What causes an ex-race horse to move like this?

[LMH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGiFR1qPHg8

Someone asked me this and I didn't know why. I actually had a horse sent to me years ago on trial and she moved like this.

Enlighten me please!:)

[c5rose]

Isn't this stringhalt?

[LMH]

Is it? I thought so but don't know enough to know?

[thatmoody]

That does look like a classic case of stringhalt, although I see in the description where the vet diagnosed it as "tight muscles." Did anyone else see the article in Equus about finding the cause of weed-stringhalt? It was some sort of dandelion type thing.

[Lieslot]

Stringhalt pretty sure. But I've only seen stringhalt horses have the hindleg action in walk, normally it's not present in trot. Am I just imaging this, but there's the elevated action in trot too, right?

[LMH]

Stringhalt pretty sure. But I've only seen stringhalt horses have the hindleg action in walk, normally it's not present in trot. Am I just imaging this, but there's the elevated action in trot too, right?

Yes and that is why it confused me. Admittedly i don't know much about stringhalt but I thought it was more at the walk.

[Rick Burten]

It doesn't look like true stringhalt to me. Looks like his jack cords are tight and may need to be surgically released. But then again, I'm not a vet, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Junior last night.

[TransitionsGalore]

But then again, I'm not a vet, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Junior last night.


haha...thanks for the laugh. :D

[LMH]

It doesn't look like true stringhalt to me. Looks like his jack cords are tight and may need to be surgically released. But then again, I'm not a vet, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Junior last night.

What causes tight jack cords? What IS a jack cord?:confused:

I am obviously not a vet either and do not ever want to stay at the HIJ.

[Jleegriffith]

I bought a horse that moved similarly sight unseen from CANTER so was a bit shocked when he arrived. Vets seemed to disagree on whether it was stringhalt or not but it did lessen with turnout time. He was actually a lovely mover and I do not think it affected him. He was sold to someone who was competing him in the lower levels of eventing with no issues. He still has the movement to a slight degree and sometimes are worse than others (being kept in).

[Seven-up]

Isn't there something else that's very similar to stringhalt? Shivers, maybe?


I saw the note in the info that said it supposedly was not stringhalt, but I also watched the other related videos. They all looked like the same thing.

[sk_pacer]

Only horses I ever saw move that way at the walk were a some trotting bred horses from California: same sire, different dams. Odd way of walking and IF you could get them trotting, were nice passing gaited trotters, which is how this horse looks from behind at the trot. No idea what is going on with that walk though. the leg jerks are every stride, inside hind slightly worse than outside....er left hind is slightly worse. Footfalls at the trot are regular, same at the walk. With true stringhalt, you can really hear that hoof slap down when the afflicted leg jerks up, but you dont hear that sound with this horse. Seems free in movement otherwise.

[BornToRide]

Form of stringhalt? He shows excessive hock flexion. Perhaps some bodywork focusing on the hock flexor muscles would help.

[LarkspurCO]

My ex-racehorse will do this if you put bell boots on his hind feet. Even after wearing them for days.

[ThoroughbredFancy]

My friends horse has stringhault in his stifle and it looks a bit different than that at the walk.

And it is not present at any other gaits aside from the walk.

He usually works out of it when being worked or turned out. Some days you can't even notice that he has it.

[BornToRide]

Could some type of training or medical treatment have caused this?

[ybiaw]

Stringhalt. EPM. Looks like one of our old guys, almost identical movement-wise.

[Auventera Two]

My first thought was Stringhalt, but this is how Monster was moving with the suspected selenium deficiency. That was obviously the problem because after 4 days on supplementation, it went away.

[monstrpony]

Knowing how diet issues can affect muscles and hence movement, perhaps this is related to diet change, if it is seen on horses immediately after coming off the track, and perhaps a long van ride?

[MLP]

No expert here but I thought stringhalt was more that kind of walking after standing still and the more they move the less violently they picked up the leg, never saw it at the trot. I knew an older hunter, hack winner that would come out of the stall lifting his leg wicked high but by the time he made it to the ring he was floaty.... This looks like this horse wouldn't work out of that.

[HandsomeBayFarm]

My ex-racehorse will do this if you put bell boots on his hind feet. Even after wearing them for days.

My OTTB does this if he has boots (old macs)on his front feet. As soon as I take them off - he stops. :lol:

I dont think SH....but really interesting. LMH: do you think you will find out for sure?

[Rick Burten]

What causes tight jack cords? What IS a jack cord?:confused:
Conformation, injury

the lateral digital extensor tendon of the hind limb.

I am obviously not a vet either and do not ever want to stay at the HIJ.

Well, usually its a bit better than staying at the YMCA........:)

Back on topic.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/90777.htm
http://www.gopetsamerica.com/horse/diseases/stringhalt.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVaQqQp7OhQ

[danceronice]

My OTTB does this if he has boots (old macs)on his front feet. As soon as I take them off - he stops. :lol:

I dont think SH....but really interesting. LMH: do you think you will find out for sure?

My OTTB did this when he had shipping quilts on his back legs--usually he stopped after a few minutes of walking, and didn't do it off the trailer, but the first few minutes he had them on he looked like he was walking over coals.