I sold my beloved gelding last november - got a call in june that he had passed away in his stall - he was only 11 - apparently no struggle in the stall at all.
I lost a three year old registered Spanish Mustang gelding this summer. He was at my trainerās barn and was put up for the night in his stall with dinner after a nice workout which he did well. Bed check at 10 pm he was fine. They found him dead but still warm at 6 a.m. with no signs of struggleā¦ālike heād laid down and went to sleep.ā
We did not do a necropsy as it was hot and so incredibly upsetting to the trainer who had to deal with this. Our vet felt the most likely thing he died from was an aneurysm. No one witnessed it but it seems the most likely. He was healthy and fit and I had seen him myself only a few days prior. It was heartbreaking as he was a favorite. My trainer saved me a lock of hair from his tail alsoā¦I think she took it harder than I did.
It happens to horses, just like it does to people.
I lost my gelding in 2008 tragically. He was 15, a TB and perfectly healthy. Best the vet could guess, he had a ācatastrophic internal eventā like an aneurysm or rupture. Unfortunately death was not immediate and the poor horse was in a complete state of shock, like I have never seen. While readying the meds to euth him, he laid down and died. It was the most horrific and sad thing I have ever witnessed in my life.
My friend lost her TB last year. BO saw him galloping in the fieldā¦ he went right through the fence and then fell over dead. Vet said heart attack, or something along those lines.
I used to work at a barn that had approximately 100 horses come through each summer, mostly low end sale horses. We saw a LOT of weird stuff, including the occasional one that would just up and keel over. 
Over 30 years ago I had just completed an outside course. The ride was wonderful, the best that spring. Walked off of the course was headed to the trailer, dismounted, and the beautiful mare just buckled and collapsed. After the initial shock and grief, my instructor said to me āThank God you were not on course or over a fence when it happenedāā¦At the time, that thought did not help alot, but a day or two later, I had to agree. If we had been over a 3ā6" fence at the time, or moving with any speed I would probably be dead.
A few years ago, maybe 4 at northfield park in Ne ohio a 3yo standardbred gelding (durng a qualtifying race) about200 yrds after the start truck/car let them begin to race just dropped. The track vet believes the horse was dead before he hit the track. The racebike went head over teakettles over the horse with the driver still seated, AFAIK the driver suffered a few broken bones.
I do not know the name of the horse or driver.
Best Mate died from a āheart attackā at the end of a race.
The posts to this thread, though anecdotal, suggest that while such deaths (sudden collapses caused by aneurysms or cardiac events) are unusual, they are not exceedingly rare. And they do not correlate necessarily to prior neglect or mistreatment of the animal.
Not any of mine, but I know a barrel horse who died instantly from a brain aneurysm on the run home from the 3rd barrel at an event. The rider was thrown, but was alright.
IIRC Phylis Dawson had an eventer die under her. I also knew of another in Great Falls go like that.
I had a broodmare who was found dead on a bit of broken fence. Donāt know if she was running with her buddies and crashed into the fence killing herself or was just grazing there and keeled over. There was no sign of struggle.
ETA: Shocking as it was at the time I would rather they go like that than some of the other ways they die
A girl I used to ride with was lunging her childrens jumper one morning in Ocala and it just keeled over. This was years ago but I think they said something about ulcers rupturing? That could be totally wrong, though!
That video of Hickstead is disturbing, and I think more awful that Eric had to watch it happen. I would much rather walk into the field and find them dead then have to watch them struggle, even if just for those 10 or so seconds.
Friendās TB H/J gelding, in his prime and healthy, turned out into pasture, started trotting to the other side and collapsed from an aneurysm.
School horse where I once boarded, called from pasture, came running to owner and dropped dead in his tracks. Again, middle aged and healthy. Another aneurysm.
There were several more instances involving friendās healthy horses, but as far as I know, none had a necropsy performed.
I was leasing a retired polo pony and bringing slowly back into work to play polocrosse in fall of 2006. We were at a practice one day and the owner was there also.
We lightly hacked around, mostly helping the little kids with their ball skills and I was umpire. Threw the last ball and we started walking back to the trailer to untack. The horse whinnied and it sent chills down my spine. It sounded as he was crying. Later people said that some horses do a death whinny. I jumped off and ripped my saddle off of him. He was dead before he hit the ground. Luckily I felt something was wrong and was able to be off of him before he collasped. It happened so fast and and there was not a thing I could do for him.
He was 18 and in good health. Had vet out and she confirmed there was nothing we could of done. I buried him the next day for the owner and there was dried blood in his nostrils.
I was shaken by this event more than anything. I had to find another horse to play and kept having a gut feeling that I was going to get to KY horse park for championships and he would drop dead. I felt horrible for the owner but I was thankful that he was there to witness what happened and I didnāt have to explain it and he would be left with doubt that I could of done something more.
I know of 2 anurisym in the paddock cases, one was a 14 year old Dutch WB the other a 12 year old OTTB.
Also one mystery ājust died in his stallā that was a 14 year old OTTB.
I was told by a breeder Iām aquanted with of her daughterās expencive trakainer having a major blood vessel rupture somewhere in her head shortly after drugging her for a routine tooth float. Blood everywhere and the mare died.
Easy Goer, 1988 2yo champion TB and 1999 Belmont winner, collapsed and died while standing at stud - he was only 9 or so, I think. Necropsy showed hemangiosarcoma.
Saw one Standardbred collapse after the wire, donāt remember the horseās name but was 4 or 5. Heard about race horses, both major breeds, collapse and die during cool-out or be dead in the stall the next morning. Same with chuckwagon horses. Any necropsied showed aneurisms or nothing leaving the vets to speculate heart trouble.
Friend of mineās aged TB mare (probably ealry 20s) dropped dead during a lesson with a young rider. The mareās last act, Iām told, was throwing herself away from the rider so as not to land on her. Died quickly of, assumed, heart attack or stroke. While these are shocking deaths, Iād prefer mine go like this than from a painful colic or painful, lingering injury . . . (For that matter, Iād prefer to go like this, too!)
I once heard of a foxhunter whose horse died literally over a jump. The rider also died from the fall. His family said the two went to heaven together and that heād died the way he would have wanted. I always liked that sentiment.
hollyhorse2000, I agree with you. When you think of lingering painful illnesses (cancer, founder, colics w/ surgery) that many horses suffer through ā I have to think dying this way, while shocking, is less pain for all. As long as it doesnāt happen in the middle of a jump or a gallop!
It happens a lot. The most recent one I witnessed was a young girl sitting on her horse waiting to go in the ring. The horse just dropped from under her.
Happened to a lesson pony when I was a kid. Cute little pony, not aged, - 15 tops - was trotting around in the first 15 minutes of a lesson and just dropped. Had maybe a minute of what looked like little seizures and then was gone. Pony was in good health and light work and had ribboned the day before at a local show.
In the last year, I believe one of Prince Harryās polo ponies suddenly died in the middle of a match on the sidelines. I am sure you get good care when you are owned by the third in line to the British throne. I bet if you google it you can get more specifics.
I lost my Pete, an early 20ās Appy/draft cross one day to an apparent heart attack. He was healthy and happy with his goats in a field that morning, that afternoon I received a call at work that he was lying dead in the field. His goats by his side. His young goat, that he raised from a baby, was so distraught I ended up having to bring them to my parentsā house because she was looking for him and calling for days after.
