Illustration: Robin Peterson

One day you notice something amiss in your horse–a little clumsiness in his gaits, a subtle lack of coordination. He’s not lame, but something’s not right. You suspect equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), the leading diagnosed cause of neurologic problems in North American horses. Should you get a veterinarian out? Absolutely! But be prepared. You could be facing a case of wobbler syndrome rather than EPM.

Many diseases and disorders display signs similar to EPM, and, says Bill Bernard, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., “There are probably more horses out there with wobbler than EPM.”

In fact, according to some statistics, EPM is present in only 1% of the country’s equine population