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  Discussion on Stringhalt?
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Member:
kayfry

Posted on Wednesday, Jun 3, 2009 - 12:50 pm:

Hi. I've downloaded the article on stringhalt and related conditions and will read it carefully when I can get time later today, but in the meantime, I wanted to post a question about my horse, which sent me to this discussion.

Remy's an 11-year-old Dutch warmblood/TB cross that I've had since he was 4. When I got him, he had about 3 months under saddle work. I show him very successfully in the adult amateur hunters, and he's a wonderful amateur horse. He has been healthy except for a few accidental injuries over the years, and the fact that he has thin hoof walls, so shoeing is a bit of a challenge, but my farrier is on top of that.

Since I got him, he has always lifted his hind legs high when you ask him to pick them up - for cleaning them or for shoeing, whatever. This is much more pronounced with the right hand, barely noticeable at all with the left hind. He will do this also when I'm hosing him down, when the water sprays on his hind legs. When you ask him to pick up the right hind, he does so willingly but will usually snatch it up quite high and hold it there spasmodically for a few seconds. If I just wait for him, he will then relax it and let me do what I have to do with no trouble, although he will occasionally seem to shift his balance and on occasion will slam the foot down, so that I have to pick it up again. When I bought him, his previous owner told me that he has always done this - she got him as a weanling from Cornell Univ. where he was bred. He is by a well-known and regarded Dutch stallion, Obelisk, out of a TB mare. The previous owner offered me no particular explanation, such as an injury, just that he's always done this.

There is absolutely no sign of what I understand to be stringhalt in the way this horse moves or jumps. He is sound, a nice mover who does well in under saddle classes at shows, and a very good jumper. He moves normally at all three gates, so I have never worried much about this condition. It has not changed or worsened in the 7 years I've had this horse.

Since having Remy in my life, I've met a couple of other horses who seem to exhibit a similar condition. A new horse who just came into our barn does it, also only at rest when you pick up her hind feet, also pretty mildly. I did meet a half-sister to my horse once a few years ago, who actually did exhibit a noticeable hitch in her gait in the same hind leg as Remy's, so my trainer and I did wonder if it could be a hereditary trait?

My vets have never seemed to feel this trait was cause for concern, since we've had no soundness problems. They've never questioned whether he has hock or stifle issues due to this, because his gaits are normal. But sometimes farriers will be concerned. My own farrier, who started shoeing this horse a couple of years ago and has done a wonderful job with him, is convinced, I think, that the horse has stifle or hock problems. Yesterday when he came to shoe Remy, he and his assistant both told me that my horse is "very sore" behind. I asked why they were saying this, and it was just the usual odd lifting and tensing of the right hind when they asked him to pick it up. I told them, again, that the horse has always done this and that he doesn't appear to be sore to my trainer, my vets, or me, but I don't think my farrier believes me entirely. I should add that although this habit or condition of Remy's makes him slightly more difficult to shoe, I guess, it's really not a problem once the farrier understands this and is just patient enough to wait for Remy to relax that right hind before asking him to hold it up. It's only a matter of a few seconds before he does so. He is not sore behind after being shod, either, so it doesn't seem to be stressing him particularly.

Naturally, I'm concerned that I not miss something, so I'm writing to pose this question to Dr. O. and to others: have you seen this sort of thing in other horses? Should I interpret it as a mild case of stringhalt, shivers, or none of the above? Should I worry about it, or not unless it shows up someday as a lameness or gait abnormality? Should I get his hocks and/or stifles x-rayed just in case? Should I think about preventative Legend or Adequan for his hocks? Is this even a problem? Or not?

My trainer has called it, at various times, both shivers and stringhalt, and a mild case of either. But from what I've read, and videos I've watched of such cases, it doesn't appear to me to be either of these things, really. For one thing, he doesn't exhibit any abnormal lifting of the hind leg or legs when in motion, either when ridden or at liberty in his paddock. It's just when he's tied or standing in his stall, when you touch his hind leg, and mostly just the right.

Sorry this is so long, but I'd really appreciate any input.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Jun 4, 2009 - 8:07 am:

Kay you see horses that do this from time to time and have this as a nonprogressive condition over their whole lives.

This reaction is also associated with horses that suffer from shivers and I have heard it occurs in some cases of EPSM but I have not seen such a case. One thing should be clear it has nothing to do with hock or stifle lameness. I think a neurological condition that results in poorly controlled reflexive action of the leg. I don't know why however, if you would like to call it a mild form of stringhalt.
DrO
Member:
kayfry

Posted on Thursday, Jun 4, 2009 - 8:32 am:

Thanks, Dr. O., for your response. I'm thinking that my horse is one of those for whom this is a nonprogressive condition over their whole lives, as you say. As far as I know, he's done it forever, and as I say, it hasn't changed or progressed in the 7 years I've had this horse. I did read your articles on stringhalt and shivers last night, and honestly, it doesn't seem to me as if my horse fits either pattern, really. Shivers seems to be a definitely progressive condition with a poor prognosis, and the articles all describe symptoms that are most apparent when you ask the horse to back, and eventually muscle wasting, and also the spasmodic raising of the tail, etc. My horse does none of these things and backs just fine. With stringhalt, it's described as a condition that is apparent at the walk, usually with the horse snapping the leg up at every step, and my horse walks normally, as well as the other gaits. He has no other signs or symptoms.

I did talk to my trainer again yesterday. She has discussed this with our vets, partly because another client of hers recently bought a mare with this condition, very similar to my horse. The other trainer and our vets called it a mild case of nonprogressive Shivers, but if so, none of the articles I've seen describe such a thing. At any rate, our vet said he's not at all concerned about this, that it's just some kind of neurological reflex such as you describe, is not progressive or in any way a problem. I guess I was just trying to reassure myself, have an answer for my farrier who thinks my horse has hock or stifle problems, and have a name for this little quirk my horse has had all his life. I'm so used to it now, I normally don't even think about it until someone else, like a farrier, remarks upon it. I'm glad you've confirmed that it's not associated with any hock or stifle lameness. Thanks!
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Thursday, Jun 4, 2009 - 11:20 am:

Kay,

I have a 4 year old race mare that does this exact same thing. She is very sensitive to a great many things. What I have noticed is that if she has bandages or polo wraps on she does not do it. And if I pick up her hind leg from the opposite side she does not do it at all. It used to be an issue with the farrier, as she would constantly try to jerk her foot away when getting nailed, however I now work with a really great guy who takes his time and does not make her a nervous wreck, he does not make a big deal of anything he does with her and she has gotten to be almost a lady when being shod.

The other thing I do with her is I do not grab her leg, I let her know I am going to ask for it and she does not give me much of a problem. She has been doing this for all of her 50+ starts as a racehorse. She is sound and very good gaited, so it is not a physical issue with her either. I think it is just a habit they get into probably from something that went on when they were younger.

Rachelle
Member:
kayfry

Posted on Thursday, Jun 4, 2009 - 4:24 pm:

Thanks, Rachelle. That's interesting; since I don't use hind boots or bandages when riding my gelding, I don't know if that would change his reaction. I do put standing wraps on all four legs occasionally, and have never noticed anything different with that, one way or the other. I'll have to try picking up his hind leg from the opposite side, just to see. But you're right, that it's mostly just an issue with the farrier. My vet said, in fact, that some horses do become a problem to shoe because of this. My horse isn't the easiest to shoe in the world, but as you say, as long as the farrier is patient and gentle, it's not really a problem. When I pick up his right hind, I just do it quietly and wait for him to relax it. I'm used to it so it's not a big issue. I guess the one thing is that I try to warn anyone else who might be picking up his hind feet, so they don't accidently get whacked in the face with his hock when he snaps the leg up! And I always tell them to just wait on him to relax it, which he will always do in a matter of seconds. I think if you fought with him, it would turn into a problem.

Seems the vets consider this a minor neurological thing, possibly genetic (?) or at least often present from birth. But also pretty benign, and not progressive or degenerative or anything like that. I just wanted to make sure I was right in insisting to my farrier that it's not a hock or stifle problem, and Dr. O and my own vets have reassured me that it has nothing to do with that. He's an awesome horse and I hope he'll stay sound for years and years to come. Sounds like yours is a good one, too.

I'm curious to know exactly what causes this and what it even is, really, but maybe we never will. As long as it's not a problem for my horse, that's okay.
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