When to retire a horse with Shivers

[Mich1981]

I know some on here have experience of horses with shivers, i'm after some feedback from those who have had to retire their horse as the shivers have deteriorated. At what point did you make the decision to retire? How bad had the shivers got? Did the shivers worsen with less exercise once retired or stay relatively the same?

Brief outline - i have a horse with shivers and have had him around 8 years. He's always had shivers, mildly at first but has deteriorated quite a bit this last year. Over that time we've done a bit of everything, jumping, dressage, hacking, schooling. The last year i made the decision to stop jumping him and have just been hacking/schooling. He has started struggling more in the school though so we just do basic walk/trot work in there and use it more as a means of keeping him supple. He's still hacking out fine although if asked to stop unexpectedly or something startles him will sometimes shiver a leg briefly under saddle. He's still full of beans when out in company and is enjoying going out still. I'm kind of anticipating having to retire him altogether in the spring though The thing that worries me is that when he's retired will it worsen the shivers as i know horses with the condition tend to do better when in work?
He's out 24/7 and on low starch diet etc as adviseable for shivers/EPSM and also on high dose vit E. He will stay with me for retirement so thats not an issue whatsoever.
If anyone has gone through similar with their horse or can offer me any advice i'd be really grateful to hear from you, pm if you prefer.
TIA
Also in V&H section

 

[burtie]

My horse has EPSM with very mild shivers, so mild you wouldn't really know unless you tries to pick up his back feet after a night in the stable, this year it got very noticeable worse in one hind leg. I have a good relation with my vet and she fully understands his hind limb condition ever since he fully and dramatically tied up years ago after some box rest, so I got her out to re-asses his condition. He's quite tall at just under 17hh, and 12 years old. She agreed he was possibly just 1/10 lame behind in trot with obvious shivers when picking up the hind leg. The lameness would go off with work. She wondered if he had the start of hock arthritis (bone spavin), given the age, height and level of work he's had. 1 steroid injection later and he's fully back to where we were 18 months ago before symptoms worsened. Anyway after rambling on my point is, is it worth you investigating this before writing him off?

 

[Mich1981]

Thanks Burtie. I did have the vet out earlier in the year as had a couple of stumbles when hacking - nothing dramatic, but I wanted them to check out anyway as I was thinking along the lines of navicular or hock arthritis. He was stepping very slightly short on one hind so put on a bute trial with no improvement shown so they ruled out it being pain related. The difficulty is that they can't go down the usual flexions etc as he will just shiver!
His shivers are very apparent - even out in the field, its not just when you ask him to pick up a back leg. Although I now have him barefoot behind our farriers have no issue with trimming his backs and are very sympathetic towards him and just give him a minute to relax the leg once he's hoiked it up. He doesn't need sedating to do and will give you his legs when asked, but always shivers with it.
He did have cellulitis last year in one hind that was pretty bad and tbh has never fully got back to where we were work/fitness wise after that. I can't say for sure if that has speeded up the deterioration of the shivers but I feel that it did. Its one of them things though that shivers can deteriorate at any point (or not!) so he could well be where he is now anyway irrespective of that.

 

[burtie]

That's interesting as mine has had lymphangitis in both hind legs a number of times and just in the worse leg a few times as well. However, we know his shivers is just a symptom of the EPSM and also can be an early warning of lymphangitis, but I know for some horses they don't know the cause of shivers or it's possible neurological. Mine has never been shod behind as he would struggle to hold one leg up for long but I also never pushed the point as he has done everything happily with only front shoes as he has good feet!

It does sound like your boys is much worse and not obviously linked to other problems so I feel for you. I live in dread of the need to 'box rest' mine as I don't think he would cope and already have to think about what I will do when I don't feel he can be ridden as he does worsen with no exercise.