations and must be quarantined until I got the vet to come out. Benny was also accustomed to feed supplements and since Jamie hadn’t brought them with the horse, I was instructed to call the company and set up a delivery ASAP. Jamie said she hadn’t had time to have his feet trimmed, so I would need to get that done right away, and finally, I needed to buy a set of protective boots for Benny during his trial month. Between the month’s boarding fee, the lease, the farrier, veterinarian, supplements, and boots, it was more costly than I anticipated and I continued to hesitate on the insurance policy. The smart side of me was wondering why I should be responsible for all these expenses for just a 30-day trial period. However, the weak side of me decided to just pay up and shut up since Jamie transported the horse for free, and both Stella and Jamie were being so supportive and encouraging. My soft heart gets in the way of rational thinking- that’s for certain.
So, I had a lot of money wrapped up in a horse I didn’t own, and I was tired of them mentioning the insurance policy. It was so cold outside that no one was doing much riding, but between the video and my lunge line sessions with Stella, I was satisfied that Benny would make a fine trail mount for me. I decided to go ahead with the purchase before my one-month period was up, just so I could get them off my back about the insurance.
In the following weeks, I hardly rode Benny because he was nervous and spooky on the ground. There was no way I was climbing on his back without supervision. Also, it was such a cold and snowy January, even for Iowa. Looking back, I think I allowed myself to ignore my unease, figuring I’d get going on this “problem” once the weather broke. I turned Benny out with two pasture mates during pretty afternoons, hoping he would calm down. He was respectful of the electric fence and calm with the other horses. I did pay Stella for extra training in the hopes that she could desensitize him and make him safer to ride. Weeks went by and his boots were never moved from my tack closet, even though Stella always used boots when working any of her horses. She was supposed to inform me of the days when she was training him so I could watch and learn, but she never called. I believe she was taking my money and not working with my horse. I went to the barn often, and even though I didn’t ride Benny, I became fairly comfortable lunging him in the arena. I wondered about the skill of the farrier because I couldn’t help but notice how often Benny tripped and stumbled around the circle. I lengthened my lunge line, thinking perhaps I was asking Benny to move in too tight a circle, but that didn’t seem to help. One day, he actually fell in the sand arena and got a good-sized abrasion on his side.
During a horsemanship lesson, Stella picked up his left front foot and Benny collapsed on the ground. He got up immediately.
“That was weird,” I told Stella. “In all my youth, I have never witnessed that happening with our horses.”
Stella picked up Benny’s right front foot, and down he went again. I told Stella that something was not right. She blamed it on him being unbalanced. In the back of my mind I wasn’t buying into her philosophy. I thought on it a few days and told her I was scheduling a vet check.
Stella made darn sure she was present when the vet arrived the next day. At the time, I thought Stella wanted to be able to support and soothe me if the vet gave me bad news.
This particular person happened to be Stella’s regular vet, who also knew the horse had come from Jamie. Stella surprised me by explaining to the vet that Benny had been diagnosed with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) when he was very young. The vet explained to me that EPM is an infection that affects the central nervous system. The disease is treatable, especially when caught early, but can cause a host of neurological problems and sometimes, lasting neurological damage. Stella reiterated that this incident had occurred a long time ago; Benny had been treated with the drug Marquis (ponazuril), and was symptom-free.
I informed both of them that the EPM was not disclosed to me upon purchase of the gelding. The vet only noted right hind weakness, told me to proceed with training as usual, but to keep an eye on it.
I went home and started doing research on EPM. Although it is fairly common, it is considered unethical to sell an EPM horse without disclosure. Benny was still nervous and spooky and from what I read, EPM can cause hypersensitivity that leads to behavioral changes. Also, the drug he was given was very good at killing the disease-causing protozoa spores, but it compromises the immune system, leaving the horse susceptible to a reoccurrence of the disease.
It had been about 30 days since I purchased Benny, and now all these red flags were starting to pop up. He had lost weight, and his hip bones were sticking out. I tried rice bran and weight gainers, but nothing helped. During our next visit from the farrier, Benny could hardly stand when his feet were picked up. He kept leaning, and always seemed on the verge of falling over. The poor farrier was exhausted by the time he finished his job.
I was frustrated that Stella and Jamie had not disclosed this terrible disease. Stella blamed me for Benny’s behavioral issues. She said I needed to be a stronger leader and that I didn’t spend enough time with him. I was stressed out and when I did go to the stable, Stella would sometimes ignore me or accuse me of something silly like moving one of the feed bowls to a different spot. I knew it was time for me to go.
I found a new stable just down the road from my house. When Jason, the stable owner, came to get Benny, I could barely lead him down the driveway without him spooking. When he spooked, he jumped sideways towards me and I honestly felt I was going to get seriously injured being around him. Upon loading, his hind feet were trembling, then they suddenly went out from under him and he sat down like a dog. Jason said he had never seen a horse do that.
We kept Benny stalled for the first few days, then introduced him to his new pasture. I walked him carefully around the perimeter of the electric fence. When I turned him loose he ran right through the high-voltage wire like it was nothing. It was as though his body did not feel pain.
He continued to get worse, and I wondered if the EPM had returned. I called a new vet Jason had recommended and spoke to him on the phone. As I gave the new vet Benny’s history, he said,
“I think I know this horse.”
He said he believed he had diagnosed and treated him late last fall, which would have been just six weeks prior to Jamie bringing him to Stella’s for my trial period.
The vet asked me to call his office the next morning with Benny’s registration number, and his previous owner’s name and address. Sure enough, Benny was the animal he had treated for a bad case of EPM. The vet stated Benny’s body condition was extremely poor at that time. He administered Marquis and a heavy dewormer and according to him, the owner was not happy with the diagnosis.
He came out to my new boarding barn the following day and said Benny was indeed “neurological.” He said the horse was a danger, and was not to be ridden under any circumstances. He encouraged me to get rid of Benny before I got hurt, and he lectured me on picking a good horse. I didn’t appreciate the lecture, but honestly, I was really just numb. I asked him how I was going to get rid of an EPM horse and he told me to sell him.
“Sell Him? How can I sell him when I know he has EPM? I’d be just as dishonest as Stella and Jamie. Also, I don’t want anyone getting hurt!”
At that point, I really had to consider my options. Benny had deteriorated. He spent hours in the pasture just swinging his head in circles for hours at a time. Sometimes, when he trotted his right hind leg would buckle. A blood test could confirm that EPM was still present but the $1,000 for treatment may or may not work.
I confronted Stella and Jamie with the news the veterinarian had given me. I told them Benny’s diagnosis had been six weeks before I bought him, not two years ago, as Jamie had claimed. I tried to be accommodating and agreeable because I was already upset and didn’t want any confrontation. I even told Jamie to pick the horse up and keep her money. She still gave me grief, so I threatened her with a lawsuit. After I sent a letter from my lawyer, she agreed to come get him. I didn't pursue the lawsuit because I was so stressed out; the money wasn't worth it. My husband was disappointed with me for withdrawing the suit, but I was so frightened of Benny that I literally trembled when I handled him. I just wanted him gone.
I found out that Benny was euthanized three days after he returned home with Jamie. She posted on Facebook that her “beloved” horse had passed away. I couldn’t believe it. If she loved him so much, why did she abandon him when he was sick?
My saga didn’t end well. Jamie sent me a nasty email stating she euthanized Benny because she didn’t have room to keep him, not because of his EPM. I told her that euthanizing the horse was an admission of guilt that the horse was too sick and not salvageable. That is the sad end of my story. Horse shoppers- get pre-purchase exams. Get signed contracts. Don’t let this happen to you!
For the next story, click Shadow of a Horse
At a barn not far from my home, I talked to the owner, Stella. She seemed knowledgeable and caring and I believed she had my best interests at heart. She competed regularly in local shows and also gave lessons. I definitely needed someone to take me under his or her wing and reacquaint me with the basics of horsemanship. I told Stella I needed a beginner horse that I would feel comfortable allowing my children to ride. Right away, she said her best friend, Jamie, had just put her 6 year- old Appaloosa gelding up for sale. Stella said Jamie held much of the same training philosophy as she did and she was certain Benny would be a perfect match for me. He was priced at $4,000, which I hoped would fall into the price range that would help ensure a healthy horse without major behavioral issues. I viewed a video of Benny online. He was a stocky, loudly colored Appy, with big, glorious spots on his rump. What a beauty! He did great in the video. He had an easy trot and picked up his leads, even though he was ridden in a large, lush green pasture. The video even showed the rider opening and shutting a gate from the saddle. I just knew in my heart that this was the horse for me. My only concern was Benny’s age. A 6 year-old horse was still very young, but I trusted Stella’s judgment.
Stella had Benny trailered to her barn. When he arrived, I noticed the horse seemed agitated in his stall, but he was in new surroundings and that was to be expected. Stella and Jamie tacked him up and each rode Benny in a few small circles around the arena. All went well and I rode him, but with a lunge line attached to his bridle. I was beyond excited!
Jamie offered me a month’s trial lease on Benny but recommended I take out an insurance policy on him. She even helpfully gave me the name of an equine insurance company. I really didn’t see the point because his asking price was not exorbitant, but I didn’t give it much thought. Stella checked his vet records and informed me that he wasn’t current on vaccinations and must be quarantined until I got the vet to come out. Benny was also accustomed to feed supplements and since Jamie hadn’t brought them with the horse, I was instructed to call the company and set up a delivery ASAP. Jamie said she hadn’t had time to have his feet trimmed, so I would need to get that done right away, and finally, I needed to buy a set of protective boots for Benny during his trial month. Between the month’s boarding fee, the lease, the farrier, veterinarian, supplements, and boots, it was more costly than I anticipated and I continued to hesitate on the insurance policy. The smart side of me was wondering why I should be responsible for all these expenses for just a 30-day trial period. However, the weak side of me decided to just pay up and shut up since Jamie transported the horse for free, and both Stella and Jamie were being so supportive and encouraging. My soft heart gets in the way of rational thinking- that’s for certain.
So, I had a lot of money wrapped up in a horse I didn’t own, and I was tired of them mentioning the insurance policy. It was so cold outside that no one was doing much riding, but between the video and my lunge line sessions with Stella, I was satisfied that Benny would make a fine trail mount for me. I decided to go ahead with the purchase before my one-month period was up, just so I could get them off my back about the insurance.
In the following weeks, I hardly rode Benny because he was nervous and spooky on the ground. There was no way I was climbing on his back without supervision. Also, it was such a cold and snowy January, even for Iowa. Looking back, I think I allowed myself to ignore my unease, figuring I’d get going on this “problem” once the weather broke. I turned Benny out with two pasture mates during pretty afternoons, hoping he would calm down. He was respectful of the electric fence and calm with the other horses. I did pay Stella for extra training in the hopes that she could desensitize him and make him safer to ride. Weeks went by and his boots were never moved from my tack closet, even though Stella always used boots when working any of her horses. She was supposed to inform me of the days when she was training him so I could watch and learn, but she never called. I believe she was taking my money and not working with my horse. I went to the barn often, and even though I didn’t ride Benny, I became fairly comfortable lunging him in the arena. I wondered about the skill of the farrier because I couldn’t help but notice how often Benny tripped and stumbled around the circle. I lengthened my lunge line, thinking perhaps I was asking Benny to move in too tight a circle, but that didn’t seem to help. One day, he actually fell in the sand arena and got a good-sized abrasion on his side.
During a horsemanship lesson, Stella picked up his left front foot and Benny collapsed on the ground. He got up immediately.
“That was weird,” I told Stella. “In all my youth, I have never witnessed that happening with our horses.”
Stella picked up Benny’s right front foot, and down he went again. I told Stella that something was not right. She blamed it on him being unbalanced. In the back of my mind I wasn’t buying into her philosophy. I thought on it a few days and told her I was scheduling a vet check.
Stella made darn sure she was present when the vet arrived the next day. At the time, I thought Stella wanted to be able to support and soothe me if the vet gave me bad news.
This particular person happened to be Stella’s regular vet, who also knew the horse had come from Jamie. Stella surprised me by explaining to the vet that Benny had been diagnosed with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) when he was very young. The vet explained to me that EPM is an infection that affects the central nervous system. The disease is treatable, especially when caught early, but can cause a host of neurological problems and sometimes, lasting neurological damage. Stella reiterated that this incident had occurred a long time ago; Benny had been treated with the drug Marquis (ponazuril), and was symptom-free.
I informed both of them that the EPM was not disclosed to me upon purchase of the gelding. The vet only noted right hind weakness, told me to proceed with training as usual, but to keep an eye on it.
I went home and started doing research on EPM. Although it is fairly common, it is considered unethical to sell an EPM horse without disclosure. Benny was still nervous and spooky and from what I read, EPM can cause hypersensitivity that leads to behavioral changes. Also, the drug he was given was very good at killing the disease-causing protozoa spores, but it compromises the immune system, leaving the horse susceptible to a reoccurrence of the disease.
It had been about 30 days since I purchased Benny, and now all these red flags were starting to pop up. He had lost weight, and his hip bones were sticking out. I tried rice bran and weight gainers, but nothing helped. During our next visit from the farrier, Benny could hardly stand when his feet were picked up. He kept leaning, and always seemed on the verge of falling over. The poor farrier was exhausted by the time he finished his job.
I was frustrated that Stella and Jamie had not disclosed this terrible disease. Stella blamed me for Benny’s behavioral issues. She said I needed to be a stronger leader and that I didn’t spend enough time with him. I was stressed out and when I did go to the stable, Stella would sometimes ignore me or accuse me of something silly like moving one of the feed bowls to a different spot. I knew it was time for me to go.
I found a new stable just down the road from my house. When Jason, the stable owner, came to get Benny, I could barely lead him down the driveway without him spooking. When he spooked, he jumped sideways towards me and I honestly felt I was going to get seriously injured being around him. Upon loading, his hind feet were trembling, then they suddenly went out from under him and he sat down like a dog. Jason said he had never seen a horse do that.
We kept Benny stalled for the first few days, then introduced him to his new pasture. I walked him carefully around the perimeter of the electric fence. When I turned him loose he ran right through the high-voltage wire like it was nothing. It was as though his body did not feel pain.
He continued to get worse, and I wondered if the EPM had returned. I called a new vet Jason had recommended and spoke to him on the phone. As I gave the new vet Benny’s history, he said,
“I think I know this horse.”
He said he believed he had diagnosed and treated him late last fall, which would have been just six weeks prior to Jamie bringing him to Stella’s for my trial period.
The vet asked me to call his office the next morning with Benny’s registration number, and his previous owner’s name and address. Sure enough, Benny was the animal he had treated for a bad case of EPM. The vet stated Benny’s body condition was extremely poor at that time. He administered Marquis and a heavy dewormer and according to him, the owner was not happy with the diagnosis.
He came out to my new boarding barn the following day and said Benny was indeed “neurological.” He said the horse was a danger, and was not to be ridden under any circumstances. He encouraged me to get rid of Benny before I got hurt, and he lectured me on picking a good horse. I didn’t appreciate the lecture, but honestly, I was really just numb. I asked him how I was going to get rid of an EPM horse and he told me to sell him.
“Sell Him? How can I sell him when I know he has EPM? I’d be just as dishonest as Stella and Jamie. Also, I don’t want anyone getting hurt!”
At that point, I really had to consider my options. Benny had deteriorated. He spent hours in the pasture just swinging his head in circles for hours at a time. Sometimes, when he trotted his right hind leg would buckle. A blood test could confirm that EPM was still present but the $1,000 for treatment may or may not work.
I confronted Stella and Jamie with the news the veterinarian had given me. I told them Benny’s diagnosis had been six weeks before I bought him, not two years ago, as Jamie had claimed. I tried to be accommodating and agreeable because I was already upset and didn’t want any confrontation. I even told Jamie to pick the horse up and keep her money. She still gave me grief, so I threatened her with a lawsuit. After I sent a letter from my lawyer, she agreed to come get him. I didn't pursue the lawsuit because I was so stressed out; the money wasn't worth it. My husband was disappointed with me for withdrawing the suit, but I was so frightened of Benny that I literally trembled when I handled him. I just wanted him gone.
I found out that Benny was euthanized three days after he returned home with Jamie. She posted on Facebook that her “beloved” horse had passed away. I couldn’t believe it. If she loved him so much, why did she abandon him when he was sick?
My saga didn’t end well. Jamie sent me a nasty email stating she euthanized Benny because she didn’t have room to keep him, not because of his EPM. I told her that euthanizing the horse was an admission of guilt that the horse was too sick and not salvageable. That is the sad end of my story. Horse shoppers- get pre-purchase exams. Get signed contracts. Don’t let this happen to you!
For the next story, click Shadow of a Horse
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