chestnut cob
Well-Known Member
Anyone have experience of or have a horse with shivers?
My horse (IDx) has shivers. I've always known about it, it was diagnosed when he was about 5 I believe and he's now 17. It's never caused him any major issues although he can be a bit tricky to shoe behind sometimes, farrier just needs to get him up against a wall so he can support himself. The symptoms have always been in his right hind leg only. He has been seen by the same physio for the last 3 years or so and when she came out before Xmas she said she thought he was starting to exhibit shivering symptoms in his left hind too. In Dec I'd called the vet because I thought his hocks needed re-medicating again, as he was looking a bit stiff on the RH. Vet said he thought this was more to do with his shivers progressing a little. Over the last month, he's had three shivering episodes (starts in HQs and flanks, sometimes a bit further up the body too) which he usually only gets infrequently and they are set off by something, not just random. In fact, the last time he had one was probably 2 years ago and it was because the hunt trotted past the yard. So, to have had three in a month is quite a change. He occasionally gets the typical shivers thing of snatching his leg up but it's always the right hind. Recently it's been getting harder to pick up his left hind (though by no means difficult, just that he's clearly finding it a bit tricky) and he's had a couple of those "snatching leg up and holding it there" episodes with the LH in the last week or so. They can be easily rectified by walking him forwards a few steps, and he always walks on normally. He backs up OK, under normal circumstances.
In terms of routine, management and feeding.... he is turned out overnight, anywhere from 5pm to 7pm, then comes in between 8am and midday the next day (so he's getting at least 16hrs, if not longer, every day..some days he doesn't come in at all). Diet is mainly good hay (rarely haylage as he doesn't tolerate it well) with a bit of Speedibeet and D&H High Fibre Nuts. Supplements are JointFX, linseed meal brewers yeast, and magox, plus seaweed every other day. He has a sachet of Danilon daily for his arthritis. I haven't changed anything in his diet for a long time, and he has minimal sugar.
I wondered if anyone could suggest anything I might be able to do or change that could help him? I will say now that he isn't in any distress, he has lived with shivers for 12 years or more. I'd just be interested to see how others manage the condition.
Thanks
My horse (IDx) has shivers. I've always known about it, it was diagnosed when he was about 5 I believe and he's now 17. It's never caused him any major issues although he can be a bit tricky to shoe behind sometimes, farrier just needs to get him up against a wall so he can support himself. The symptoms have always been in his right hind leg only. He has been seen by the same physio for the last 3 years or so and when she came out before Xmas she said she thought he was starting to exhibit shivering symptoms in his left hind too. In Dec I'd called the vet because I thought his hocks needed re-medicating again, as he was looking a bit stiff on the RH. Vet said he thought this was more to do with his shivers progressing a little. Over the last month, he's had three shivering episodes (starts in HQs and flanks, sometimes a bit further up the body too) which he usually only gets infrequently and they are set off by something, not just random. In fact, the last time he had one was probably 2 years ago and it was because the hunt trotted past the yard. So, to have had three in a month is quite a change. He occasionally gets the typical shivers thing of snatching his leg up but it's always the right hind. Recently it's been getting harder to pick up his left hind (though by no means difficult, just that he's clearly finding it a bit tricky) and he's had a couple of those "snatching leg up and holding it there" episodes with the LH in the last week or so. They can be easily rectified by walking him forwards a few steps, and he always walks on normally. He backs up OK, under normal circumstances.
In terms of routine, management and feeding.... he is turned out overnight, anywhere from 5pm to 7pm, then comes in between 8am and midday the next day (so he's getting at least 16hrs, if not longer, every day..some days he doesn't come in at all). Diet is mainly good hay (rarely haylage as he doesn't tolerate it well) with a bit of Speedibeet and D&H High Fibre Nuts. Supplements are JointFX, linseed meal brewers yeast, and magox, plus seaweed every other day. He has a sachet of Danilon daily for his arthritis. I haven't changed anything in his diet for a long time, and he has minimal sugar.
I wondered if anyone could suggest anything I might be able to do or change that could help him? I will say now that he isn't in any distress, he has lived with shivers for 12 years or more. I'd just be interested to see how others manage the condition.
Thanks