Shivers

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Bugly

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I have a 5 year old who was backed last summer and turned away. I got her in February and I have been doing hours of long reigining, lunging and have just started to get her out under saddle again.

I had always been aware that she shuffled her back end about, when tied up at the yard her quarters would quiver and I have problems picking one of her feet out.

Last week when I rode her she threw me- she bucked me off which was totally against her nature.

So the vet came today as I suspected some sort of back problem. He has diagnosed her with Shivers.

He said that as she's so young we ought not to try to rider her as she's going to hurt someone (nearly me last week!).

I have read about all the special feeding etc for Shivers horses but i'm a little confused as to her chances of being a riding horse. She was going to be a heavyweight show hunter but looks like that's gone out of the window. Is it realistic to get her going again to have her as a hack/huter? Given that she threw me I'd have to send her away and that's going to cost a fortune as I'm not getting on her after the way she threw me off.

if anyone has any advise on youngsters with Shivers please i'd be pleased hear your feedback.

She's the chestnut in my siggi.
 
Please look up this excellent article by our own Horse and Hound Magazine.
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/article.php?aid=41582. This is another link to a very interesting and helpful website although it is worth bearing in mind it is American. http://www.cvm.umn.edu/umec/lab/shivers.html

I know that you can detect a horse is shiverer by backing it up but if you throw a bucket of cold water over the hind legs of a shiverer it will 'shiver' also. This is almost always conclusive. Also worth noting is the following: a diet high in fact and low in startch may reduce the frequency of muscles spasms and also vitamin E and selenium are very important, but be warned, if you start to feed to much selenium this can cause huge problems, so ask your vet.
 
She is a young mare, only just broken in and she has bucked you off once? Count yourself lucky! It may be against her nature, but horses are animals, not machines. The wind may have just tickled her bottom or something. My horse never bucked with me, but when she was excited she used to put her head down and sort of wiggle her shoulders. On the lunge she could buck for England. She knew the difference and what she could get away with.
As to the shivers, she sounds like a very mild case. There is no reason why she shouldn't lead a perfectly normal life and do whatever you want of her. There are grade A showjumpers with shivers.
 
Yes thanks applecart, I have read those articles already.......the big question is to continue to break or not....

she's a good do-er is currently not fed so the feeding high fat low starch diet will be a problem....she's out 24/7 on grass ATM.
 
[ QUOTE ]
She is a young mare, only just broken in and she has bucked you off once? Count yourself lucky! It may be against her nature, but horses are animals, not machines. The wind may have just tickled her bottom or something. My horse never bucked with me, but when she was excited she used to put her head down and sort of wiggle her shoulders. On the lunge she could buck for England. She knew the difference and what she could get away with.
As to the shivers, she sounds like a very mild case. There is no reason why she shouldn't lead a perfectly normal life and do whatever you want of her. There are grade A showjumpers with shivers.

[/ QUOTE ]

She was professionally broken by a top yard last year and never once showed any signs of bucking-I can tell that the buck is related to pain hence why I got it checked out.

I don't mind being bucked off but clearly she's in pain.
 
I'd give it a go...you'll know if she's not up to it if she just keeps going crazy.
My firend has a shiverer that does Prix st george dressage - the only movement he struggles with is rein back, and he is funny picking up his back feet. Apart from that you'd never know!
 
My 13yo is a shiverer, he was diagnosed as a 5yo and it hasn't got any worse since then. He still works, hunts, does dressage, does a bit of SJ/XC if I'm feeling brave (because I haven't got the nerve for it now rather than because he can't). My farrier says he shoes much worse shiverers than mine, says mine is mild, and that some of those "bad shiverers" SJ at a high level.
 
I had a shiverer and she was great. She hunted,jumped,showed all sucessfully . I used her in my riding school and she never bucked once. Your horse could have chucked you of for any reason, check her saddle fit maybe.
 
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