1028 SHIVERING. 



the horse at longer or shorter intervals, after prolonged exercise 

 or hard work, or watching the horse rising in the early morning, may 

 be necessary before a positive opinion can be formed in a doubtful 

 ease. 



In anterior shivering, which seldom interferes with the animal's 

 capacity for work, on attempting to lift the foot, the limb is thrust 

 forwards in full extension, the foot barely toucing the ground, or the 

 limb with the knee flexed is elevated and abducted, the extensors 

 above the elbow quivering while the spasm lasts or until the foot 

 nt in ns to the ground. When affecting the head, the lips exhibit 

 t w itching with spasmodic retraction of the commissure, rapid blinking 

 of the upper eyelid, and sometimes the ear of the same side is in 

 constant motion. 



Prognosis. Usually shivering is a chronic or very slowly progress ive 

 affection, but it may develop rapidly under constant hard work, or 

 during an attack of intercurrent debilitating disease. This is 

 particularly noticeable in the intermittent and latent forms, when, 

 owing to the excitement of a railway journey, or the pain produced 

 by wounds, injuries to the feet, or arising from colic, influenza, or 

 other systemic disease, the symptoms become much aggravated. 

 Hunting horses that are known to be occasional shiverers, may hunt 

 and jump for several seasons without hindrance or complaint, but 

 eventually they lose power behind, and, though able to gallop and 

 willing to jump, are unable to clear the obstacle with the hind feet, or 

 to rise sufficiently to jump a moderate fence. Rest in the stable 

 or on pasture for six or eight weeks will produce considerable 

 modification in the symptoms of most well-marked cases, and it 

 may enable an affected horse suecessfully to pass an examination 

 as to soundness. Horses that are slight shiverers, and even those 

 that offer no difficulty in diagnosis, may work satisfactorily for many 

 years, but in time their usefulness becomes greatly impaired ; the 

 spasms increase both in frequency and in severity, the hind-quarters 

 become atrophied, and the limbs more or less stiff or rigid. Animals 

 so affected sleep standing, and their fore fetlocks and knees are much 

 bruised and disfigured by frequent half-falls. There is no curative 

 treatment for shivering. 



