How does stringhalt affect the horse?
The effects are quite variable, but the disease is easy to diagnose from the signs. Because the syndrome is erratic, it is often not obvious during examination. Stringhalt is apparently not painful and does not cause lameness in the usual sense. Some horses show a very mild hyperflexion of the hock during walking, while others jerk the leg up so violently that it strikes the abdomen and then pounds to the ground. Some horses show signs at each step, others only occasionally. In nearly all cases the signs are exaggerated when the horse is turning or backing. It usually is most noticeable after the horse has rested. The flexion may increase in cold weather and decrease or even disappear in warm weather. This syndrome is not characteristic of any particular breed or breeds of horses. Does stringhalt prevent the horse from being usable? Although regarded as a gross unsoundness, stringhalt may not materially hinder the horse’s capacity for work, except in severe cases where the constant con
