Wobblers

[natalia]

Hi,

I have limited experience with this and the last horse I had come on to the yard with it was a 4yr old, he got progressively worse then was PTS at 6 as would fall over and was a danger to himself.
Sooooo, today a new horse arrives in to sell. 8 yr old warmblood about 16.3hh very skinny and with no muscle. Sweet nature but upon watching him ride he seems very gangly for an 8 yr old and seems a little drunk, much like the last one we had with the condition. Hind legs just don't move under him quite right and he's very swingy. I had him on the yard after exercise and did the sway test where someone leads and the other pulls the tail as the horse walks. He reacted very possitively to this and seemed to really almost flop and lose cordination of his hind quarters as I pulled (and I'm only little so wasn't pulling very hard). I tried to reverse him and he wasn't great but not as bad as last one with the condition. I know other tests are moving horse on a sharp tight circle, he did this with little problem and stepped under clumsily but OK. I will also test tail resistance again tomorrow. But can a wobbler react to some tests and not others? Is this possible, or will they test positive to all tests you can do? At 8 would this condition get worse, or would this be it as he's grown enough? I am very worried that he has no muscle as when built up condition will get much worse (it did with our last one who wasn't diagnosed till he tried to reverse himself and fell like a stone, was put down to greeness before). My gut instinct says send horse back pronto, but I'm not sure that I can, as normal am facing battle with others on yard saying he's just big and weak and give him time. Will obv. get own vet to check first (ie next week when he's on weekly call out) and go from there. Would you be able to "starve" a wobbler to make the condition less noticeable?
Thanks for your help!

 

[PurplePickle]

I wouldnt panic yet, it might not be wobblers, hes a big horse and with little muscle may have a physical issue? any way to wait till a vets checked him?


My warmblood had wobbler like symptoms which turned out to be hock arthritis, seriously it looked like he had no control over his hinds when backing up or turning in a circle it was quite strange to watch.

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Would you be able to "starve" a wobbler to make the condition less noticeable?

Erm, are you seriously asking the question as it's presented in your OP?

 

[Birker2020]

My ten year old WB gelding developed wobblers following a fall in the field onto his neck which caused excess calcium deposits to grow onto his spinal column which impinged onto his nerves leading from his spinal cord. In short the horse developed ataxia which is the 'drunken' state the horse you refer to is in. There are a number of causes of ataxia, EHV (Equine Herpes Virus) displays these symptoms therefore it is very important a vet is called immediately to this horse, especially if you have youngstock or pregnant mares as it could be this. Alas as my horse was so badly affected (this was determined at Liverpool Equine Hospital by the use of xrays) my horse could not be saved and it was for his benefit (as well as ours as he could have fallen at any time on someone) that he was humanely destroyed immediately. Very sad. Previous to this I was riding the horse BSJA. He reacted to most if not all of the neuro tests. Does this horse in question bring his outside hind leg out in a wide arc when you turn him in a circle? When ridden does he have a strange bunny hopping type of canter? These are excellent links http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_wobbler.htm
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/asc133.pdf

Ignore what your friends on the yard say. A horse is NOT ataxic because he is big and gangly or careless with his legs. Horses are ataxic for a reason and this reason should be taken seriously and throughly investigated. Starving a wobblers horse will not make any difference. Prolonged box rest and a sensible diet has been shown to help in a small percentage of cases but the best thing for the horse (depending on the degree of severity is to either be PTS or operated on). The operation is to stabilise the vetebrae by adding a thing called a bagby basket but this was not an option in my horses case.

Please take this seriously. As i say, it may not be wobblers and it could be another neuro deficit or it could be due to a virus, ie. EHV. If you have a lot of pesticides sprayed in nearby fields, or even if the horse has ate a large quantity of red clover in his field (which contains cyanide) these things can cause ataxia.

It is more usual for WB/Quarter Horses and Shires to get wobblers, and gelding are more prone to mares, as are horses with long necks. But this is not always the case.

I wish you luck and please keep us all posted and call your vet ASAP and please don't wait until next week.

 

[Birker2020]

Erm, are you seriously asking the question as it's presented in your OP?

SD10 I think the OP is getting a bit confused about the research that has been done into reducing the horses intake of feed whilst growing thus providing a balanced ration which should be done with all horses anyway thus preventing problems such as WS occuring. This is usually with Wobblers Syndrome cases where horses are shown with this condition when yearlings/two year olds. Late onset wobblers is caused by compression of the spinal cord due to injury/disease and can happen at any age.

To be honest with you there is very little help off the net with regards to WS that horse owners can access, and I found it a very confusing and heart breaking time. The OP is only trying her best, lets not knock her for that.

RIP Rommy, my own special black beauty. I had you for such a short time but loved you so very much. x

 

[sleepingdragon10]

SD10 I think the OP is getting a bit confused about the research that has been done into reducing the horses intake of feed whilst growing thus providing a balanced ration which should be done with all horses anyway thus preventing problems such as WS occuring. This is usually with Wobblers Syndrome cases where horses are shown with this condition when yearlings/two year olds. Late onset wobblers is caused by compression of the spinal cord due to injury/disease and can happen at any age.

To be honest with you there is very little help off the net with regards to WS that horse owners can access, and I found it a very confusing and heart breaking time. The OP is only trying her best, lets not knock her for that.

RIP Rommy, my own special black beauty. I had you for such a short time but loved you so very much. x

Thanks Applecart for clearing that up for me, was a little confuddled there for a second!!

OP, echo what Applecart says, get your chap investigated properly, ignore yard 'experts', and go with your gut instinct.

 

[natalia]

No I'm asking if starving a horse would make it less noticeable because the horse has turned up VERY thin with no muscle at all (we buy and sell and this is one thats just come in). The last wobbler we had could not work properly (bending his neck on to the vertical would give him a real attack) so lost all muscle, weight loss is also a symptom. My gut tells me that this very well bred horse is thin and having no muscle for a reason, ie. it can't be worked and hasn't been worked, but on doing the normal tests for wobblers some come up positive and others negative. Sway test for example is very positive but turning on a circle is OK. So what else could it be? Could just extreme muscle wastage be causing the weakness in the sway test? Will discuss with vet in detail on wednesday and in meantime feed said horse up a bit.

 

[Sags_Deer]

Hi i couldnt imagine starving or feeding a horse up would make any difference if it is ataxica then it will be. Mine has early stages of arithritis in his neck which makes him slightly ataxia (bad english sorry) he keeps weight on fine, he does light hacking and a lot of physio work. Yes maybe i should have him pts but he is very happy and loves playing in the field, i will continue to maintain him until i feel such time he gets worse but im lucky that i have a young horse that im slowly bringing on.
Mine showed up postive with the tail pull, circle turning & blindfolding! - which is horrible to watch.

 

[GreedyGuts]

I'd get the vet out ASAP to investigate, and I'd be quite careful with him in the meantime. Another possibility is lower motor neurone disease; not v common, but would fit with him being emaciated and weak.