Caring for an EPM Horse
Supportive Care, Recovery, and Daily Management for Real Riders
If your horse has been diagnosed with EPM, you are not alone and you are not imagining the day to day challenges. Medication addresses the disease, but it does not answer every question a rider faces once they get back to the barn.
For a complete overview of EPM signs, diagnosis, testing, treatment options, and rehabilitation basics, start with our foundational guide: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in Horses: Signs, Testing, Treatment & Rehab .
This resource builds on that foundation and focuses on the **daily realities** of living with and supporting an EPM horse.
In this guide
- What EPM affects beyond the nervous system
- Why muscle comfort matters during neurological recovery
- What supportive care can and cannot do
- Where Draw It Out® fits responsibly
- How riders structure daily routines
- Long-term management after EPM
What EPM Affects Day to Day
EPM is a neurological disease that disrupts communication between the brain, spinal cord, and body. While nerves are the primary system involved, muscles often show the most visible changes.
- Uneven muscle atrophy
- Guarded or tight topline
- Hip and SI soreness from compensation
- One side working harder than the other
- Loss of confidence in movement
These secondary effects do not mean treatment has failed. They reflect how the body adapts while healing.
What Supportive Care Is and Is Not
Supportive care does not treat EPM, eliminate the parasite, or repair neurological damage. Those outcomes depend on veterinary diagnosis and medication.
Supportive care focuses on keeping the horse comfortable enough to continue moving, learning, and rebuilding strength during recovery.
Why Muscle Comfort Matters
Neurological horses often struggle not from unwillingness, but from mixed signals and physical fatigue. When muscles are tight or sore, compensation increases and progress slows.
Supporting muscle comfort helps remove unnecessary resistance so rehabilitation can continue safely and consistently.
Where Draw It Out® Fits
Draw It Out® liniment gel does not treat EPM. It is commonly used by riders as part of a supportive muscle care routine during neurological recovery.
Explore liniment options here: Draw It Out® Horse Liniment Collection
Riders often choose it because it supports circulation in compensating muscle and avoids aggressive sensory stimulation, which can be counterproductive for neurologically sensitive horses.
Daily Use and Focus Areas
Common focus areas include the topline, hip and SI region, hindquarters showing muscle loss, and one sided tightness caused by compensation.
Usage guidance: How to Use Draw It Out® Liniment
Recovery Is Not Linear
Progress often appears quietly as better posture, improved balance at the walk, and a greater willingness to move forward.
Long Term Management After EPM
Many riders continue supportive routines long after a horse stabilizes. Consistent turnout, stress management, bodywork, and muscle care are common parts of long term success.
The Real Rider Takeaway
Veterinary care addresses the disease. Rehabilitation addresses coordination. Supportive care addresses how the horse feels while doing both.
