Preventing Equine Motor Neuron Disease

Equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is a progressive, debilitating, usually fatal neurological disease of horses. It affects lower motor neurons, nerves that supply the direct neurological input into all muscles. Without these, the associated muscles atrophy, resulting in the remarkable weakness and weight loss characteristic of this disease. Researchers have described an association between vitamin E deficiency and EMND.

Horses with EMND are nearly always housed in boarding stables with minimal or no turnout or turnout only on drylots with no grass. Affected horses generally receive large amounts of pelleted or sweet feed, no vitamin E supplements, no pasture, and poor-quality hay (usually described as light green, yellow, brown, or even sun-bleached grass hay with no alfalfa).

The only known treatment for EMND is supplementation with vitamin E. Good-quality hay and/or pasture should also be provided if possible. If the horse responds to therapy, it typically takes a minimum of 3-6 weeks for observable improvement in trembling, followed eventually by increased weight and strength. Even with vitamin E supplementation, the prognosis for affected horses remains guarded.

Prevent EMND through a proper balanced diet with less confinement and greater exposure to green pasture. Daily vitamin E supplementation is recommended whenever diet or management considerations might provide insufficient vitamin E.

Read more from Advances in Equine Nutrition III.

Related:

•  Effects of Vitamin E Supplementation and Implications for Treatment of Neurologic Disease
•  Vitamin E Critical for Nerve Health