Testimonial: Shandy

Shandy was bought in 2003 aged 6-7 years as a 15.1hh cob as Jo Westwood’s first horse. Shandy seemed healthy enough and as a good do-er, was maintained on minimal feed & hay. Problems started approx. 2 years later when she seized up for the first time and thereafter, it almost became an annual event with her 'tying up' and then spending weeks recovering and slowly coming back into work. Eventually Jo’s vet performed a muscle biopsy which diagnosed Shandy as having Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM), which means she cannot tolerate carbohydrates in her diet.

Jo was relieved to finally have a diagnosis and started researching the condition. Jo found work by Beth Valentine & Prof. Pat Harris particularly helpful, she also contacted various equine feed nutritionists and found the Dengie nutrition team to be the most knowledgeable, supportive and helpful. With our guidance, she devised a diet of Alfa-A Molasses Free, a Dengie vitamin and mineral supplement with added salt and oil.
Jo also has to soak Shandy’s hay to remove water-soluble carbs. She has to have regular exercise to prevent glycogen building up in her muscles and can't stay out for the summer as too much grass is detrimental.

Jo admits “that Shandy seems high maintenance compared to other horses on our yard but she is worth it and I now think of her as 'normal' as opposed to a tie-up waiting to happen!”