As usual, let’s forget that I don’t post.

For reasons, Nay’s been off since the holidays. I was lacking motivation because it’s been winter and I’m without an indoor this winter (I probably don’t have to be, but I choose to be). And I just haven’t felt like riding. So yeah. I decided to just give Nay some time off.

All was going well. The boys were a little weird about hay this year (I’m not sure if it was them or the hay but they did this to a few different types of hay including some really nice $$$ hay). Anyway, otherwise, all was good. Then about a month ago, Nay Nay started to act…off. When I’d bring him in at night, if he was at the “wrong” gate, he’d basically meltdown. If we grabbed the breakfast buckets before bringing him in? Meltdown. Do something he didn’t like? Meltdown. I chalked it up to winter plus potentially ulcers, but Nay Nay generally goes off his feed when he is ulcerly and he was cleaning his bucket completely… And nothing changes with some meds. I tossed scoping in the back of my mind, but this didn’t feel like ulcers..

As the days went on, the meltdowns got worse. Basically, you’d take him out and he’d rear, buck, and then spin around you. He wasn’t trying to get loose, he was just melting down. Or he’d be very spooky. Things got a bit better with clicker training, but didn’t go away. At the other gate (the “right gate”), things were better until they weren’t. We started either spooking out or walking out then bolting or rearing in slow motion. It was really odd. Getting ready to go on vacation, this had me super concerned.

I decided to work him the other weekend (just ground work) and he was fine. Not entirely sound, but fine. Not spooky, pretty OK, but fine enough. Except he couldn’t bend his neck. Either direction. He almost fell over trying to do carrot stretches.

That evening he walked out of the gate quiet, walked to his stall, then bolted out and galloped to find Jiminy. He didn’t go anywhere because it’s Nay Nay (he saw my neighbor’s construction equipment and decided to stop and graze on our property instead) — meanwhile Jiminy, my husband, AND my neighbor went running to catch him while I came around with the halter I just pulled off (Typically you can let go of Nay in the barn and he go into the stall himself — he’s done this for 4 years).

Anyway, on Tuesday the vet came out (on call vs my normal vet since that’s who I could get out last week). Reading Stacie’s blog, EPM was in lurking. Vet mentioned it, but his neuro exam wasn’t bad. He was having muscle tremors which was super weird and the vet (he did our vaccines this summer, or at least Jiminy’s vaccines and Nay’s rabies since I did the rest lol) said he was way more tense/stressed than this summer. Vet did NOT like how his neck looked so we started banamine and vitamin E. Vet left thinking Lyme. And we discussed neck x-rays if all else was normal.

In the end, my normal vet called me Friday. Nay tested positive for Lyme…AND EPM. Or suspected EPM since we don’t actually know, but his titer was sky high and indicated EPM. So yeah. We’re treating for both.

Right now he’s on minocycline for Lyme and Marquis for EPM. It’s fun. And I’m freaking broke. 3 days later and he seems more comfortable and calmer so there is that. But, he’s off his feed because of course he is…

Oatmeal cream pies for the win though because we’re stuffing his minicycline in pies (with a peppermint center) and he’s happily eating them all up. The marquis is less enjoyable as it’s a paste, but he’s a good boy and takes it.

Anyway, stay tuned.