Healing Chance Equine Manual Therapy

    I am currently conducting research into the neurological conditions of Shivers and Stringhalt, which affect horses’ hind limbs with
    contractions of the leg muscles and other seizure-like symptoms. There is very little research or information available regarding either
    the cause or the treatment of these crippling and chronic conditions, which may be related to one another. My own independent study,
    based upon personal and other anecdotal evidence, suggests there my be a strong link between these conditions and exposure to
    toxins in the horse’s environment, particularly creosote residue and its water-soluble run-off; however, further study and the need for
    scientific methodology have prevented me from making any certain conclusions on this hypothesis and have relegated my treatment
    to intuitional and experimental methods.

    A strong need exists for extended research, both statistical and scientific, into these afflictions. It is imperative that this issue receive
    wider audience for both the collection of case studies and an increased awareness of the existence of this problem. I would be
    grateful for any help in reaching out to horse owners, trainers, and vets familiar with these maladies to collect data that may be useful
    in the future prevention and treatment of these conditions.

    The following are research questions upon which I am interested in collecting data. If you have information on horses with Shivers or
    Stringhalt, and willing to give your support in further investigation of this timely and important issue, feel free to answer any questions
    below as best as you can. If you have any additional input, it is most appreciated, just type it in any of the fields provided or contact me
    directly via email: Eeva@HealingChance.com or by phone: (503) 630-5615.

    Sincerely,

    Eeva Patrakka
Eeva Patrakka ~ (503) 630-5615 ~ E-mail: Eeva@HealingChance.com
© 2008 Healing Chance Equine Manual Therapy. Website created by Eeva Patrakka.
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Your name:
Your phone number:
Your email address:
Relationship to the horse:
1.  How old is this horse and how long has he/she had Shivers/Stringhalt?
2.  How long have you owned/known this horse?
3.  Has the condition gotten worse over time? (Recently/progressively/suddenly/what time period?)
4.  Have there been any changes in his general mood, e.g. anxiety, moodiness, obsessive behavior, jealousy, jumpiness, etc.
   If he has different moods, what time of day do they alternate?
5. Has he/she had any skin problems, e.g. unexplainable rashes or bumps? What kind and where? When do they seem to appear?
6. Has this horse had any eye problems, e.g. runny or dry eyes?
7. Is he/she prone to headaches (e.g. non-headshy horse pins his ears when touched in the head, showing intermittent irritability)?
8.  Does this horse urinate in large quantity, or does he/she have a need to urinate often?
9.  Where is he/she being kept – stall, turnout, type of turnout, friends or alone, amount of turnout, type of fencing?
10. What do you know about this horse's health history (other than injuries)?
11.  Do you know what type of environment he/she was kept up until 2-3 years old? Then 3-5 years old?
12. Has he/she had any contact with toxins, e.g. farming chemicals (from close by farms), insecticides like chemical fly sprays,
     weed killers, etc? (How much/how long/when?)
13. Is there any chance he/she has been exposed to creosote at any time of his life? Creosote is a chemical used to preserve wood,
     for example railroad ties, fences, and telephone poles. If he was exposed, when did the exposure occur and for how long?
14. Do you think there is any chance of any chemicals leaking into the ground water where this horse is or was kept, for example from
   nearby  industries, roads, airstrip tarmac, etc.?
15. Have you tried diet changes, alternative remedies, or physical therapy? If so, what type and what are the results? In what time
period?
16.  Any other information or notes you can provide? Any questions to me?