Epona – Crossed the Rainbow Bridge to Heaven

Epona is a 20 -year-old Quarter Horse Mare who stands at 14.5 hands. She is a permanent resident here because she has Equine Motor Neuron Disease. It is not an inherited disease; it affects from 15 months to 25 years old. It can be found in many different breeds of horses and has been associated with oxidative stress along with Vitamin E deficiency. 7.8 progressive weakness, short- striding gait, trembling, long periods of recumbency, and sweating. Sporadic episodes of muscles tremors. Equine motor neuron disease resembles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in human beings. Because vitamin E concentrations are extremely low in affected horses, this and other dietary antioxidants have been suggested as a possible factor in the mechanism of equine motor neuron disease. These dietary factors, especially the long-term absence (> 1 year) of green feeds with high vitamin E concentrations, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. Vitamin E supplementation may be useful in treating this disease if detected and treated early in its course. She was saved from the kill pen along with Wanda. Wanda has been adopted out to her forever home to a wonderful person. She has come a long way from when she first arrived! She has been improved a huge thank you to Linda for sponsoring Epona for her Vitamin E. We were told she would only love two years but she had 5 more wonderful years of life. She was shy to many of volunteers but did trust a few. She was often hanging around with Emmy who also passed away recently. We hope they are galloping in heaven together. We love you Epona!