STRINGHALT TREATMENT
This condition is very poorly understood in which the horse hyper flexes one or both hocks. The onset of stringhalt is generally very rapid. The condition occurs in adult horses and most horses recover completely whilst some horses progressively become worse. Australian stringhalt is different to the stringhalt found in the USA.
A jerk, a jump, a hop with the hind legs tucked up high.
Similar to the function of strings on a marionette, stringhalt seems to make horses yank their legs up and halt them there momentarily before taking their next step. This uncontrollable exaggerated movement of the digital extensor muscles is the outward sign of neurological disease, sometimes caused by toxicity, sometimes of unknown origin. If time doesn’t cure it, the prognosis is poor. But today researchers are hard at work looking into ways to make horses with this condition safe, happy, and free of clinical signs.
Stringhalt appears to be an age-old disease in horses. Descriptions of the disease date back to the Renaissance. William Shakespeare has even been credited for the name of the disease (as a variation of the term “springhalt,” from Henry VIII).
The clinical signs are usually more extreme when the horse is turning or backing up. Some horses have such severe stringhalt they actually kick themselves in the abdomen when trying to walk. Both hind legs might be equally affected and one might show more obvious signs than the other. In some cases stringhalt might be apparent in the forelegs. Clinical signs, such as pastern extension when the hock is flexed, can vary from one horse to another.
Although stringhalt might look like strictly a muscular problem, neurological issues are at the root of it. Nerve damage probably causes abnormal activity of certain sensory receptors called spindles. Located in the body of the muscles, spindles are responsible for detecting changes in muscle length. This faulty wiring of the spindles causes certain muscles to contract either too early or too late, or too much or too little, during certain phases of the gait. “Thus, intermittent abduction (movement of the limb away from the body) and caudal (toward the tail) jerking in the hind limb may result from spasticity of the biceps femoris muscle (located along the back of the hindquarter) during the swing phase of the stride.
Stringhalt is divided into two major categories. “Australian” stringhalt usually is a temporary disease resulting from toxicity, whereas “classic” (or atypical, depending on the geographic region) stringhalt has no known cause and usually does not resolve on its own.
Recorded Results of Stringhalt Treatment
Nutrition is the key to unlocking your horse’s genetic potential and has a very strong influence on all We also would recommend a course aspects of health and well being. By feeding a simple balanced diet and supplementing with the recommended formulas it is unlikely the stringhalt will return once the horse has recovered, however it is essential to maintain the Daily supplement Oxydane for the life of the horse.
Over 25 years we have been treating Stringhalt very successfully. Whilst the cause of this condition is apparently unknown there has been a common denominator with all Stringhalt cases we have treated. Every Stringhalt case has not been supplemented with a daily natural therapy formula and in many cases not fed a balanced feed ration. Some horses have been supplemented with the incorrect additives; many vets have a stock standard recommendation of magnesum. However it is vital to use the correct formula and for the prevention of Stringhalt we recommend the use of the Oxydane on a daily basis at a 20 gram dose mixed into a slightly damp feed.
It appears that this condition can definitely be prevented.
We believe that Stringhalt may be a nutritionally based condition in which case the correct daily nutritional intake become absolutely paramount.
RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
2 large rounded scoops of Oxydane (25 grams) daily.
2 Large level scoops of ProflamAid Plus (50 grams) administered into the Morning and Night feeds.
We also would recommend a course aspects of health and well being. By feeding BioEquus to assist with digestion.
2 spoons scoop daily 12g
Continue treatment for 14-28 days and then contact our office to provide us with a progress report. If the case is severe, treatment will take quite some time, even up to 3 months, however 90% of all cases treated recover.
Please ensure that once your horse has recovered that the Oxydane remains a permanent fixture this is your insurance against a recurrence of Stringhalt.
