Back in the days of long format Three Day eventing, there was a horse who died on course, an 11 yo TB. New Bolton found a ruptured duodenal artery, after the horse collapsed and died shortly after Steeplechase phase, giving the stunned rider/owner time to safely dismount.
Think Hicksteadā¦it can happen with the most fit horse at any age. It is visually extremely disturbing, especially if they donāt die immediately. My case. Still haunts me.
An aneurysm took my familyās cutting horse mare.
It does happen, but isnāt easy whenever it does happen.
Another friend had a horse with a diaphragm rupture or something along those lines. It was a matter of time, but it was tough, because he was a beautiful, well trained young Quarter Horse.
So sorry for everyone that has ever lost a horse suddenly.
yup. Had a boarder that was lunging her about 18 yr old horse. He suddenly stumbled, crashed into the gate, and collapsed dead. Vet said it was heat failure.
I remember one girl that lost her horse suddenly. She was jumping in the arena. His last jump he took off fine and fell dead to the ground. It was so sudden and shocking no one knew what to do.
I think it is as rare a thing as riders getting hit by lightening. But it does happen.
[QUOTE=sid;8808973]
Think Hicksteadā¦it can happen with the most fit horse at any age. It is visually extremely disturbing, especially if they donāt die immediately. My case. Still haunts me.[/QUOTE]
Interestingly, my guy who dropped dead from an aneurysm dame died about 5 years later from a series of strokes that took her slowly over a few years ( I was able to manage it). It was not catastrophic like his. And his older 1/2 sister also died of a series of strokes that came on faster than her mothers, and became debilitated within 3 months from the first onset of brain failure symptoms.
Having been a breeder of all of them (except the dam) it does make me wonder if they are āproneā to this from her line. Or maybe it was just a coincidence. Kingsley, her son, was only 17 when he dropped in the field just goofing around having a good, jolly time.
Iām happy to say I still have a daughter from my stoked mare (she was 29) and her full bred TB daughter that died a few months later (age 26) who is now 24 and totally fine and still sound. Iām almost afraid to get on her. 
Yes - one of mine and then thereās the family legend. Mine first - 20yo Appendix, lovely jumper, good all around boy. Still jumping 2ā6" regularly and sound, got Adequan, Cosequin and regular vet care. Looked and acted 10. One vice was he was a fussy hauler, was when I got hm and never cured. Pawed, banged, fretted. Loaded and unloaded fine, just not a great traveler. Bringing him back solo from an xc clinic where both a friend and I had ridden him, had a great time. Since he was solo in the 3-horse slant, I had tied the panels all back and just let him ride loose there. Same setup on the way back. A few miles from home I felt a āthumpā from the trailer, then nothing. Pulled over as soon as safe and took a look. He was on his side, flat out, dead. No poop, no blood, no thrashing.
Massive aneurysm.
There are worse ways to go.
Family story is my great uncle in Wyoming 1966 was out on his favorite horse riding fences when a thunderstorm rolled in. He didnāt come home. My dad (ranch foreman) and my great aunt went looking the next day and found him and his horse both dead from a lightning strike. Hit my uncle, blew a hole in the saddle, went down the horsesā spine and RL leg, killing them both instantly.
I have the saddle :eek:
When I was a kid, my QH had an aneurysm and died. Turned out but luckily someone saw her pick up a canter and then fall to the ground. Whinnied and then died.
Traumatic for a child!
Yes. My heart horse,5 years ago. Vet said it was likely heart failure. I still have a hard time with it, he was my best friend and I miss him everyday.
Lost my horse suddenly tooā¦
I lost my heart horse Schubert this March. He was a 19-year-old warm blood cross still in work. I had a lesson and he was absolutely fine. I took him out of the arena and put him in his stall to remove his tack. He started to wobble, dropped to his knees, hit the floor and started seizing. Took all of 30 seconds and he was gone. I was still holding on to the reins. Emergency vet said a ruptured aorta and very rare. Heād only seen it once before.
Iām still trying to cope.
Condolences to those who lost well-loved horses. I adopted a mini, and the next day brought my young granddaughter out to the barn to meet him. Fortunately I entered the barn first so she did not see him lying there dead. Not a mark on him, vet said possible aneurysm. I only had him a day! So not as bad as what some of you went through, but I felt guilty in case moving to a new home was stressful for himā¦
We had a yearling colt that was headed out to the shows this spring. He was out of multiple grand champion parents - and it showed. He also had that ālook at me!ā slightly haughty attitude that made him stand out - even out in the pasture with the herd. I had him tied in the barn aisle waiting for the vet to arrive to get his health certificate and Coggins done. As soon as we had that paperwork back, he was on his way to the BNT to start his show career. I groomed him and picked his feet, then stepped across the aisle to the laundry/tack room to get him some treats. Maybe 20 feet away. Maybe 30 seconds. As I turned back to the door, I heard his feet scrambling on the rubber mats and saw him seizing, his back dropped, his head & neck braced back, his eyes wild - I got to him, untied him and he toppled to the mat as I kept his head from hitting the floor. He was dead before he landed. No corneal response, no pulse. He was young and healthy and amazing. The vet did a necropsy instead of the blood pull and paperwork. No sign of anything amiss. 
Many years ago, we were at Spruce Meadows watching the big Grand Prix and a horse died in mid air over the big oxer right in front of our seats. He just crashed down through the poles and was dead. No thrashing like Hickstead, nothing. Rider was okay - I think the horseās name was South Ocean. Something Ocean anywayā¦
I lost my wonderful boy about 10 months ago, heart aneurysm. The day before he was cruising around a 2ā6 course, he had impeccable care and even at 19, got his Legend and joint supp & was good to go! Loved to work and loved to horse show.
He ate his breakfast that morning, went out with his friends and a fellow boarder saw him down in his field about a half hour after morning check. He looked perfect and peaceful. His necropsy notes said that he was in āwonderful health & weight and was obviously well cared for.ā I tell myself that when Iām having a horrible day dealing with him not being here. Itās still a struggle. He was so perfect.
My heart goes out to all of you. It is so hard to lose a horse suddenly and unexpectedly.
I lost my grade morgan mare many years ago to what the vet said was probably an aneursym. I heard something out in the barn, went out to check and found her looking like she was colicing badly. I managed to get her outside and she was almost gone by the time I got off the phone with the vet.
It was not an instant death, but very quick, minutes maybe. She had been fine, looking for her hay just an hour or so before and had been in light work as my pleasure horse. In fact I had shown her at a little show just the previous weekend and she was her usually spunky self. I never would of thought on that day she would be gone before the week was over.
I lost my grade morgan mare many years ago to what the vet said was probably an aneursym. I heard something out in the barn, went out to check and found her looking like she was colicing badly. I managed to get her outside and she was almost gone by the time I got off the phone with the vet.
It was not an instant death, but very quick, minutes maybe.
Very similar thing happened to my momās appaloosa. Jake was 19, good health. After dinner one evening, he started wobbling, looking disoriented and was gone in a few minutes. Iām glad I wasnāt there to see it happen. Vet also suspected aneurysm.
[QUOTE=SMF11;8810656]
My heart goes out to all of you. It is so hard to lose a horse suddenly and unexpectedly.[/QUOTE]
Yes and Noā¦I lost my heart horse 2 years ago next month. He didnāt come in for breakfast and I found him lying down, seemingly very peaceful. He was 22. For about a year, I was so sad and couldnāt think about him without bawling.
Every day, any time a horse was late coming in for feed, I had a momentary panic attack. Eventually, my grief dulled and I was able to thank My Sweetums for taking The Decision out of my hands. That would have been almost unbearable.
Jackie Wā¦I too found this thread 2 years ago and read almost every entry. It did help although I basically cried the whole way through it.
Last week, my 26 year old mare had some vague symptoms and the vet was treating her for PHF. Within a week though she collapsed and I found her in the middle of the field. She was only moving her head and neck, no movement of the rest of her body and she didnāt react to any of us. The vet thinks it was a stroke. The vet euthanised her within 45 minutes of me finding her and I am very thankful she was able to come so fast.
So, although itās a shock finding them or seeing them die, personally, I am grateful to both of my horses that there was no lingering illness to deal with and minimal suffering on their part and mine. It took time though and a lot of tearsā¦
before I could see the gift.
[QUOTE=Jackie W.;8806619]
I found this thread as I was searching for an explanation for the sudden death of my perfectly healthy 15 yr. old. mare. I am so thankful to read these sad entries, because I now know it wasnāt my fault, in any way. We were walking up to the barn to be saddled, after a very short lunging session. She suddenly whinnied, staggered, fell and tried to rise. Fell again and again and was gone within less than 3 minutes. Totally perfectly healthy girl. No previous symptoms of any kind. We are devastated with the loss.[/QUOTE]
I am so very sorry!:no:
Happened to my friendās horse just as she unloaded him from the trailer after a short trip back from a lesson.
I found my boy in the field, must have been just moments after he died. Was riding him the day before.
[QUOTE=Foxtrotās;8806965]
Wow - so many sad stories - you all surprise me.
A horse on our Hunt died suddenly.
Lucinda Greenās horse Wide-awake died after it completed Badminton (about 1976) - we were there.[/QUOTE]
Oh, no! I remember my trainer at the time was there, too. I was a kid, but I remember when she got back, telling us about it.
I lost my heart horse this way. He had slipped on the ice and injured his neck. Had the vet out, he was concerned there was a fracture. I was using warm compresses and meds as he advised, along with limited movement.
Two days after the injury, I found him dead in his stall. By the signs, he went down like a ton, thrashed once or twice and died. We think he threw a clot.
That was the single largest shock ever. It happened in 1997, and there hasnāt been a day gone by where I donāt miss him still.
He was only 19.
