# Wobblers syndrome



## madwoman (3 September 2009)

Can anyone tell me anymore about it?
1.Is it always hereditory?
2, How soon do symptons appear and deteriate?
3. would bute have any effect in allivating the symptoms?
4.Can a vet confirm wobblers without xrays?


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## Amymay (3 September 2009)

We have a supsected case in a youngster (just a year).

So will be interested in replies to this as well.


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## Louby (3 September 2009)

Sorry dont know the answers to your questions but there was a horse diagnosed with it at my last yard.  Before diagnosis he seemed to work in a low outline, was found lay down in the field distressed and uncorordinated once up, then was diagnosed but confirmed with xrays.   She was told not to ride him again and he was found down a few more times, his back end totally wobbly.  Sadly he was pts, I think he was 6 yrs old at the time.


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## Sags_Deer (3 September 2009)

1. I dont know the answer to that.
2. dpending on how old your horse is, if young it seems to deteriate, if older i think it can stablise.
3. bute would have no effect.
4. you deffo need a vet to diagnose with scans.
5. wobbler symptons can mean other things so dont panic until you get a confirmed diagnosis.
What exactly is your horse doing?


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## Shilasdair (3 September 2009)

Here's a really good link;

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_wobbler.htm

S


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## Delta99 (4 September 2009)

1. no clear evidence but certain breeds seem to be affected more - usually heavier, slow maturing types, and TBs (due to being fed lots early on to make them grow for racing)
2. depends on horse, in my mare it happened very slowly over several months really but I have heard of horses changing from one day to the next
3. it's  a neurological condition, so no bute does not help
4. vets do a whole series of tests, pulling the tail to the side etc (if you do a search on here, you'll find lots of posts) and can give you an idea based on that. X ray give a better diagnosis but the only way to get a more accurate diagnosis is a myelogram where dye is injected into the spinal cord to see exactly where the compression is and how severe it is.

Are you asking because you suspect your horse is a wobbler?

There is a wobbler group on yahoo, they are very helpful if you want more info.


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## clarejordaan (4 September 2009)

Hi,
I have got a 4yr old gelding who has just been confirmed as a wobbler, so if you would like any further info let me know.


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## bailey14 (4 September 2009)

This was the best link I could find for wobblers and Dr Antonio Cruz is a leading authority on this. In this country Liverpool Philip Leverhulme have somebody that might assist.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_wobbler.htm

Wobblers put simply is interference with the spinal cord and associated nerves due to malfunction of the veterbrae or compression, either caused by excess bone or due to an injury.  Some horses can be operated on depending on the extent of their problem, and a basket which is called a Bagby Basket can be inserted into the vetebrae to help stablise them.  Other horses are not so fortunate and can not only never be ridden again, but are also to 'dangerous' to keep alive as they are so unpredictable with their co-ordination that they could fall on someone, or could fall in the field and have terrible trouble being able to rise again which is called recumbency.

I lost a ten year old 17hh warmblood with Wobblers.  He developed the condition after suffering from trauma to his neck after rearing over backwards and landing on the neck.  The symtoms came on slowly at first, and he started rubbing his back fetlocks together, then he had a 'strange' canter gait which developed suddenly, and he went on to suffer from ataxic episodes (ataxia).  There are a number of neurological tests you can do to test your horse, but the most common are as follows:

Do these tests on a soft surface with a hat on. Turn your horse in a tight circle - does its hind outside leg swing out (compare with another horse)?  This is due to the horse not understanding the placement of its limbs due to its condition.

Is the horse able to carry out a straightforwards walk unpeded whilst a helper tries to pull the horse of its feet by standing at a right angle to his bum and pulling on its tail? The horse should move towards you once, but then it will be able to maintain in forward course, wheras a wobblers horse you can quite literally pull over of its feet. (Again test with an unaffected horse too to get a comparision).  Does it back up properly or does it do a little hop?  Any doubt get the vet out.  

Wobbles is not thought to be hereditary, there is no proof of that, but it is more common in WB's, TB's and some breeds of American horses - very prevalent in Quarter Horses.  Gelding are more effected than mares, and horses with long necks are particularly predisposed to the condition.  You can get late set wobblers (caused by trauma) or early wobblers which is what yearlings/two year olds appear to display.  The website link will give you more help.  Dr Cruz was very helpful when I emailed him.

Please, please, please I must impress upon you the value of having your horse taken to a large facilities where they have a very large xray machine, a vets portable x ray machine that they take to your yard with them will NOT be sufficient to penetrate the neck muscles of the horse.  I was told by my vet at the time that my beautiful Rommy did not have Wobblers on the basis of the xray results.  I was told instead he had EHV (Equine Herpes Virus) which also causes ataxia.  Upon my eventual insistence that my horse did not have this (I am not a vet but researched hugely on the internet) they agreed for him to attend Philip Leverhulme (Liverpool Hosp) and his condition was stabilised with finadyne until he was strong enough to travel.  Within two hours of arriving at Liverpool and being diagnosed he was put down as his condition was inoperable and he was very dangerous as he was so ataxic (uncordinated).  His vetebrae were C3, C4 and C6 from what I can remember.  The picture people have of wobblers is that horses are 'funny' and amusing because they walk drunkenly.  My horse was the most placid lovely horse you could wish for and I had to have him put down, there was nothing funny in that.  A month before he was put down we were jumping double clears in Discovery BSJA. 

Please PM me if you require further info.  I am always happy to discuss Rommy's case in more detail if you are struggling but my advise is if you believe your horse has this condition ask the vet to be referred for comprehensive xrays and DO NOT use a portable xray machine as they are very unreliable or at least were in 2004.  Good luck

RIP Rommy - you are missed each and every day. x


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## madwoman (4 September 2009)

Thanks for all your replies, the horse in question  is a yearling to be fair i dont own him but bred him, his owner has kept in touch with me and over last 6-8 weeks he seems to of developed symptoms that point to wobblers and he seems to of deteriated quite rapidly, but not entirely sure excatly what he has been doing, i know she said when he was having feet trimmed he fell over she said he has it in his neck? and the bute is to act as an anti inflamamerty but no xrays or furthers tests as yet, i am very interested in any infomation i can find


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## clarejordaan (5 September 2009)

Please don't quote me but I am sure i have read a study about restricting diet in very young horses with wobblers.  I think the theory is to slow down the growing to allow the neck development to 'catch up' with the rest of the horse.  Ask her to speak to her vet, see what they think about the study.


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## bailey14 (7 September 2009)

I believe that is a preventative rather than a solution to an existing problem, but I stand to be corrected.

It depends on the yearlings neurological 'score' as to which step to take next.


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## SirenaXVI (7 September 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for all your replies, the horse in question  is a yearling to be fair i dont own him but bred him, his owner has kept in touch with me and over last 6-8 weeks he seems to of developed symptoms that point to wobblers and he seems to of deteriated quite rapidly, but not entirely sure excatly what he has been doing, i know she said when he was having feet trimmed he fell over she said he has it in his neck? and the bute is to act as an anti inflamamerty but no xrays or furthers tests as yet, i am very interested in any infomation i can find 

[/ QUOTE ]

I had a yearling with suspected wobblers, he was x-rayed at my vets (am lucky they have a state of the art hospital), it turned out he did not have wobblers but it was in fact his growth plates which were still open and were causing compression in his neck, the vet advised to leave well alone to see if he grew out of it - am glad to say he did.  His ataxia was very slight and also intermittant, with hindsight, it was always connected to a growth spurt.


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## kellner (7 November 2009)

I have had 2 wobblers. My first one was diagnosed after rearing up over backwards as a yearling colt. He was down 18 hours and eventually got up. He was such a beautiful and well bred horse that we decided to keep him and he eventually died at 21 years. We used him on mares and he produced some fantastic stock with no wobblers at all.This was in the mid 70s . I have just had a 5 month old colt put down - my second one, he started with bad coordination at 4 months and i suspected him to be a wobbler. After a chriopractor treated him and after a month the vet was called as he was obviously not improving but getting very much worse. I was told he was born with it but didnt manifest itself until 4 months. Apparently if i put the mare in foal again it would be advisable to use a smaller native breed and hope i get a filly as they are much less likely to get it. I found thw whole thing very distressing and feel there should be a lot more research done . I hope it all works out for you.


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