It’s springtime. Along a pleasant ride, birds are chirping and ticks are out. This edition of the newsletter discusses how Lyme disease can present itself.
Lyme disease is everywhere. When horses are infected, the disease can look like anything. This makes it very difficult to diagnose in the early stages when it is most treatable.
◆︎ What do Lyme disease symptoms look like?
This list is not exhaustive, but gives a good idea of all the different ways that Lyme disease can present, which makes early diagnosis difficult.
➡ Stocking up of legs. You notice that the legs look a little more stocked up than usual. Is it the heat? Is it because your horse isn’t moving around as much as usual?
➡ Lameness. Your horse seems to be “off” on one of the legs. Twisted ankle? Bucking in the paddock? Arthritis?
➡ Muscle loss. My horse doesn’t seem to have the same muscling as before. Is this due to inactivity? Perhaps elevated PPID (equine Cushing’s disease)? I know he/she lost weight over the winter, but doesn’t seem to be bouncing back as well this year.
➡ Muscle twitching. Perhaps this is tying-up? Or maybe the horse just overdid it? Muscle twitching is also a sympton of West Nile disease.
➡ Big knee or ankle. Did my horse overdo it? Did he/she slip in the pasture? Is this just a flair up of arthritis?
☛ Intermittent lameness, or lameness that switches legs. Did my horse “overdo” it? Too much play in the pasture? Compensating for soreness in the other leg? Maybe this was the leg that was more lame and I previously misunderstood which one it was?
☛ Turning in a clumsy way. Hesitant to turn. He usually has a lot of “go” and this is so subtle, I didn’t even notice.
☛ Stumbling and/or unsteady on her feet. She’s not picking up her feet as well as usual. Lameness? Shoulder issue?
☛ Exercise intolerance. Inability to perform at his best. He just seems tired today. It’s not his day.
☛ Increased stiffness in the joints. It looks like he’s developed some arthritis. I better look into some joint supplements.
☛ Neck or back stiffness. I wonder if my saddle doesn’t fit right anymore? Did my horse hurt her neck, as she now seems to prefer to hold her head and neck differently than before.
☛ Bowed tendons, or suspensory ligament injuries with normal work. How did he/she get a suspensory injury, just doing the same type of work that we have always done?
☛ Laminitis. Oh no! Is the sugar/starch too high in the diet? Did I allow the horse too long out on pasture? Is the insulin too high? Maybe PPID?
☛ Mild neurological symptoms. Lyme? EPM? A compressed nerve?
➡ Lethargy. Is this lethargy caused by my horse being tired from more activity? Or an impending illness? Difficulty breathing?
➡ Depression. Does my horse seem depressed because he/she isn’t feeling well? Is my horse dehydrated?
➡ Off his/her feed. My horse seems to be off his/her feed. Is the feed bad? Is it unpalatable? Is this new hay/feed/pasture? Did my horse eat a weed that didn’t agree with him/her? Is it too hot to eat?
➡ Squinting, tearing, or uveitis. Is my horse prone to uveitis? Did something get in the eye to cause irritation? Is this a flair up of a leptospirosis infection?
➡ Nodules under the skin. What is that? A bug bite?
➡ Heightened sensitivity to being groomed. That’s weird. He/she never objected to me grooming him/her before. This is a common finding with Lyme disease.
➡ Behavioral changes. Is my horse more spooky? More irritable? More hypervigilant?
As you can see, Lyme disease can present itself in many different ways. With any of these symptoms, it's easy to assume that it's something else. It makes early diagnosis less likely. It also means that the delay in diagnosis has allowed the pathogens to flourish.
◆︎ What can you do?
◆︎ Veterinary care:
The most important treatment is to work with your vet to administer antibiotics. Although herbal supplementation may be helpful, it’s important to acuitly lower the bacterial load through antibiotics.
◆︎ Supplements that may help your horse:
Equine Lyme Support: A blend of baicalin from scutellaria baicalensis (Chinese Skullcap), luteolin from origanum vulagare (Oregano), and resveratrol from polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed) designed to support a horse with Lyme disease.
Luteolin: In human studies, this is one of the phenolic compounds that have been linked to patients having more energy and a greater sense of well-being after taking it for 6 months. It is one of the ingredients in Equine Lyme Support.
Hyaluronic Acid: Studies have shown that the Lyme spirochetes decrease hyaluronic acid synthesis in fibroblasts. Additional hyaluronic acid for support may be helpful.
Mov-Ease: Mov-Ease may help a horse with Lyme disease because it may help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
CoQ10: CoQ10 also is anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. Like Mov-Ease, it may be helpful for you horse.
◆︎ Management
Lyme is a disease that must be managed. Recurrences are common due to the presence of infected ticks in the environment. Additionally, the Lyme spirochetes play hide and seek within the body, which makes total eradication difficult.
We do the best that we can for our horses. Understanding how Lyme disease can present itself is a part of that.
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Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
©Joan Kulifay 2025