Horse Tying Up Rhabdomyolysis Prevention

Equine exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying up) causes severe muscle pain and damage during exercise. Prevention through nutrition, management and genetics reduces this serious welfare condition.

Key Facts

Tying up causes severe muscle cramping during or after exercise with horses becoming stiff and reluctant to move
Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) and recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) are the main syndromes
PSSM affects draft breeds and warmbloods while RER predominantly affects Thoroughbreds
Dietary management reducing starch and sugar while increasing fat is the cornerstone of PSSM management
DNA testing identifies PSSM1 type 1 mutations allowing breeding decisions and targeted management

Welfare Considerations

Tying up episodes cause severe acute pain with visible muscle stiffness, sweating and distress. Horses experiencing tying up are clearly suffering and should not be asked to move. Repeated episodes cause cumulative muscle damage. Prevention through appropriate exercise management, dietary modification and genetic testing where relevant dramatically reduces episode frequency and improves welfare for affected horses.

What You Can Do

Halt exercise immediately if a horse shows stiffness and distress consistent with tying up
Seek veterinary assessment for any horse with recurrent episodes including muscle enzyme testing and genetic testing
Implement dietary modification for PSSM horses reducing starch and sugar while increasing fat content
Warm up horses gradually and avoid exercise after rest days without appropriate conditioning
Consider DNA testing for breeding stock to avoid perpetuating PSSM genetic variants