Answers to the Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Horse Feeding and Management Practices to Reduce the Risk of Atypical Myopathy

摘要

Equine atypical myopathy is a severe intoxication of grazing equids resulting from the ingestion of samaras or seedlings of trees from the species. The sycamore maple ( ) is involved in European cases whereas the box elder ( ) is recognized as the cause of this seasonal pasture myopathy in the Unites States of America. In Europe, young and inactive animals with a thin to normal body condition and no feed supplementation, except for hay in autumn, are at higher risk. The risk is also associated with full time pasturing in a humid environment. Indeed, dead leaves piling up in autumn as well as, the presence of trees and/or woods presumably exposes the horses to the sycamore maple. This manuscript answers the most frequently asked questions arising from the equine field about feeding and management of equines to reduce the risk of atypical myopathy. All answers are based on data collected from 2006 to 2019 by the “Atypical Myopathy Alert Group” (AMAG, Belgium) and the “Réseau d’épidémiosurveillance en Pathologie équine” (RESPE, France) as well as on a review of the most recent literature.