Stringhalt is a
disease of uncertain cause. Some plants seem to be involved in the
"Australian Stringhalt": false dandelion (Hypochaeris radicata) or
dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) have been found during outbreaks of the
disease when horses are kept on the pastures. The cause remain unknown in other
cases of Stringhalt, although some researchers believe it is related to abnormally
fast growth rates.
Sometimes Australian Stringhalt resolves by
itself within a period of some weeks to even years by removing the horses from
the pastures. In other cases surgery is undertaken with unequal results, from
total to partial recovery of the horse in some days or months, or even
unsuccessful result after the Lateral Digital Extensor tendon tenectomy.
Australian
Stringhalt. Two horses from the same herd were affected.
I've performed this
surgery two times. The first one, a mare with unilateral stringhalt, recovered
in two weeks, but relapsed again some months later. The second one, a horse
with bilateral stringhalt got a total recovery after three weeks. They both
were stock horses, but only the second one could come back to work
successfully.
