Stringhalt

[ceegeetee]

I have an 8 year old Holsteiner, with a what I think is a stringhalt in his right hind.

I’m trying to find out more about this condition and there seems to be frustratingly little known about it.

I purchased him about a year and half ago. He had been living out in someone’s field and was extremely green - but had lots of potential. Big, beautiful mover. In the pre-purchase exam the vet gave him a clean bill of health, said he was totally sound. At the time she said he might have a slight issue with his patella in the right hind, but that it should resolve with regular work.

It seemed to get better once he was on a regular work program. But, then about six months later the stringhalt began to show.

It appears to be very minor. It only displays when he is standing/walking around the barn. He lifts his right hind and it spasms for a moment and then he puts it back down. It is most pronounced right when he comes out of his stall, when he has to make a tight turn at the walk (like turning around in the aisle), when he backs up at the walk or when you ask him to pick up his right hind.

When he is working it is not noticeable at all. Does not show at the walk, trot or canter when working.

He has no over-extension of the right hind in any gait.

The condition does not seem to have gotten any worse since it developed.

It really isn’t really a problem for us, except when it comes to getting his feet done. He cannot hold the right hind up to pick it or to get shoes.

My vet has prescribed a sedative/muscle relaxant for when the farrier comes so that he can at least trim the hind feet. (Currently he is barefoot behind, and has shoes upfront).

I’ve also noticed in the colder months, when I work him, he is a little reluctant to begin work, and when I am first trotting him he will once in a while just stop, for apparently no reason. I don’t know if this is bad behavior or related to the stringhalt. Once he gets warmed up he is 100% fine.

He also takes longer than most horses I’ve worked with to come into a frame. He comes into the ring like a giraffe, head in the air etc., we have to warm up for a good 15-20 mins before he comes round. Once he gets into a frame he holds it beautifully, and maintains it through the walk, trot and canter. Again, I’m not sure if this is lack of training, or related to the stringhalt.

I am a life long hunter/jumper rider, making the transition to dressage. My hope for this horse is to be my first real dressage horse - and do a little jumping just for fun. I don’t think we will be going to the grand prix, but I would like to compete in the lower levels - ideally up to maybe 3rd level.

I am having another vet come to give me a second opinion - but I would love to know if anyone on here has had a similar experience. And, if so, do you have any advice?

Is there anything I can do to improve the condition? Is there any reason I should not pursue lower level dressage and a little jumping?

I’ve read that there is a surgery - but it is very expensive and often doesn’t work. Does anyone have any experience with the surgery?

He doesn’t seem to be in any pain, so I feel like we should just keep working towards our goals and if it gets worse, or seems to hamper our progress, then we cross that bridge when we get there… but, the last thing I want is to push him to do something that will hurt him, or make the condition worse.

I am also quite concerned about the shoeing issue. I would really like to get shoes on his hind feet. I want to make sure he is as balanced as possible and if the farrier can’t consistently do his hind feet - that is a problem.

Anyway, I know this is an extremely long post - but any guidance any of you may have is GREATLY appreciated! Thank you for reading!

[Big_Holsteiner_Mare]

I feel your pain. I have a 19 yr old Holsteiner gelding that I’ve had for 7 yrs now. I have never been able to pick up his left hind foot. I have an awesome patient farrier can get it done with Robaxin and Ace, he had shoes for the first 4 yrs that I was showing him but now has just fronts and is trimmed in back. Does the same thing with his head when I first start riding him, looks like a giraffe and is 17.3 so his head is waaay up in the clouds. He will come round though after a lap around the ring. I’ve tried all kinds of joint injections, chiro, acupuncture over the years but he’s still pretty much the same. He’s an awesome horse, I’ve just learned to deal with it

[Winston_s_Mom]

My Hanoverian has string halt, and although I’ve heard horror stories this horse competed successfully through advanced eventing, a long format 2 star, easily schooled GP dressage, and although he is retired now due to suspensory injuries the string halt never affected him other than being a PIA to shoe on the right hind.

[k112]

I’ve seen horses jumping 1.40 meter with extremely obvious string halt at the walk (both hind), but you wouldn’t even notice when they are cantering or trotting. One of those horses I know has been sound for 15 years.

Are you sure it’s string halt and not something like a locking stifle? Locking stifles can be treated with an internal blister.

[goeslikestink]

that sounds like shivers to me i have had two neddie’s with shivers one still alive lost the other one aged 26 a successful international sj and the the one that’s alive is also a successful sj and is medium level dressage still competes at mixed events , eventing, sj, ht.x/c and dressage aged 15 yrs

same leg left hind, and when shoeing has spasams when held up you have to wait,

horse 1----- deceased one . had trouble lifting his front leg that same side
as have to learnt to shift his balance to the remanding feet so waited before starting for him to that , having someone hold the also helps, whilse shoeing dodgy left hind, as it went into fits of movement just need to wait until it stops

like wise with the current horse - has fits of movement in hind leg whilse shoeing but doesn’t have the same problem balancing himself on the front leg of the same side and nor did the did the other one until he was older

shivers is a nerological problem as the message to brain doesn’t connect to lift the foot when asked or when the horse asked to

horses with shivers can go sleepy and go to fall, as the message isn’t going to brain to work the feet, and one has to be aware of that fact if they own one, as it can depend on the serverty of it

and its spasmodic doesn’t happen all the time and horse work well once
warmed up

horse one was pts at 26 due to that fact that when he went to lay down or roll
the shivers and arthuritis was getting the better of him, what used to take about 5 10mins to roll, didn’t took 45 mins for him to work out which legs to use to get back up had trouble , also was losing body condition and teeth due to his age and found it hard to move in/ out of the stable etc
the shivers and his arthurtis just took the better of him it just got harder for him to do the normal retired neddy stuff, like moving around to eat,

we also have a 2yr old with locking stiffles- and that only effects her so far in the colder months, we have found we have owned her since 5mths didnt even know she had it when sold to us, but she does, so we make sure her bed is deep and banked sides as we do with all our horses and make sure shes warm in wither so has a polywarm and a heavy duty turnout on top to keep them hips warm which in turn keeps the stiffles warm as the rug comes down to her hocks

and we did this with the ones with shivers its important to keep the horse warm- as they eat them keep warm but if the horse is wb typethen there coat is not course like a cold blooded horse so they need that extra blankets to keep warm this also helps horse with these conditions

and check your hay-thats there not anything in it that shouldn’t be as some plants have toxcins that has side effects on horses so learn poisonous plants well

[SMF11]

@goeslikestink;7260143

shivers is a nerological problem as the message to brain doesn’t connect to lift the foot when asked or when the horse asked to

…

and its spasmodic doesn’t happen all the time and horse work well once
warmed up
…

it just got harder for him to do the normal retired neddy stuff, like moving around to eat,

This was exactly my experience (though we call it stringhalt). My horse would warm up out of it and went on to do dressage and low level jumping perfectly fine. He was retired at 23 as it got worse; by his last year, he couldn’t necessarily walk when he wanted to, like walk over to me to get his grain, or walk over to the waterer to drink after eating. He wasn’t stuck in one position forever; just, it could take him some time to be able to move. I ended up putting him down at 24 as he began to lose weight.

I guess my bottom line is that the stringhalt really wasn’t a problem, until his twenties, but that probably was the main reason he had to be put down. Still doing well until 24 isn’t bad at all.

[NancyM]

I had a client with a 2 yr old TB with the worst stringhalt I have ever seen. COULD NOT hold a canter, it was so bad. Supposed to be a race prospect. It was either her put her down, OR look into the surgery. She got the surgery. It cost $600. The best $600 ever spent, full recovery. But it doesn’t always go as well as this one, especially if the horse is older.

I’ve also seen very successful hunters and jumpers with the problem, and performed no problem. Though usually hard to shoe behind.

I have one here who has it pretty bad in both hind legs. Got caught up in a fence (2 X 6 plank fencing), took it apart, broken into a thousand pieces. I don’t know exactly what happened as he did it when we were off the farm for a few hours, just got home and found the fence in pieces, and the colt loose in the barn area, freaked out, and not a mark on him. He also is a tremendous mover, huge movement behind when on the go, jerks the legs (either one) when manouvering around when grooming etc.

Your horse may have other issues going on in the hind end as well as the stringhalt.

[arlosmine]

What you are describing sounds more like shivers than strinhalt to me…they are different problems, though have some similarities.

[GoodTimes]

How exactly does the leg move? The muscle spasms lead me to believe it’s shivers. Usually with stringhalt or upward fixation of the patella there is no spastic state. With stringhalt one or both hind limbs will move in an exaggerated motion towards the abdomen (increased flexion). With fixation of the patella the hind limb will lock at times during extension, and then when it releases it may quickly move into hyperflexion which can resemble stringhalt.

In severe cases the three are easier to differentiate, but they can all be difficult to diagnose in the early stages. Treatments vary, and positive outcomes of the treatments vary.

I had a horse with shivers, no symptoms when I purchased him, within months the spasms started in the right hind when picking his feet. Within another 6 months you could see the muscles beginning to atrophy which was leading to an imbalance in his gait. He was supposed to be a hunter but I wasn’t comfortable jumping him over anything substantial for safety reasons. If he spasmed over a 3’6" jump and couldn’t get that hind back down quick enough who knows how that might end. Given that he was no longer what I needed and I didn’t have my own farm at the time I gave him away. He ended up being one of the prettiest, most well behaved trail horses you could think of.
Anyway, had it not progressed as far as it did (it plateaued eventually), I would have continued riding and showing him.

[ceegeetee]

Thank you all for your responses! It’s really nice to hear that other people have been through this too!

I am having a vet come give me a second opinion and I am hoping she will be able to clarify if it is in fact stringhalts or one of the other conditions mentioned above.

I will definitely try some of your suggestions - thanks again!

[Hermein]

One more. 31yr old mare drags both back toes when she steps forward at the walk. Her gait is very choppy: pick up leg, fold at the hock, slam foot down, drag toe forward. She backs normally, ditto trot and canter. No problem lifting either back leg for trimmer.

This developed last year. She’s retired, doesn’t seem to be in any pain, so I’m not going to do anything. I did try her on Previcox and bute but got no response.

[butiwantedapony]

Sounds like shivers to me, not stringhalt.

I had a TB gelding with stringhalt… Didn’t really affect him much, I took him through intermediate level eventing and he showed 4th level dressage. It was quite pronounced in walk at times, sometimes in trot. No amt of wRm up really seemed to change how he went, he was happy to do his job. Retired him early when he started showing signs of discomfort at 17 years of age.

[Foxtrot_s]

We have posters here who have good experience with shivers, etc. and knowledge about supporting them nutritionally with supplements. Dr Valentine has studied this extensively. First get a diagnosis, and you will receive good advice here.