Topsail Sky Man

Quarter Horse, born on 18.04.2014, with excellent bloodlines and a dream coat.

A horse with an exceptional character: strong, calm, steady, balanced, and wise!

As is typical of his breed, he has a natural talent for cattle work. In the arena he is very agile and flexible, and with a skilled rider he responds very well even to the subtlest leg cues. He does, however, have personality, and he quickly understands the abilities of his rider — he immediately notices whether he can get away with being cheeky or not.

Sky is now part of our herd, and we are incredibly happy to welcome him into our family =)

We bought Sky knowing that he is genetically a carrier of the PSSM1 disease.

Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM) is a genetic condition characterized by an accumulation in the muscles of the normal form of stored sugar (glycogen) in an abnormal form (polysaccharide) within the muscle tissue. There are two forms of PSSM: Type 1 PSSM, caused by a genetic mutation affecting the glycogen synthase gene, and Type 2 PSSM, characterized by abnormal staining of muscle glycogen. In some breeds, animals carrying the genetic mutation for PSSM1 may remain asymptomatic.

To prevent muscle stiffness, it is ideal for him to live as naturally as possible, with plenty of space where he can move around freely. Minimizing stress, providing a regular routine, and ensuring daily exercise are also highly beneficial factors.

It is important to keep the horse fit, because adequate physical activity changes muscle metabolism, and this seems to be the best form of prevention.

Attention: Please do not give fruit or vegetables (they contain sugar), or bread (it contains carbohydrates and starch).

It is necessary to eliminate grains from his diet and replace those calories with fat supplementation. It is believed that a diet low in starch and carbohydrates and high in fat results in lower glucose uptake into the muscle cells and a greater supply of free fatty acids in the bloodstream, which can then be used by the muscle fibers during aerobic exercise.