Content

1. Intro
2. What is PSSM?
3. PSSM1 - a workhorse legacy?
4. PSSM2 - aka MIM
5. What about the genetic tests?
6. Nutritional and herbal support
7. Diet and movement - the non-negotiables
8. Final thoughts
9. A decade of client conversations
10. Updates - 2021 / 2022 / 2025

Principal Body System: Muscular

Definition: Specifically refers to skeletal muscle tissue

Function: Participates in bringing about movement; maintains posture; produces heat

There's muscle, and there's muscle. We've got muscle tissue, which refers to all the contractile tissues of the body, cardiac muscle (part of the cardiovascular system) and smooth muscle (part of the relevant system, i.e. digestive or urinary).

The muscular system, however, refers to the skeletal tissues that make up individual muscle organs, and that's what we're talking about on this page, as this tends to be what us horse-folk are concerned with. As in, how they make the equine body move, or not, as the case may be. And when you think how huge the equine skeleton is, with every single bone covered in a muscle, that's a whole lot of muscle.

"Muscle is the engine which drives all types of work. Skeletal muscle makes up an average of 45% of the weight of a horse with a normal body condition score, which is even more than bone. In addition to initiating movement, implementing fine motor-control of intricate manoeuvres and controlling speed, muscle stabilises and protects the skeleton and joints."

Dr Eleanor Kellon

Horses are built to move – not always fast, but for at least 20-30 miles daily. In the wild, their muscles evolved for constant, steady locomotion on sparse forage. Fast-forward to our domestic set-ups, and it's no wonder things can go a bit pear-shaped when diets are rich and movement is limited.

We all know exercise strengthens muscle, and that regular movement improves coordination, blood flow, energy metabolism, and recovery. But muscle health isn’t just about exercise – it's also about what the body does with its fuel, and how well it clears the waste. Which leads us neatly to a muscular mystery that’s been gaining more and more attention in recent years: PSSM.

What is PSSM?

As Wiki describes it, "Equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (EPSM, PSSM, EPSSM) is an inheritable glycogen storage disease of horses that causes exertional rhabdomyolysis (the destruction of striated muscle cells; azoturia). It is most commonly associated with heavy horse breeds and the American Quarter Horse. (NB - this is historic data - PSSM is now thought to affect any breed). While incurable, PSSM can be managed with appropriate diet and exercise."

*NB: Please take this page exactly as it is - simply our findings over the years, supported with over a decade's worth of client feedback, so you may already know everything and more on this page. If I've learned anything over the years re PSSM, it's that the carer of a PSSM horse has researched the life out of this condition and will likely know a whole lot more about it than us, and certainly most vets. Hopefully, though, there’ll be some pointers to take away here, so here we go.

So back to the question - what is PPSM? Short answer? It’s complicated. And slightly controversial. And very often misunderstood.

Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM) is a muscle condition that affects how the equine body handles sugar – specifically, how glycogen (stored glucose) behaves in the muscles. When things go wrong, the muscles can seize, cramp, or waste away – and the horse feels tight, sore, or simply “not right.”

There are now two main recognised types (there's now thought to be a PSSM3 on the horizon - see below for more on this):

• PSSM1 – a genetic condition, caused by a known mutation in the GYS1 gene
• PSSM2 – not genetic (at least not conclusively), and very much a mixed bag
  
  

If you're confused, you're in good company. Even the science community hasn’t nailed down all the causes – which is why we focus on management, not just diagnosis.

📌 Want a deeper dive? We’ve pulled together all the latest findings in our plain-English blog: PSSM2 in Horses - understanding the latest science

Meanwhile, let's start with what we do know.

PSSM-1 - a workhorse legacy?

PSSM1 is an inherited muscle disorder caused by a mutation in the GYS1 gene – the one that tells muscle cells how to store sugar as glycogen. This mutation causes the body to store too much glycogen in the muscle... which then doesn't get broken down efficiently. Cue muscle cramps, stiffness, or full-blown tie-up (rhabdomyolysis).

It’s (said to be) especially common in:

• Draft breeds (e.g. Belgian, Noriker)
• Quarter Horses
• Warmbloods to a lesser extent

Horses who inherit the gene from both parents tend to be more severely affected than those with just one copy, with symptoms usually flaring shortly after starting work:

• Stiffness or reluctance to move
• Muscle tightness, particularly over the back and hindquarters
• “Sawhorse” posture in severe cases (where the front legs are stretched forward and the hind legs are tucked under, aka the laminitis stance)

PSSM-2 (aka MIM) - a murkier picture

PSSM2 used to be the catch-all for horses with PSSM-like symptoms who tested negative for the PSSM1 gene, but we now know that  PSSM2 isn’t one condition – it's an umbrella term for several non-genetic muscle issues, which may include:

• Myofibrillar Myopathy (MFM) – especially in warmbloods and Arabians
• Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (RER) – often linked to stress and calcium handling
• General muscle dysfunction tied to diet, metabolism, or inflammation

* In Germany, PSSM2 has recently been rebranded as MIM (Muscle Integrity Myopathy) — but this is just a name change, not a new diagnosis.

What about the genetic tests?

You may have seen ads for genetic tests claiming to diagnose PSSM2 or MIM. Here’s the key point:

These tests are not scientifically validated.

In fact, multiple peer-reviewed studies (Valberg et al. 2021–2022) have shown that:

• Horses with confirmed muscle issues often test negative
• Healthy horses sometimes test positive
• There’s no consistent correlation between the tested gene variants and actual disease

So if your horse tests positive for P2, P3 or PX? The thinking is to ake it with a big pinch of salt. If they test “negative”? You still can’t rule anything out.

Nutritional & herbal support

While there’s no “cure” for PSSM, targeted support makes a huge difference. Here’s what’s worked best across our client base over the last 10-years:

🌿 Acetyl L-Carnitine (Alcar) - supporting energy metabolism at the cellular level

"In PSSM horses, mitochondrial number and function are impaired... which affects both energy and warmth."

Dr Eleanor Kellon

Amongst its many benefits, the amino acid Acetyl L-Carnitine, aka Alcar acts as a fuel pipe needed to transport energy fuel into the cells - it's noted as an essential for muscle support/repair. It works by transporting the essential fatty acids (EFA’s) - omegas 3 & 6 - into the mitochondria (the energy-creating engines - think batteries - inside each muscle cell), where the EFA’s are 'burned' to produce the 'energy' for the cell to do its specific job. (Analogy - think of a steam train; those coal fires = the mitochondria, burning the coal to produce the heat, which creates the steam to power the engine.)

Thing is - in PSSM horses, the number and function of their muscle cells' mitochondria are impaired. This is also an important factor in impacting the PSSM horse being able to keep warm.

🤓Science Alert - quoted from Dr Eleanor Kellon: "A major strategy for generating body heat is oxidative uncoupling. With oxidative uncoupling, the normal efficient generation of ATP (the energy currency) in mitochondria is disrupted so more energy is lost as heat. The deficit in mitochondrial number and function is likely why PSSM horses are more sensitive to cold."

In other words - PSSM horses aren’t great at turning fuel into energy, and with fewer energy-making mitochondria, they often feel the cold more than other horses.

NB. Just as an aside, Alcar is also fantastic for our IR/metabolic horses as it helps manage leptin resistance – all explained in detail in our EMS/IR Metabolic Horse page.

Pulling this together? Alcar acts like a fuel shuttle, helping fatty acids enter the mitochondria - the muscle’s energy centre. PSSM horses often have fewer or less functional mitochondria, so this support matters.

Alcar is an integral ingredient in our PSSMFlex to support cellular energy and recovery.

🌿 Now meet L-Glutamine - plays a key role in building/repairing muscle tissue

L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue, playing a key role in building and repairing muscle tissue. For a regular horse it helps reduce post-exercise soreness, supports faster muscle recovery, and regulates glucose uptake in muscles to restore energy levels, so this makes it especially useful for our PSSM horses.  Glutamine also gives the immune system a helping hand, which can be beneficial after strenuous activity.

Supports:

• Recovery after exercise
• Muscle repair
• Glucose handling
• Gut lining & immunity

We use it in both our JointReflexa and GutAminos blends, and again it's a vital component of our PSSMFlex for targeted muscle support.

🌿 Antispasmodics - alleviate muscle cramping

Having also done a ton of research on herbs to help the PSSM syndrome, Viburnum opulis (Cramp bark) and Valerian are really effective muscle relaxants. Cramp bark particularly is a wonderful versatile plant without the nervine effect of Valerian - we use it extensively across our supplement range where spasms/cramping needs alleviating, i.e. arthritic symptoms, mares' seasons, gut spasms - and like valerian it also helps relax muscle pain and inflammation.

General signs of improvement include re-bulking of atrophied muscles, comfort when hind legs are raised, and freer movement of the hind region in general. Many clients report that their horse appears to have higher energy levels after taking cramp bark, thought to be being mainly due to the freedom from chronic muscle spasm. We also hear that they seem much calmer and cheerier as the discomfort reduces, which has to be a good thing.

"I started him on cramp bark… and today he was very definitely less stiff and more up for working." Tracey (Thor’s owner)

🌿 Antioxidants - Vitamin E & Selenium - essential for muscle function

These two antioxidant nutrients are essential for muscle function and repairing muscle damage. We include both the (non-synthetic) selenium RDA and 2000iu vitamin E as standard across our EquiVita/VitaComplete mineral balancer range.

In addition, the nervous system is supported by phosphorous and magnesium in balanced ratios - again both these nutrients are an integral part of our forage mineral balancers.

Diet & movement - the non-negotiables

What works? Diet, movement, and observation. This is where real-world results speak louder than any test.

PSSM horses tend to be very efficient - they don’t need more feed, just better feed. Their muscles absorb sugar like sponges, so the trick is to avoid overload and keep them moving.

Feeding

• Ad-lib, low-sugar hay (<10%, ideally <6%)
• No cereals, mueslis, molasses, or oils
• Limited or better, no alfalfa - it doesn't suit every horse
• Mineral balancer
• Fibre-based protein if needed - sainfoin/grass cobs - check out Agrobs Myo Protein flakes

Exercise

• Daily, consistent movement is essential
• Aim for sweat-inducing work where possible
• For MFM horses, a gentler approach may be needed

NB - the thinking used to be that feeding a high fat diet was beneficial, but as at 2021 it's now thought not the case - see the Page Updates at the bottom of this page.

Final thoughts

PSSM isn’t just about genetics - it’s about metabolism, muscle resilience, and modern horse-keeping - how we feed, manage, and support our horses in the real world. While testing may be inconclusive, support through clean nutrition, targeted supplementation, and consistent exercise can make a real, beneficial difference.

A decade of client conversations

We can't claim to have our own personal experience with a PSSM horse, but our research started in 2014 with our first PSSM client, Samantha, who contacted us regarding her PSSM horse, Star, followed by Sarah and her mare, Splodge.

Whilst not finding that elusive 'cure', our shared conversations over the years with Samantha then Sarah certainly gave us all more of an understanding of PSSM, and after going down an enormous rabbit hole we collectively put together our take on PSSM. So, if you've recently been given the PSSM diagnosis or you're struggling with which direction to follow, while we can't say we're the oracle of all things PSSM, these conversations here may help guide you with some food for thought.

Meanwhile, we've also followed the research over the years, most notably with Dr Christina Fritz from 2021, and have updated this page accordingly.

There are also a couple of excellent Facebook groups packed full of information, advice, updates and client stories, with both Samantha and Sarah being regulars on them.

• PSSM Type 1 & MIM Support Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/545376330048379
• PSSM Forum & 5 Panel Genetic Testing & Discussion - https://www.facebook.com/groups/432915936807292/
• PSSM UK - https://www.facebook.com/groups/420056078181332/

Here's where it all started, from a message from Samantha, back in 2014:

"I researched and came across PSSM… One £30 genetic test later and we had a positive diagnosis for PSSM1. The vet finally took me seriously, although the knowledge of this disease in the UK is wafty!"

Through Samantha's contributions on the FB PSSM group page, this then brought Sarah and her horse Splodge to us.

"The FB PSSM page has literally been a lifesaver for me. I’m now using your L-Carnitine and both my horses are better with a scoop of this every day – I also add L-glutamine which has been brilliant. Secondly I keep Splodge's diet super low in sugar/starch, and I bully her into exercising daily. If she's feeling bad then it is bullying too, but she's better for it."

Since then, we’ve supported dozens more - from ex-racers and Connemaras to gypsy cobs and New Forest ponies. It’s no longer just about breed - it’s about muscle health, full stop.

Update - May'21

In April'21 I completed Part-1 of an intense equine nutrition workshop with Dr Christina Fritz. The workshop was heavy on the latest science, with Part-1 being the latest feed insights, and Parts 2 & 3 coming in Sept'21 discussing the internal physiological structure of the horse. While there wasn’t that much in Part-1 that I wasn’t aware of already, Christina's knowledge and presentation went way deeper than any other thinking out there that I’ve come across, plus she’s bang up to date on the current research, so I took copious notes throughout.

Now to the PSSM connection, because one of the feed topics was on feeding oil to a horse, and the message was a strong caution against adding liquid oils to the feed bowl (all explained in depth in a separate page on this website in the 'Feeding our Horses/Why what we feed etc' section).

Now cut to the live Q&A session at the end of Christina's workshop, and with our PSSM clients in mind, one of my questions was:

“For PSSM horses the current thinking here in the UK is a low starch, high fat diet to provide muscle energy. You've covered on the course that it’s now clear we shouldn’t ever add liquid oil to the feedbowl, so what are your thoughts on an alternative for the PSSM horse?”  (Bear in mind my Q&A question didn't differentiate between PSSM Type 1 and 2.)

Here’s her reply, literally word for word as I copy-typed it all down from the Q&A recording. Christina apparently has many PSSM horses as clients so here's her opinion:

“Yes, it’s quite a weird thinking to give oil to a PSSM horse - the PSSM horse is not energy deficient, just the contrary – they derive a lot of energy from fibre as well as glucose and starch. So you only get PSSM symptoms when there’s too much sugar/starch and not enough work cos the muscle cells are highly sensitive from taking up sugar from the bloodstream, and they’re taking up too much sugar from the bloodstream which is why it accumulates in the muscle cell which then gets into trouble and dies, which we see in tying up or colic symptoms in horses.

I don’t know where it came from to feed high protein/fat to PSSM horses – probably cos over the last 30yrs or so ago the digestion research ended at the small intestine but never looked at the large intestine (hindgut), so when you can’t feed sugar/starch to humans as an energy source you have to switch to feeding protein/fat to bring energy into the body cos we can’t digest fibre to get energy from that, but for horses it’s different.

The most important part of digestion is the hindgut and even PSSM horses are great digesters of cellulose, from which they’ll get propionate, butyrate, acetate (the three energy-forming volatile fatty acids produced by the hindgut microbiome) from their hindgut microbiome which can be used for their muscle work. The thinking used to be that horses have to make glucose from the propionate to use it but latest research shows that they’re able to change propionate to glucose but they can also use propionate directly in the cells as fuel so there’s no need to use high fat/protein diets to horses.

I always recommend low-sugar hay, a good mineral supplement, and daily exercise. When you feed high fat/protein rations you’ll get kidney problems cos excess protein has to be degraded and excreted by the kidneys as urea, so the more protein you feed the more urea you produce. Horses don’t use protein for energy but as building blocks for their body, so with 10yrs of high fat diet you’ll send the kidneys into kidney failure. It should always be good quality hay only.”

Meanwhile I contacted Sarah with this 'high fat' update as I was super-keen to get her thoughts. Here's her email reply back to me:

"Oh interesting!! So Splodge damaged her DDFT last year and given she's known as Podgy Splodgy for a reason I dropped all oil out of her diet - no need for extra calories if she's just walking in a paddock. I have dithered - a lot - over whether to add it back in but I think she's looking as good and as energetic without it. Rather too energetic at times 😩 She could easily do any sort of normal leisure riding on her miniscule amounts of feed with no oil.

Saying all that though, the metabolic team at Liverpool uni are still recommending high oil and a lot of the competing PSSM horses are having neat oil alongside rice bran, linseed etc - in high quantities too. I wonder if the oil-free diet is ok for leisure riding or working all day at the walk, but when we ask more of them they run short. My new vet said she'd had PSSM described to her as an energy crisis in the muscles - they cramp up because the body is trying to pull glucose out but it can't.

The thinking is that PSSM horses do have to become oil-adapted and i have no idea what that means for the gut biome. Intuitively feeding large amounts of oil has never felt healthy to me!

I think Christina is probably right although I'd be interested to find out if she has any competing pssm horses on her books and what / how they are fed. Can low NSC fibre alone do sponsored rides, eventing, hunting etc?

Thanks for sharing this! I'm going to Google her and see if I can dive deeper too! There's so many horses being diagnosed now. Depressing for owners but in many cases giving them answers to the 'not quite right' gut feelings they've had for ages.

Keep me posted!"

So of course I put the question to Christina! Did she have any competing PSSM horses as clients and what/how were they fed.

Here's her reply,

"Hi Carol, so we really should do a webinar on PSSM! Calculating oil into the energy ration of a horse has never made any sense, since we have studies showing the the horses gain their energy first and most out of fibre. When you start increasing training, they are able to get even more energy from their fibre. Nobody knows how they do it, but fact is: they can. Only when you increase training further, the metabolism starts to switch to other nutrients for energy and those are branched-chained amino acids. So they will degrade proteins and gain energy from those rather then using oils. Only as a last resort, the metabolism starts to degrade fatty acids for energy.

So this means the body uses oils (you have around 1-2.5% crude fat in hay = 10kg hay/day = 100-250g crude fat) as building bricks for regenerating tissue (all cell membranes are built from fatty acids), producing hormones (e.g. steroids) etc., but not as energy source.

Most people think nutrition in horses from the wrong end: they just look at what gets digested in the small intestine. For most people, even vets and some scientists, the horse kind of ends with its small intestine. This would be suitable if we were talking human nutrition (or dog, cat, mouse, rat…), since they are small-intestine-digesters. Neither man nor dog can live on plant fibre, they would simply starve to death. Unlike horses who are perfectly fine living on plant fibre.

So you have to think large intestine first. This means in all horses (not just PSSM): take care that the microbiome is healthy and working properly. Feed the hindgut with good quality hay, avoid anything that disturbs the fermentation process there (like haylage, beet pulp, apple pomace, muslis…). Make sure the microbes are provided 24/7 with cellulose (straw does not contain cellulose!). Offer access to green pasture or fresh cut grass during the summer to provide vitamins, as well.

Only then and if necessary add some nutrients like protein (depending on training level, quality of forage…).

Yes, I do have PSSM horses among my customers that are fed according to my advice, that are competing. They get 24/7 low-sugar, good quality hay, minerals and sometimes a little protein through sainfoin - not alfalfa though. They are top healthy and full of power. Energy comes from the hindgut and good training, not the foregut or the feed bucket.

When you start to change the feeding of competition horses, I usually recommend to start with the end of the competition season, ie Autumn, or just skip one season. In the beginning, they have a hard time, since the metabolism has to get rid of all the excess fat and toxins that were stored in the body. You have to help the body by some therapeutic measures, here. Also you have to re-establish a working microbiome, in most competition horses, you find severe dysbiosis due to wrong feeding in the past, i.e. haylage. After about 6-12 months, the energy level goes up, the horse looks more healthy than ever, shiny coat, bright eye and you can start training them just like you used to.

Horses fed that way have less hoof horn issues, tendon issues, muscle cramps, they regenerate faster after hard competitions and they last longer, so you don’t have to put them to a retirement home as early as most other competition horses. By the way, works even with racehorses, here you just need to definitely add protein in form of sainfoin and they need more cellulose (hay), so I recommend to offer soaked hay pellets instead of grains. Same result: full speed, less injuries, last longer on the racetrack :-)

Yours, Christina"

Update - Jul'22 ...

... and I received the following email from another client with several PSSM ex-racers:

"Hi Carol, I bought another ex-racer in February - he was quite thin & underdeveloped so I have been trying to feed him up & he's been on your EquiVita. I ran out & didn't get around to ordering any more. His ability to work dropped off & being a PSSM veteran, I was seeing a familiar pattern.

I got him tested & the results came back today - n/p2, n/p3 & n/px. He is my 6th with PSSM! I was trying to think today what has caused him to go symptomatic. Someone on one of the FB groups suggested he may be low in selenium. It suddenly clicked that he's been off the EquiVita so I checked the ingredients & it contains selenium & also the three core amino acids needed by PSSM horses!

He is by far the best horse I have ever owned - after a few 'explosive' PSSM'ers I was getting nervous about hacking & never thought I'd trot or canter on a hack again. Now I was doing all that, was planning to take him to a gallops on my week off & was hoping to take him team chasing. He is such a good horse. I was thinking that all my plans were ruined as he is very symptomatic at the moment and only wants to walk, but if I get him back on his supplements, I am hopeful that I might be able to manage him. I really do hope so.

No need to reply - I just thought that you might be interested that a horse that I didn't think had PSSM went symptomatic when taken off the EquiVita. My other ex-racer is 18, n/p3 and n/px and he's been off the EquiVIta too. I'm also using your UlsaTonic & GutAminos for him as that's how the PSSM affects him. Will be interesting if he gets less grumpy once he's back on the EquiVita. I will update if my newly diagnosed one becomes workable again! Tracey x"

Update - Aug'22

Tracey got in touch again 😊

"Hi there, I thought I would send you an update on Thor the PSSM ex-racer. He has been on all his supplements and got back to where he was, but this still wasn't a great place. I started him on the cramp bark a day and a half ago, and today he was very definitely less stiff and more up for working.

I also have an 18yo ex-racer, Trevor, owned since the age of 5. Never been right, had ulcers, treatment in 2015 didn't improve them, found kissing spines, surgically treated, no improvement, now found to have PSSM type 2, n/p3 and n/px. N/p3 can affect the digestion & he does have gastric symptoms which is why I get the ulcer supplements from you. Anyway, when we were looking into the ks, I took him to the vets, rode him for them, then they put local anaes into his back & I rode him again & he was a million times better - hence we thought that the ks surgery would work as it looked as if the lack of performance stemmed from back pain.

My theory now is that the PSSM was affecting the muscles in his back, hence why the local anaes made him 'normal' and the ks surgery didn't do much. The local anaes worked so well for Trev... but for the wrong reason! This is why I am now pursuing the pain relief angle with Trev and Thor. I have started Trev on your TriBute, and a week on, he is def less grumpy. Thor is now on your Boswellia, TriBute and the Crampbark for pain relief.

There is so little joined-up info on PSSM that I thought I should pass on my findings. And now the herbal pain relief is working for both of them, and the Crampbark is really working for Thor. We will see how we go. It's all one massive experiment with me feeling my way as best I can via trial & error, but I'm finding that there simply isn't expertise out there, so I am trying to work it out for myself! Hope this is helpful. Tracey, Trev & Thor x"

Update Jan'25 - Spotlight on P3: A newer variant

- shout out to Hannah Cooke (client) who kindly passed us the following update, courtesy of notes from Marion Otto.

What is P3?

• P3 is a genetic condition affecting the FLNC gene, which plays a role in keeping muscle fibres strong and intact.
• Symptoms don’t usually show up until the horse is 12 years or older and include muscle weakness (starting closer to the horse’s body and spreading outward) and potentially breathing issues.
• P3 doesn’t seem to affect the heart, but the muscles can’t repair themselves as easily due to a lack of a protein (BAG3) responsible for clearing out damaged materials.

Early signs

• Difficulty regulating body temperature - struggling with wind, rain, cold (<20°c), or high humidity. Rugging and shelter are important.
• Gut issues such as chronic inflammation are common and often show up as muscle tightness, especially in the lumbar region, girth, and flank areas. This tightness can sometimes be mistaken for myopathy (muscle disease).

Feeding recommendations

To support a horse with P3, the diet needs careful adjustment to avoid triggering inflammation and help support gut and muscle health:

1. Basic Feeding Guidelines:
2. Feed low sugar/starch (NSC) hay and feeds (less than 12%)
3. Include high-quality protein (include protein-rich components to raise the overall ration to 20–30% crude protein where needed, under professional guidance)
4. Avoid alfalfa, lucerne, and clover
   
   
5. Supplements for P3 Horses:
6. Glutamine: Supports gut lining and reduces inflammation
7. Threonine: An amino acid that helps maintain gut health
8. Collagen: Provides building blocks for gut and muscle tissue. NB. Our JSTTonic's purpose is to support collagen formation
9. Beta-glucans: Help calm inflammation
10. Omega-3, i.e. micronised linseed: Anti-inflammatory and supports stamina. Also in balanced ratios in our VitaComplete balancer
    
    
11. Vitamin/Mineral Support:
    Blood tests can guide supplementation. Key nutrients to monitor (all in UK forage-balanced ratios in our Mineral Balancers):
12. Zinc: Medium range of normal
13. Vitamin E: High levels (1,500–3,000 IU daily)
14. Selenium: Top end of normal range
15. Magnesium: (important for muscle and energy)
    
    

Gut health and testing

Horses with P3 often have gut inflammation that needs addressing. Testing may include:

• Gastroscopy (to check for stomach issues)
• Ultrasound or biopsies (to check for hindgut inflammation)
• Blood tests can reveal gut-related issues like low zinc or abnormal white blood cell patterns
• Dysbiosis testing: Faecal tests to check for imbalances in gut bacteria

Training recommendations

• Warm-up: Long and gradual warm-ups (30 mins of walking) are essential to loosen tight muscles
• Exercise routine: Mix shorter, intense bursts (e.g., 30–60 seconds of collected canter) with longer breaks to avoid overtraining
• Recovery days: Alternate between riding and lighter activities like lunging or groundwork