What is a Shiverer horse?

Author

Emma Newman

Published Mar 17, 2026

What is a Shiverer horse?

Shivers, or equine shivering, is a rare, progressive neuromuscular disorder of horses. It is characterized by muscle tremors, difficulty holding up the hind limbs, and an unusual gait when the horse is asked to move backwards. Shivers is poorly understood and no effective treatment is available at this time.

Also to know is, what are the symptoms of shivers in horses?

The classic disease called Shivers is a gradually progressive, chronic neuromuscular disease in horses that is characterized by gait abnormalities when backing up. Other typical signs include trembling of the tail while held erect, trembling of the thigh muscles and a flexed and trembling hind limb.

Similarly, can horses with Stringhalt be ridden? Horses affected with classic stringhalt rarely recover and often become progressively worse with time. The disease usually affects one rear leg but some cases progress to involve both. Due to safety concerns, I would never advise my clients to ride a horse affected with stringhalt.

Keeping this in view, how do you fix a horse Stringhalt?

There is no definitive treatment for stringhalt. Some horses may recover spontaneously. In cases of plant poisoning or intoxication, horses should be removed from areas containing the toxic plant.

Are horse shivers hereditary?

Some horses with PSSM may have some abnormalities in their gait but the classic signs of Shivers are more likely related to abnormal cerebellar function than a muscle disease. Is Shivers Inherited? Because Shivers is breed-related, there may be a genetic basis or predisposition for the disorder.

Is it OK for horses to shiver?

They may shiver. However, shivering is also just a perfectly normal way to warm up, so a warm horse may shiver for a short while when he is cold and be happy. Horses really appreciate some sort of shelter on those wet days, so they can dry off a bit and get warm.

Why is my horse having muscle spasms?

Localized muscle twitching is often seen with electrolyte imbalance, local nerve injuries, certain neurologic and muscular diseases, and a variety of other conditions.

Why are my horses legs shaking?

Hind-leg shaking in horses may be caused by conditions ranging from cold temperatures to serious conditions needing immediate veterinary attention, like equinemMotor neuron disease, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, fibrotic myopathy, stiff-horse syndrome and equine polysaccharide storage myopathy.

What is the best vitamin E supplement for horses?

Elevate was developed to provide a highly bioavailable source of natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) to horses. Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, limits the damage caused by everyday oxidative stress. It maintains healthy muscle and nerve function and supports a strong immune system in horses of all ages.

What do you feed a Stringhalt horse?

Feeding out ground flaxseed meal and coconut meal (which is also high in proteins) is recommended. Over the years when supporting horses with stringhalt we have found that feeding a pro-biotic and not feeding lucerne hay is useful.

Is Stringhalt painful for horses?

Stringhalt is a distressing but not painful disease that is commonly characterized by exaggerated lifting of each hind leg. This disease has been associated to a degeneration of the nerves in the horse's hind legs, however, horses generally revocer depending on the severity of the disease.

Should you buy a horse with Stringhalt?

Stringhalt is not the end of the world, its not a lameness and does not actually reduce the performance of the horse. The lifestyle you are offering the horse sounds perfect as a slower pace of life is perfect. The Stringhalt is unlikely to worse with age.

How long can horses live with EPM?

The early or mildly infected diseases can be cured within 28 to 30 days whereas the moderately infected horses may need more than 120 days to be able to function normally.

Is Stringhalt genetic?

There are no genetic links with stringhalt since all breeds are susceptible. The condition is most evident in horses aged 4-5 years, thus inspiring many to think that it's caused by genetic predisposition.

Why does my horse lift his back leg?

Answer: Stringhalt is a rare lameness that causes a horse to lift his hind legs higher and more rapidly than usual when he's moving. One or both hind legs may be affected, and the lameness varies from mild (just a muscle spasm) to so severe that the horse actually kicks himself in the belly when he tries to move.

Do dandelions cause Stringhalt in horses?

Stringhalt is a neurological disorder whereby the horse exhibits involuntary, exaggerated flexion of the hock. Other weeds, including Taraxacum officinale (Common Dandelion) and Malva parviflora (Marshmallow, Mallow Weed) have also very occasionally been associated with Australian stringhalt.

Is Stringhalt a progressive?

Unfortunately Stringhalt can be a progressive condition with the gait abnormality becoming so severe that euthanasia is warranted. Mild Stringhalt may be intermittent, in some cases is seen only in the first few steps and often the signs are less intense or even absent during warmer weather.

What are the strangles in horses?

Strangles is an infectious, contagious disease of Equidae characterized by abscessation of the lymphoid tissue of the upper respiratory tract. The causative organism, Streptococcus equi equi, is highly host-adapted and produces clinical disease only in horses, donkeys, and mules.

What causes a horse to drag his hind feet?

Horses drag their hind feet for many reasons, but the main influences are the rider, the horse's conformation or shoeing problems. Low limb carriage, which can cause dragging of the toe, can be due to low heel, long toe foot conformation. Excessive toe wall thickness can also be a contributing factor.

What is locked stifle in a horse?

A locked stifle joint occurs when one of the ligaments remains hooked over a ridge on the head of the femur bone. Normally, the horse can flex the joint with little effort to unlock it. However, in some horses, unlocking becomes delayed.

Is Stringhalt hereditary in horses?

All breeds are susceptible to stringhalt, and it usually appears in horses four to five years old. It may have a genetic predisposition. Many horses with advanced stringhalt will also be roarers as a result. In advanced stringhalt cases, the long nerves to the front limbs may also be involved.

What is the meaning of shivers?

: to shake slightly (as from cold or fear) shiver. noun. Kids Definition of shiver (Entry 2 of 2) : a small shaking movement of the body (as from cold or emotion) a shiver of delight.

Why does my horse's bottom lip quiver?

Lip twitching and trembling can be related or unrelated to eating. Some horses flap their lips loudly when they are nervous or anxious, or anticipating an undesirable event. Recognize that a variety of lip movements can be considered normal, but that they might also signal anxiety or even a physical problem.

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