Caring for a Shivers Horse

[ElephantHorse]

I have a mare that has Shivers and I would like to hear some feedback about how to care for her now that I know what is going on. She is a 10 year old 17.1 hh 3/4 DWB, 1/4 TB. We do mostly dressage (2nd level). I have seen the symptoms myself for about a year and think she probably has had them for life. the main symptoms she exhibits are high stepping when coming out of her stall and trouble holding feet for picking and shoeing. She has some other issues that I am not sure are related to the Shivers- like medial interfering behind (quite a lot) and tripping/giving out behind rarely (about once or twice a week). I have not noticed any other problems like issues backing or muscle quivering so I think it is a mild case. I ride about 6 days a week and plan to show about once a month or so. She has chiro done every 6 weeks and is shod on all 4 with natural balance in the front. Currently she is on grass and alf hay with natural glow, oat pellets and platinum performance.
It seem there is not a great consensus about what Shivers is, where it comes from, or ways to treat it, so I would love to hear from anyone who knows a little about or has maintained horses with the condition. I am very happy with my mare currently and would just like to give her the best care (work, feeding, stabling, treatments, etc.) so that I do not exacerbate the issue through lack of knowledge.
I look forward to your info.

[Pancakes]

"Shivers" is a name given to a poorly understood myopathy -- muscle disease. If your mare has DWB and (maybe draft?) something else in her, then it's most likely a subclinical (not so bad) form of PSSM (polysaccharide storage myopathy). It's a glycogen storage disorder in the muscles and can be diagnosed most readily with a muscle biopsy. There is abnormal fatty acid, polysaccharide, and glycogen metabolism in the muscles so they get tired more easily, and the muscle fibers themselves die. I think a muscle biopsy, if you already have not had one, will help provide a more specific diagnosis.

Most owners report that feeding a high fat, low starch diet improves the condition. It can't cure it, but it can reduce the severity of the episodes and the frequency of the episodes. The current recommendation is increasing fat level to 13-20% and keeping starch at less than 10%. Supplementing with Vitamin E and Selenium also can be helpful.
Not to be discouraging, but the switch to a high-fat, low-starch diet has not seemed to be all that helpful in WBs. It's worth a try, though!

Also, keeping her in consistent work and constant turnout can prevent muscle atrophy, which can happen as the disease progresses. Some owners report that massages can help their horses stay more comfortable too.

If you already have a diagnosis of PSSM for sure, then I urge you to talk to your vet about treatment. If not, then a muscle biopsy and a CK exercise test is indicated to make sure it's not another myopathy at work.

Hope this helps!

[ElephantHorse]

Thanks, that is helpful. She does not have a specific diagnosis of PSSM, but I will look into it...

[kwilhide]

A friend of mine took her horse to New Bolton, where the vets believe they saw signs of both shivers as well as stringhalt. They too said this was muscle related with a neuro- angle, I don't remember all of the details, but I do know they recommended supplementing with high levels of Vitamin E (natural) at something like 9K mg/2x/day and Magnesium Citrate at 11,000 mg/day. She gets these at http://www.platinumperformance.com/animal/equine/

She was going to try the higher fat but never really got to the levels advised for PSSM, and never had a muscle biopsy.

Her horse also does best on 24/7 turnout. She had him at another barn for the winter that didn't turn out much at all and it was agonizing to see this horse deteriorate. A farrier had also played around with the hind shoeing while there(wedges, etc) and that contributed to his deterioration - it got worse, but once she got him home, she pulled the shoes, put him back on full turnout, and he finally is back to his old self.

Still shows the symptoms, but much milder. This horse also is not worked enough and a bit of a pasture puff, but if he is in regular correct work, coupled with the turnout, it actually does improve a bit.

This horse is also a headshaker. These things all came on after she bought him, although the headshaking may have been there, but not so much in the winter when she bought him.

[goeslikestink]

and be aware that with shivers the horse has no control over his mussles and will fall or go to fall over in severe cases ollie has shivers and not often but has been known to go to sleep and will go to fall over unlike a normal horse wouldnt for same whilse waiting outside an areana or class for exsample most horses wait patiently ollie sleepy then forgets himself
so have to keep him on the move in other words if doing something dont stand still
and this is high risk horse as there dangerous side to how servere and if they fall over and where they fall and in what-- ie you could be jumping and horse falls over as it forgets himself for exsample so nutrionist diet from a equine nutritionist and vet are needed to access and valuate your horse plus farrier hoof care no ifs or buts -- but a must do

[ElephantHorse]

Any thoughts about Shivers/PSSM and Adequan? I have recently been wanting to give her a course of Adequan. I know there are some problems with some metabolic disorders (like IR) and some joint injectables. Since PSSM is a glycogen storage problem does anyone know of any issues with it and Adequan?

[Patty Stiller]

Also just from a farrier's point of view, the condition may progress and get more difficult or unsafe to shoe or trim the hind feet. I have found that it usually helps if the horse gets well exercised before the farrier arrives, and if exercise is not enough to make it it safe for your farrier, ask the vet for appropriate sedatives to help the horse stand better for the farriery.
Even though it is not a behavioural problem, the right dose and type of sedatives(doemosedan particularly) helps a lot. But be sure the farrier is also agreeable to working on a sedated horse, some are not.

[MistyBlue]

My late mare had shivers...she was on a high fat/low protein diet and it improved quite a bit. But as Patty stated...she wasn't the easiest to shoe. I'd make sure she got some exercise right before the farrier got here...and he was also very good at giving her breaks when having her hind legs done...and not lifting her right hind (worst leg) very high since the higher it was lifted the more of a chance of a reaction/twitch/yanking it up under her.
Except for being shod and sometimes when she'd first lower her head to graze...you'd never know she had shivers under saddle. No hitches in her gait.

[EqTrainer]

MB, what did she do when she first lowered her head?

[EqTrainer]

Bumping because I want MistyBlue to see this!

[sdlbredfan]

Do you have any pictures of the horse from the side? This is purely anecdotal, but before my (now over the Rainbow Bridge) mare developed clearly obvious symptoms of DSLD, she had shivers and the sometimes 'hind end giving way' that you mentioned for a couple of years before that. They are two different things, but might be worth looking into. There are some good websites with info on Shivers, www.cvm.umn.edu/umec/lab/shivers.html www.ruralheritage.com/vet_clinic/epsm.htm and www.draftresource.com/EPSM/Draft_EPSM_Report.html

[MistyBlue]

EqTrainer...whenever Gal would first lower her head to graze, she'd snatch a hind leg up off the ground. Sometimes it was just the quick raising...other times it would be yanking the hind leg up, then holding it up under her or off to one side a bit. Sometimes with the faint quivering, sometimes not.
I'm not sure why exactly...but it seemed to trigger her shivers whenever she'd first lower her head to the ground if she hadn't done it in a while. Almost as if there was a cord between her ears that ran to her hind leg and when her head lowered it yanked her hind leg came up. It wasn't every time she lowered her head...but the first time in the morning after turnout/if she hadn't had her head down in a while.

[Lieslot]

http://www.freevetadvice.co.uk/shivers2.htm
The cause of this disease is not clearly understood. It is thought to arise from pressure on the vertebrae of the neck

I thought this was interesting, because my chiropractor seems to think my horse's shivers is related to a compression near the poll. After each visit he's remarkable better for about 10 days and then back to his usual shivers behavior.

The EPSM diet does "not" make any difference to him.
However time & time over again I have to conclude that his shivers is triggered by stress/nernousness/anxiety/panic. Anything that frightens him and the uncontrollalbe hindleg action starts. I'm working with aromatherapy now to help him relax.
Last shoeing session was a major breakthrough in unexpected way. We tried a reduced dose (which had been succesfull previous shoeing) of .3/.3 Domesedan/Torb, but it never kicked in because he's become drugresistent. He stayed fully awake. Whilst the vet was debating to get more sedation, the farrier decided to go ahead and try him whilst fully aware of what's up and it was just amazing, we shod him!! :) All he needed was treats to keep him occupied. But he held the leg up as a champ. We were all very astonished by this. Not sure if we can repeat it next time.

Other then that, under the saddle it isn't really very noticeable. I did post a video of him under the saddle here some time again and some people noticed he's got less pushing action in trot with that shivers hindleg. I hadn't noticed that myself yet, but they are right.

[MistyBlue]

The cause of this disease is not clearly understood. It is thought to arise from pressure on the vertebrae of the neck I thought this was interesting, because my chiropractor seems to think my horse's shivers is related to a compression near the poll.

In my late mare's case that makes some sense. As mentioned above she'd have the problem when first lowering her head to the ground, causing her hind leg to come up off the ground. Almost as if there was a bungee cord attached between her ears that yanked her hind leg up when she lowered her head. Once she'd raised and lowered her head about 2-3 times her hind leg no longer reacted. At the noon hay throw she'd go through the same thing because she hadn't had her head down for an hour or two.

But it also reacted whenever her right hind leg was lifted higher than a certain point when being shod/trimmed...if the farrier lifted it to a certain point she'd yank it oout of his hand and tuck it way up under her or yank it out of his hand and hold it off to the side and her leg would shake a little bit. If he worked on that leg with it held lower, no problems.

[Pancakes]

I think it's important for the OP to first determine whether the cause is a myopathy, as would be in PSSM-like disease, or something neurologic, as in the case of a cervical vertebral compression (as that one website suggested...which to my understanding is not the current view of shivers).

[merrygoround]

I've known two horses, with shivers or shivers like movement. Neither was consistent with it, however muddy ground did sometimes bother the one. Neither showed any problem under saddle, one did quite well at UL dressage. One seems to show a reaction when startled, or distracted.

The one was tense about giving over his hind feet, either foot, although the problem was displayed only in one leg.

The second shows discomfort now that he is older with having his hind feet done, but that could also be attributed to wear and tear on his hocks.

Neither has had a neurological work-up. It wasn't broke only dented, so we used it anyhow. ;)

[DreamBigEq37]

Here's a question:

Would shivers cause a sensitivity about the hindlegs, to the point that a horse would not tolerate polo wraps, shipping wraps, or even ankle boots on the hind legs?

Also, it seems that everyone here has said their horse exhibits no problems under saddle, do all shiver horses seem fine under saddle? If not, what kinds of symptoms do they exhibit? Similar to stringhalt? Are the two related?