The pituitary is a small gland at the bottom of the brain that regulates so many hormones in the horse. Without it, the body of every mammal (horse and human) would become unbalanced and eventually destroy itself. And it is only the size of a pea!

The disease of the pituitary in horses is called PPID or Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction. But I disagree that the pituitary is “dysfunctional.” Rather, it is functioning perfectly – but is not stopping doing its job causing several diseases in horses, most notably Cushing’s Disease. It is better to call it a “neurodegenerative disease of the hypothalamus-pituitary axis.” No acronym for that!

Join me for a discussion of what this tiny part does to horses, some ideas of mine as to why it often becomes broken, and why the term “Cushing’s” is a hot button for me, Doc T.

Back to top