Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), commonly known as equine Cushings disease, is increasingly common in older horses. Understanding this condition enables better welfare management for affected horses.
PPID causes progressive welfare deterioration through multiple pathways: muscle wasting reduces strength and comfort, laminitis causes severe chronic pain, poor coat condition creates thermoregulatory problems, and insulin dysregulation causes metabolic instability. The insidious nature of early PPID means many horses suffer for extended periods before diagnosis. The welfare trajectory for well-managed PPID horses is much more positive: pergolide treatment normalizes hormonal dysregulation, diet management reduces laminitis risk, and careful monitoring catches problems early. Older horses deserve geriatric health screening that specifically looks for PPID before obvious signs develop, enabling earlier intervention and better welfare outcomes across what may be years of remaining life.