PSSM & MFM Facebook Group Set Up to Raise Awareness of Muscle Myopathies in Horses
A Facebook group called PSSM & MFM awareness has been set up to raise awareness on hereditary Muscle Myopathies in horses.
The group was set up by Christine Mahon (26) and Rebecca Duke (28) in April 2020 during the lockdown period. With already 2,000 members, the group writes regular blogs and videos to spread further awareness on PSSM, MFM, & RER, to help owners and professionals understand more about these hereditary muscle conditions.
Christine Mahon from PSSM awareness said:
We set up the group during lockdown after my dressage horse was diagnosed with PSSM1 in December & PSSM2 (MFM) in April. Nobody on my livery yard had a clue what PSSM was not even my farrier who sees 100’s of a horses a year!
This surprised me as the more I researched PSSM the more I discovered how common it really was in a large variety of breeds. Due to lack of awareness on PSSM (especially PSSM2) there was not really any help for horse owners, owners were often left to deal with the diagnosis alone as even some vets didn’t have the answers that they needed. By setting up PSSM & MFM awareness we have provided a hub for owners to come to.”
Rebecca Duke from PSSM awareness said:
The group is now bigger than we ever expected! Christine makes all the content and I help answer any questions from owners on the group, between us we make a fantastic team. We originally wanted to concentrate on just the UK but we soon had people from Europe, Australia, and USA joining, we even have vets, physios, farriers, and nutritionists learning from our content. When my horse Ditsy was diagnosed with PSSM1 a few years ago, I wished I’d of had a group like this around as it would of made dealing with her condition so much easier.”
As the PSSM & MFM awareness group continue their plight in spreading further awareness on hereditary muscle myopathies in horses, they hope to encourage more breeders to test before breeding to help eliminate PSSM for future generations.
Join the FACEBOOK here, alternatively the website pssmandmfm.wixsite.com/pssmawareness/my-blog
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.