SOS: Australian Stringhalt

[Titchy Reindeer]

Hi, I was hoping to mine the collective mind of HHO about australian stringhalt.
My friends pony started developing it at the beginning of October, after eating flatweed (also called catsear), but it progressed rather alarmingly at the end of October. Leaving the pony struggling to walk. It causes hyperflexion of the hind legs, often leaving pony struggling to put her foot back down. Pony is being followed by a vet and I have been reading all the research I can get my hands on, but I was hoping for some first hand stories.
My friend is obviously very distressed at seeing her pony like this and was considering PTS at one point. I think I've managed to convince her to try treatment (not brought up by her vet at all - I honestly don't think he's encountered australian stringhalt before, its not common in the north of France) and give the pony some time to show improvement (it would seem that about 50% of cases show spontaneous recovery) before making a decision. I am too far away to offer hands on help, but I am researching as much as I can and would love to be able to present her a few cases of recovery (I would also of course share any cases that didn't end in recovery). In the end, I will support my friend whatever her decision, but I would like to give her as many facts as possible to make that decision an informed one.
Any experience or advice gratefully accepted.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

No experience of this, only std stringhalt.
Possibly useful article http://www.southwestequine.com.au/stringhalt/
Def worth researching and getting reviewed treatments and articles sent to vet

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

No experience of this, only std stringhalt.
Possibly useful article http://www.southwestequine.com.au/stringhalt/
Def worth researching and getting reviewed treatments and articles sent to vet

Thank you. I've already read that one.
I've forwarded on all peer-reviewed articles and the contact details of one research vet in France who works on this illness to the owner, for her to pass on to her vet.
I'm hoping for more news this weekend. Preferably good news!

 

[PurBee]

This person cured stringhalt in her horse:

https://www.victoriaferguson.com.au/stringhalt-cure/

Although exact herbs/liver remedies etc are not listed, what’s notable is that treatment focused on removing toxins from gut, giving a liver rejuvenating herb, and herbs for nerve protection and health. Antispamodic herbs were used, which makes sense with this condition.

You could write to the blog owner to find out the exact herbs used, as there’s thousands to choose for these conditions.

We have cat’s ear west Ireland, and i once bought hay loaded with it! Luckily didnt feed it as i researched the ‘weird dandelion type weed’ that seemed to make-up most of the hay.

I would personally use 2 tablespoons charcoal and 2 tbsp green clay mixed in water - then mixed into a sloppy bowl feed of grass nuts or beet pulp. This i’d use as a ‘gut toxin sweep’. Once a day.
Charcoal draws out toxins from the gut, and clay being negatively charged draws out gram positive gastro-bacteria. (If the gut is going off-balance due to liver/blood toxicity effects of the plant)

The above needs doing asap when toxic plants are ingested ideally. Despite a month passed since ingestion its worth doing 3 days of charcoal and clay to monitor if it helps at this stage of the illness. If it does, i’d continue with charcoal/clay alongside other nutrients listed below.

The liver requires milk thistle to help it function and detox better, while stressed by the toxin, and build more cells after possible toxic damage.

For the nervous system i’d give a whole B complex supplement - a good healthy dose from B1 to B12 - these are essential for neuronal health anyway and gives the nervous system nutrients to regulate and rebuild itself. B12 builds nerve sheaths which likely are damaged when spasmodic symptoms are present.
Good idea to speak to the vet about B12 injections as this will go direct into blood stream. Gut absorption of b12 supplements are weak, as theres other co-factors needed in the gut to absorb b12 fully.

I’d also throw in 4 tablespoons, large heaped handful of ground up flaxseed/linseed as omega 3 is essential for brain health and maintaining a healthy cell membrane which toxins easily disrupt.

I’d add other liver detox herbs, you can find equine liver detox herb mixes online. This i’d give with milk thistle, b vits, and a gut probiotic, in a sloppy bowl feed mid-day.
The gut probiotic is to help populate with healthy gut microbes that are possibly thrown out of whack due to the toxic assault on the whole system.

Note: when giving any herbal/nutrient supplements, and also using charcoal or clay for toxemia, make sure the charcoal/clay feed is separate (by many hours and hay feeds) to the herb/nutrient feed. Clay and charcoal pull toxins from the gut so they will only prevent the herbs/nutrients being absorbed into the gut wall, if fed altogether.

I hope your friends horse recovers, its a nasty toxic reaction to such a common plant, and almost falling foul of it myself, i researched it and really feel for those whose horses suffer with this.
I would try 8 weeks of the above protocol and if there’s no improvement, i’d have to make the hard decision. But judging by the blog posters regime, her horse slowly recovered so it can be achieved.

 

[Lois Lame]

'Stringhalt is a common condition afflicting horses in all parts of Australia.'

Is it? I've seen two horses with it. And whether these cases were (so-called) Australian stringhalt or just stringhalt, I've no idea.

The first case was decades ago, in a very nice mare being sold at auction by a woman who I later found out ripped many many people off; the second case was only about 3 years ago, at the complex where I kept my horse. It's a condition that doesn't seem overly common to me.

And whether or not flatweed/catsear/false dandelion has anything to do with Australian stringhalt I've no idea, though I keep hearing that theory.

 

[holeymoley]

Could you contact trinty consultants for a detox?

 

[rabatsa]

An internet friend had this every winter in one of her donkeys, I cannot remember if she lived in America or France at the time. It used to vanish every spring and come back at this time of year. I cannot remember her altering her feeding to prevent or cure it.

 

[PurBee]

'Stringhalt is a common condition afflicting horses in all parts of Australia.'

Is it? I've seen two horses with it. And whether these cases were (so-called) Australian stringhalt or just stringhalt, I've no idea.

The first case was decades ago, in a very nice mare being sold at auction by a woman who I later found out ripped many many people off; the second case was only about 3 years ago, at the complex where I kept my horse. It's a condition that doesn't seem overly common to me.

And whether or not flatweed/catsear/false dandelion has anything to do with Australian stringhalt I've no idea, though I keep hearing that theory.

Its confusing isnt it. They call hind limb abnormal flexion just ‘stinghalt’ if there’s no known cause. And use the term ‘australian stringhalt’ when the cause is pasture toxins, usually flatweed/cat’s ear ingestion or stressed paddocks/mycotoxin exposure.

Shivers too…neurological hind limb instability, possible linked with PSSM, mostly unknown cause.

With any acute case of abnormal gait as extreme as stringhalt shows, i’d be looking at environmental causes/neuro-toxins.
Treatment possibly curative depending on dose of toxin.

Slow degradation of the nervous system due to genetic X is possible, and we’d see a slow, over years, decline in gait. Treatment would be supportive rather than curative.

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

This person cured stringhalt in her horse:

https://www.victoriaferguson.com.au/stringhalt-cure/

Although exact herbs/liver remedies etc are not listed, what’s notable is that treatment focused on removing toxins from gut, giving a liver rejuvenating herb, and herbs for nerve protection and health. Antispamodic herbs were used, which makes sense with this condition.

You could write to the blog owner to find out the exact herbs used, as there’s thousands to choose for these conditions.

We have cat’s ear west Ireland, and i once bought hay loaded with it! Luckily didnt feed it as i researched the ‘weird dandelion type weed’ that seemed to make-up most of the hay.

I would personally use 2 tablespoons charcoal and 2 tbsp green clay mixed in water - then mixed into a sloppy bowl feed of grass nuts or beet pulp. This i’d use as a ‘gut toxin sweep’. Once a day.
Charcoal draws out toxins from the gut, and clay being negatively charged draws out gram positive gastro-bacteria. (If the gut is going off-balance due to liver/blood toxicity effects of the plant)

The above needs doing asap when toxic plants are ingested ideally. Despite a month passed since ingestion its worth doing 3 days of charcoal and clay to monitor if it helps at this stage of the illness. If it does, i’d continue with charcoal/clay alongside other nutrients listed below.

The liver requires milk thistle to help it function and detox better, while stressed by the toxin, and build more cells after possible toxic damage.

For the nervous system i’d give a whole B complex supplement - a good healthy dose from B1 to B12 - these are essential for neuronal health anyway and gives the nervous system nutrients to regulate and rebuild itself. B12 builds nerve sheaths which likely are damaged when spasmodic symptoms are present.
Good idea to speak to the vet about B12 injections as this will go direct into blood stream. Gut absorption of b12 supplements are weak, as theres other co-factors needed in the gut to absorb b12 fully.

I’d also throw in 4 tablespoons, large heaped handful of ground up flaxseed/linseed as omega 3 is essential for brain health and maintaining a healthy cell membrane which toxins easily disrupt.

I’d add other liver detox herbs, you can find equine liver detox herb mixes online. This i’d give with milk thistle, b vits, and a gut probiotic, in a sloppy bowl feed mid-day.
The gut probiotic is to help populate with healthy gut microbes that are possibly thrown out of whack due to the toxic assault on the whole system.

Note: when giving any herbal/nutrient supplements, and also using charcoal or clay for toxemia, make sure the charcoal/clay feed is separate (by many hours and hay feeds) to the herb/nutrient feed. Clay and charcoal pull toxins from the gut so they will only prevent the herbs/nutrients being absorbed into the gut wall, if fed altogether.

I hope your friends horse recovers, its a nasty toxic reaction to such a common plant, and almost falling foul of it myself, i researched it and really feel for those whose horses suffer with this.
I would try 8 weeks of the above protocol and if there’s no improvement, i’d have to make the hard decision. But judging by the blog posters regime, her horse slowly recovered so it can be achieved.

Thank you very much for taking the time to write such a detailed answer. I will transmit it to the owner. I will also look at the blog (weekends are busy and I rarely have time to go on my computer but should have time next week).

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

'Stringhalt is a common condition afflicting horses in all parts of Australia.'

Is it? I've seen two horses with it. And whether these cases were (so-called) Australian stringhalt or just stringhalt, I've no idea.

The first case was decades ago, in a very nice mare being sold at auction by a woman who I later found out ripped many many people off; the second case was only about 3 years ago, at the complex where I kept my horse. It's a condition that doesn't seem overly common to me.

And whether or not flatweed/catsear/false dandelion has anything to do with Australian stringhalt I've no idea, though I keep hearing that theory.

I have no idea how common australian stringhalt is in Australia, but multiple research papers do link it to flatweed, though other plants can be the cause as well apprently. This is the first case I've heard of in France, but with the drought we had this year, there will be probably more to follow.

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

Its confusing isnt it. They call hind limb abnormal flexion just ‘stinghalt’ if there’s no known cause. And use the term ‘australian stringhalt’ when the cause is pasture toxins, usually flatweed/cat’s ear ingestion or stressed paddocks/mycotoxin exposure.

Shivers too…neurological hind limb instability, possible linked with PSSM, mostly unknown cause.

With any acute case of abnormal gait as extreme as stringhalt shows, i’d be looking at environmental causes/neuro-toxins.
Treatment possibly curative depending on dose of toxin.

Slow degradation of the nervous system due to genetic X is possible, and we’d see a slow, over years, decline in gait. Treatment would be supportive rather than curative.

I forgot to mention that pony in question was working at a riding school when she contracted australian stringhalt and a second horse in the same pasture developed it at the same time, making the environment a likely cause as opposed to a genetic cause.

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

Quick update for anyone interested. Pony is now set up with open access to a stable and a level paddock. Her horsy friend is just on the other side of the fence to avoid any accidental knocking over. She is receiving supplemented feeds, charcoal, vitamins, the lot. She has seen the vet again and her owners brother who is a human osteopath but has done some miracles on the owner's other horse before. And the owner is now playing the waiting game but is prepared to operate at a later date if it seems appropriate (a lot can change before then). Scientists I've contacted say it should be 6 to 12 months to see a marked recovery and over 50% of horses recover totally within two years with no intervention. So Fingers crossed.

 

[Otherwise]

Friends of mine when they were living in France had a couple of horses with it a couple of years ago. It had been a very dry summer and false dandelion was the only thing that seemed to be growing in one of the fields. It's been a couple of years now but both horses are back to normal and you'd never have known they had it. I think they had a fairly mild case, as soon as they realised what was causing it they moved fields.