I’VE MENTIONED BEFORE how my Indy has developed shivers, a rare neurological condition.
The most common signs are a reluctance to have a hind hoof lifted and held, followed by a visible tremor, or shiver, in the hoof before the horse pulls it away almost in a panic.
A few have intermittent problems moving forward.
An article in the January 2015 issue of Equus about a large-scale study of the disease in 2014 by Stephanie Valberg at the University of Minnesota shows that shivers is a completely separate disease from the more commonly known neuromuscular diseases known as stringhalts (where a hind leg jerks up toward the belly with each forward step whether ridden or lead) and primarily polysaccharide storage disorder (PSSM).
Indy’s progression has been typical.
Now 12, he’s having trouble with shivers in both hind hoofs.
What’s interesting and separates shivers from the other neuromuscular diseases is the horse develops a lesion on the cerebellum, or control center of the brain, that controls movement of the back hoofs.
A horse with shivers knows exactly what it needs to do, but the process often confuses and frustrates it. It can become fearful.
Basically, the lesion causes a malfunction in the timing and function of hind hoof tasks.
Indy’s been part of the family since he joined us by his mother’s side at 4 months old.
Horses with shivers age or show degeneration 80 times faster than clinically normal horses of similar age. There is no cure, and life expectancy is shortened.
I like to joke that I feel an extra-special connection with Indy.
I have multiple sclerosis; he has shivers. Thus, we both live with chronic neurological diseases with no cure; we have lesions in our brains disrupting communication and functioning tasks between the cerebellum and central nervous system.
I’d like to help find a cure for these diseases.
To that end, for the past 10 years, I’ve participated in the National MS Society’s MS Walk for a Cure.
Come April 9, I’ll be walking for the cause on Bainbridge Island.
I’m thinking of starting a fundraiser to find a cure for Indy’s disease.
Perhaps I’ll call it “Hoofbeats and Hoofing it for Shivers.”
What do you think?
District 4 competition
Port Angeles and Sequim’s high school equestrian teams competed against more than 100 riders in the first of three District 4 Washington State High School Equestrian Team (WAHSET) competitions held at the Tacoma Unit in Spanaway in January.
WAHSET includes six districts, with a total of 50 teams from high schools across the state, all vying to be part of the top 10 in each event competing at the state finals in May.
“We have a lot of new kids on the team this year,” said PA’s coach, Tina VanAusdale.
“Everyone had an amazing time. They have all grown in their ability since we have started practicing.
“The weather was very wet and cold, but it could have been worse. We could have had snow.”
Local top 10 winners
Winners from the Jan. 29-31 competition are:
Port Angeles
■ Micayla Weider — barrels, first; figure 8, fourth.
■ Emily Gear — saddleseat, first; dressage, eighth; keyhole, seventh.
■ Holly Cozzolino — showmanship, eighth; trail, seventh; reining, third; stockseat, eighth.
■ Cassidy Hodgin — poles, eighth; figure 8, 10th; barrels, ninth.
■ Ebony Billings — poles, ninth.
■ Abby Hjelmeseth — individual flags, 10th.
Team events
■ IHOR team — Ciara Gentry, Billings, Hjelmeseth and Gear, sixth.
■ Drill team — Gear, Hodgin and Weider, first.
■ Working pairs — Cozzolino and Kaytee Gibeau, 10th; Gentry and Hodgin, fifth.
■ Birangle — Gentry and Hodgin, eight; Gear and Weider, 10th.
■ Cow sorting — Gear and Gentry, seventh.
Sequim
■ Abi Payseno — pole bending, fourth; individual flags, third.
■ Sydney Balkan — individual flags, eighth; steer daubing, sixth.
■ Kelly Anders — reining, fourth; saddleseat, sixth.
■ Amanda Murphy — saddleseat, ninth.
■ Haylie Newton — dressage, ninth; steer daubing, fifth.
Team events
■ Working pairs — Anders and Balkan, ninth; Murphy and Miranda Williams, 10th.
■ Drill team — Anders, Balkan, Murphy and Payseno, second.
■ Cow sorting — Murphy and Anders, fourth; Yana Hoesel and Balkan, ninth.
By the way, Sequim’s Ady Crosby still holds the state finals individual flags record with her 2006 time of 7.920 seconds.
Under VanAusdale in Port Angeles and Sequim’s Katie Newton, 2013 was a record-breaking year for their riders at District 4 meets:
Sequim’s Tylar Decker holds the individual flag with a time of 8.714; Kynzie Hendricks holds the record in Figure 8 with her 3.570 and an individual pole time of 20.760; Emily Van Ausdale holds the breakaway roping record at 3.570 and the 2015 team sorting record time of 75.16 with teammate Ciara Gentry.
Their next competition takes place Feb. 26-28.
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears the second and fourth Sunday of each month.
If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also write Griffiths at PDN, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.