# Stringhalt



## Freddie08 (24 April 2008)

Hi My Horse a 16.3hh TBxArabxConemara 13yr old gelding has just been diagnosed with Stringhalt. It is in both back legs but one is worse than the other. I have done some reading up on the condition, my vet thinks it may have been caused by him eating somethin toxic but we dont know what. I have read that a high oil low starch diet can help. He seems completely oblivious to his problem and is quite happy to continue working and the vet see's no reason why he cannot carry on eventing and team chasing as normal. Does anyone have any experience with stringhalt any tips or advice would be great.


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## Amymay (24 April 2008)

There was a lot of discussion about this and related subjects last year.

Yes, basically high fibre, high oil diet's are supposed to help.

Hopefully you'll get other replies, because I cant remember the whole 'thinking' behind it.


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## catembi (24 April 2008)

My ID mare had this.  We carried on competing as normal.  The only thing is, you might need to find a sympathetic farrier who will shoe him holding his feet low to the ground.  I had a complete to**er of a farrier who tried to hold her feet up high &amp; then got annoyed when she simply couldn't do it.  I got another farrier who *wasn't* a to**er &amp; we were fine.


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## Amymay (24 April 2008)

Yes, second the farrier thing.

Having had a horse that found it very difficult to hold his hind legs up due to mechanical issues - I know how important this can be.  My horse appreciated it too.


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## JC1 (24 April 2008)

My hunter has a mild stringhalt, but only in one back leg. He passed a 5 stage vetting with it and my vet said it would't hinder him to do any of the things I wanted him for - hunting and RC. I've found it will appear worse if he's had to stand in. In the winter when he's in a lot its much more noticeable, in the summer when he's out 24/7 you can hardly see it. He eats quite a high oil diet. He has Saracen feed which is high in oil. It hasn't made any difference to him hunting hard and doing a bit of dressage. He does take a bit longer to warm up. But once he gets going you can't see it.


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## Alibear (24 April 2008)

Some people think stringhalt and EPSM are related. Both tend to be treated with the high oil low sugar and stratch diet. 

I had the same breed of horse diagnosed at the same age, luckily when we got to Newmarket to see Sue Dyson she found an absess so our problem was not infact stringhalt. 

Good luck with yours , it definitly seems to be viewed as a managable condition now a days.


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## YorkshireLass (24 April 2008)

http://www.ruralheritage.com/vet_clinic/epsmsigns.htm
This is the high oil diet stuff.  It is talking about draft horses, but EPSM can be found in horses of all breeds and ages.

Many horses are diagnosed with stringhalt when they actualy have shivers.  It takes a very, very experienced eye to tell the difference.


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## YorkshireLass (24 April 2008)

Forgot to say, I had a shiverer... the vet told me it was stringhalt!  So did the vets at the hospital.  I put my horse on the EPSM diet, after a year his shiver had virtualy gone.  He dropped down dead 2 weeks ago of a totaly unrelated problem!  He was zapped by lightning!


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## Orangehorse (24 April 2008)

My best ever horse had stringhalt.  He did eventing and hunting.  He would sometimes take an odd step in the dressage, but mostly it was unnoticeable when he was warmed up.  It was noticeable when he came out of the stable, as above.

He passed his vetting and I mentioned it to the vet, who said it wouldn't stop him from what I wanted.  He was completely sound the whole of the time I owned him.  I don't know if it got worse with age as I sold him as I had a youger horse coming on (mistake).

A horse with stringhalt won the Grand National once.


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## beaconhorse (27 April 2008)

The high oil diet will really really help   wwwruralheritage.com  this site is for EPSM BUT treat him the same and you won't go far wrong


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