If you own, ride or work with horses, you may well be aware of the life-threatening condition, Atypical Myopathy (AM). With the wet and windy weather this season brings, the chance of outbreaks of this condition is heightened. Atypical Myopathy is caused by a toxin (Hypoglycin A) which is found in sycamore seeds, and has a high mortality rate of 75-90%. Wind and rain mean that these seeds can travel far distances, and put even horses who don't graze particularly near sycamore trees at risk. A message is being sent out to all horse owners to ask them to check their fields for sycamore seeds, even if there are no sycamore trees within the field. If any are found in fields with horses in, they need to be moved immediately and then the seeds cleared.
Symptoms of AM include: sudden stiffness, muscle tremors, collapse, colic-like symptoms, low temperature, increased heart rate and dark urine. For more information, click here to read the british Horse Society's advice leaflet.
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