Stringhalt- your experiences

silvershadow81

silvershadow81

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My 26yo has suffered on and off with stringhalt for years after an injury damaged nerves in her leg. There is no reasoning as to when this will occur (sometimes when warm, another time when cold, doesn't tend to lessen with exercise).

Its never been a show stopper, as she was jumping and didn't affect her performance, until we started showing.

Yesterday the judge commented on it and her having a 'mechanical' hind leg. It was worst in the in-hand, than the ridden.

We are off out again Saturday and I just wondered if anyone had ever come across anything which may have made this a little better, less noticeable? I have tried to google, but most say incurable without surgery (which of course I wouldn't put her through)

She has magnetic boots (brushing and over-reach) and magnetic rugs on daily, kept really warm, out each day for 9 hours, fed joint supplements, oils, you name it, she is on it!

Just ideas on anything else to try please :-) x
 
I think that she has been like this for many years, is totally sound and happy, that you are already doing as much as you are then ignore it and continue to enjoy her while you can, if showing becomes a problem as some judges will pick up on it and place her down the line then either stop showing or just accept her for how she is.
If she has a bad day then miss the show, stringhalt is not going to go away as you know and if it is inconsistent then unless you can find a trigger it will always be there despite your best efforts, the only suggestion I have which you don't mention is to get a good physio involved as they may be able to give you some exercises that could reduce the tightness.
 
Thanks! I am currently contacting physios to come out this week for my other horse, so hopefully that will also help.

She loves shows, so I don't think id miss them, just as you say need to accept a placing lower down. x
 
I did hear of a link with EMS, for which the treatment is a high oil diet. Might be worth a try although it sounds as though you know the underlying reason and it isn't metabolic
 
I think JillA means ERS/EPSM - these conditions need a high oil diet.

You would not want to feed an EMS horse a high oil diet.

My advise would be to keep track of when the horse is worse (ie wet/cold, when underworked, after heavier exercise) and then at least you can tweak management to suit.

And ditto Physio.
 
Our show jumper has string halt. He went lame earlier in the year (unrelated injury) and we took his shoes off to save money.

I noticed his string halt was considerably reduced to the point where I hardly noticed him doing it. When I had shoes back on the farrier asked if his string halt was better without shoes, and I replied yes, why, is there a link? And he said he had had another horse that was better without shoes, and he reckoned that the reduced concussion helps.

No idea if there is any scientific basis to that - and now you will probably reply that your mare is unshod anyway! But worth a mention in case it helps.
 
Thanks ihatework! I've been looking into it 'googled stringhalt oil diet' so the right things came up and does look to have some benefits. I will have to tot up what she already has as is on EQUI-JEWEL which is already high oil content.

Ducktoller- you guessed correctly! She is barefoot now for 4 years and that in itself helped her soundness and the action of removing the shoes was not helping.

Ive monitored when it happens (as I think most believe it is worse in cold/ wet weather) and this isn't the case. Also its thought it gets better during exercise, and although it does, slightly, we have still finished a 2 hour hack and she may still have it, when other days its absolutely non-existent?!

Thanks for all the replies though, im doing lots of reading! Oil and vit A seems to be some good options and im on the case with the physio too! :-)
 
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