How to beat the stringhalt epidemic
Every time we get a beautiful follow up rain that kicks the grass along, it also kicks along the flatweeds and cape weed that is behind the periodic stringhalt epidemic.
Stringhalt symptoms can vary with the severity, but is typically a “goose stepping” action of the hind legs. I’ve seen them so bad that they strike their bellies with their hind legs as they try to walk. Very mild symptoms might be a horse who is experiencing difficulty backing up and has a “not quite right” action of the hind legs.
Stringhalt is essentially caused by a deficiency of the mineral magnesium. Magnesium may not absorb properly without the other essential minerals in balance too.
Thus, prevention or cure, is a two pronged attack. Spread lime and dolomite over your horse paddocks. It is not an expensive thing to do to your ajistment paddock, mega less than the vet bill that you probably just paid to diagnose the stringhalt.
Do not superphosphate your horse paddocks – that seems to make the problem worse. Get your horses’ minerally balanced ASAP. In our area of Australia that means:
1. ad lib seaweed meal (as much or as little as they want to eat), a lump of rock salt in with the seaweed
2. once daily in their feed -
• 1 tablespoon of yellow sulphur powder,
• 1 desertspoon of dolomite
3. some source of copper like livermole daily or some clean copper pipe in a second water source (a bucket next to the water trough so they can choose whether they have the copper or not.
4. If they get abnormally nervous or abnormally aggressive, give magnesium orotate (don’t bother long term with any other form of magnesium) Golden Glow in Queensland is the cheapest source of magnesium orotate that I’ve found – if anybody comes up with better please let me know! Phone 1300 36 36 56. It’s impossible to be accurate without testing or knowing the circumstances, but if my horse was abnormally nervous, I would probably give him about 2000mg per day for the period of time that the weeds are growing better than the grass. You can give a horse Epsom Salts as a source of magnesium in an emergency, but I’ve heard that it is very damaging to the body, particularly the kidneys, in the long term.
If you’re looking for emergency assistance, I am advanced kinesiologist specialising in horses - see the “CONTACT” button at the top of the page.
My original information many years ago came from Pat Coleby’s book “Natural Horse Care” - a wonderful lady responsible for thousands of alive and healthy animals!
Stringhalt is a condition of the nervous system. It’s symptoms are made worse by any fear or even anxiety that the horse is experiencing. It has been my repeated experience, that it absolutely helps a horse’s recovery to help him or her find deep comfort with his human, to move with soft, rhythmic strides, with a gently elevated back, in self carriage, with the handler either on the ground or riding.
The easiest and fastest way that I know how to achieve confident self carriage, with no fear or anxiety is to use Bobby’s Way as described in the electronic book “Bobby’s Diaries - Straight From the Horse’s Mouth to You”. This book contains the secrets of the great horsemen and women, whether they are aware of what they are doing or not.
You can browse around this website and look at all the beautiful stories about people who are using this book, or you can make up your own mind and buy it now as the cheapest and best horse investment you will ever make. You could make huge progress with your horse even though they’re out of action for a while recovering! I give you my personal guarantee “love this book or get your money back”.
Click here to buy Bobby’s Diaries now.
If your horse already has stringhalt, then click here for the article about the minerals and the amounts that that I used to beat Matt’s stringhalt.
