Shivers, a chronic neuromuscular condition in horses, dates back centuries, but its causes remain a mystery and it remains untreatable. Research studies by Stephanie Valberg, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVSMR finally created a definition of the disease that differentiates it from other neurological diseases horses experience.
By the definition we presented, shivers horses always have difficulty backing up, but walking forward is normal until late progression of the disease.”
Source: The Horse, October 25, 2023. Link. Researchers saw 80 times more degeneration in the Purkinje cell axons in the cerebellum of shivers horses than in control horses. Another study of protein and gene expression in the cerebellum also confirmed the role of Purkinje cells in the disease.