4 Health Issues Found in Draft Horses
If the horse is forced to continue work, the symptoms worsen, and the horse collapses. The horse can die from kidney failure because the kidneys cannot filter the enzymes being released into the bloodstream from the muscles.
Some researchers believe the cause of azoturia may be linked to Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (EPSM), which is a metabolic condition found in many draft horses where the muscle builds up glycogen and glycogen-related compounds rather than using them for energy.
Dr. Elizabeth A. Valentine writes in her article, “EPSM—Muscle Diseases in Draft Horses,” that scientists don't yet understand what puts the draft horse over the edge into massive muscle injury, but studies of muscle from horses with signs of Monday morning disease show that EPSM is a common underlying condition.
A low carbohydrate diet is the best preventive measure for preventing EPSM. In the past, various drugs, including steroids, muscle relaxants, and minerals were used to treat the horse once it had an episode.
The EPSM diet has shown to be very effective in preventing further episodes when started in the early stages of the disease. Exercise is also important to the recovery of draft horses suffering azoturia. They should not be in a tie stall, but preferably be outside where they can move around.
3. Shivers
Shivers, or shivering, is a neuromuscular condition found most prevalently in draft horses and draft crosses. It is easy to diagnose due to the unique symptoms. The symptoms are sudden jerking or trembling of the hindquarters, in which the leg flexes toward the horse’s belly, and the tail lifts and trembles in a pumping motion while the horse is backing. The horse cannot back up because the hind legs get stuck in an upward, flexed position.
For years veterinarians felt there was a connection between shivers and EPMS, but the 2007 Morris Animal Foundation’s Equine Research Report states equine polysaccharide storage myopathy does not cause shivers, although both diseases are common in draft horses and warmbloods. There is speculation that shivers are inherited, can be a result of neural lesions left from infectious diseases like flu or strangles, or perhaps it can be caused by trauma.
