Horse falling is becoming a common occurance.

[SpazabianLitRB]

Okay, I’m puzzled. So, I’m coming to you guys.

Firstly, I will say that I plan to call the vet within the week, at least to talk, hopefully to set up an appointment (that’s not totally my call to make).

Last Saturday, I was riding my horse in the indoor. I pushed him into the canter after 10 minutes of walking and stretching out, as per our usual routine. After two laps of the canter, we were turning from the long side to go across the arena, and all of a sudden he just fell. He went on his knees, and instead of recovering, just went right on his side. He jumped up almost immediately and stood still. After we all determined that I had nothing broken (he pinned me under him), I had my friend walk him around a bit and he looked fine. She took him out of the arena and trotted him for one of the instructors, and they both said he trotted out okay. On Sunday, my mom and I took him to the arena and let him loose to roll and wander around. He was a little stiff, but otherwise okay. On Monday we did the same thing, and he looked fine. He was handwalked on Tuesday and was okay as well. We took him out of his stall Friday and Saturday to brush him, but he didn’t go outside, and both times he seemed to be moving fine. Today (Sunday), we took him down to the arena. He got in there and cantered a few strides and looked pretty stiff, but he went down to roll a few times, and wandered around. After a little while, he cantered a few strides, then reared up and came down in a buck, and fell. It all happened so fast, so the details aren’t too clear, but he went on his knees and went right over on his side. It took him a few seconds before he jumped up, and when he got up, he half reared a few times before taking slow steps toward the arena door. I got up to him (slowly, considering I can barely walk), and as I got close he starting trying to pivot away from me (it would have made a nice pirroutte if thats what I wanted). I clipped a lead on him and tried to get him to walk a few steps, and all he did was shift his weight back and try to rear up. When he was rearing, it looked like he was going to go over backwards and his hind legs couldn’t support him.

In the past, he’s had trouble on the right lead, he can’t keep the lead in the back and instead swaps in the back (keeps the RF leading though). He’s tripped before, going to his knees a few times, both undersaddle and on the lunge. Before, I just thought he was clumsy and didn’t know where his feet went, until I realized one day that it only happens when he is on his right lead. He’s never done it on the left lead before with me. The other day, when I was talking to a friend about the accident, she mentioned that she’d seen him fall before in lessons, before I got him.

Does anyone have any ideas about what could be happening? To me it seems like he just couldn’t support his weight with his inside hind when cantering to the right. Now, I’m not too sure, because of today’s fall. My mom thinks he fell when he bucked, but I thought he had taken a step or two before he went down.

Its gonna be a day or so at least before I talk to the vet, so I figured I’d start here. If it was just an every once in a while trip, I wouldn’t be worried and would pass it off as him being a dork. The first fall I just figured was a freak thing, but having him go down again a week later is more than a freak thing- its a sign of something more serious.

Thanks guys.

[tidy_rabbit]

Could be EPM.

I’d have the horse tested asap.

[CJ4ME]

Does he seem neurological in other ways? Are his weight and musculature normal? He walks and trots straight?

Does he trip a lot?

I would definitely have the vet out and I wouldn’t ride, as a falling horse is dangerous. The vet will probably want to do some neuro testing, blood work and x-rays. Could be a stifle or hock issue if it is a long term problem. My horse has a collapsing right stifle that benefits from prednisone injections.

Keep us posted on the mystery. I hope he is okay.:sadsmile:

[Rebe]

Why on EARTH would you wait to call the vet and/or have them come out?

This could be a mechanical (i.e. lameness problem) or it could be neurological - and it should be addressed right away. From what you are saying, this horse might go down while being walked - putting anyone handling him at risk.

Horses don’t “just fall down” - please do him, yourself, and anyone working around him a favor and get him checked out right away.

I don’t mean to sound harsh, just emphatic.

[merrygoround]

You say it’s not your call to make. But it is your horse. Therefore it would be your parents call to make, I assume. Has she no regard for your safety. If that horse has a neurological problem, even handling him could be dangerous. Print this and give it her. NOW!!!

[citydog]

Yeah, this really isn’t something that should wait–he could really hurt someone on the ground. (And goes without saying he shouldn’t be ridden until this is solved.)

Good luck. Must be very worrisome for you.

[Buffyblue]

I agree, sounds like an emergency to me too.

[Highflyer1]

Agreed. Call the vet right away. If it’s something like EPM, the sooner you start treatment the better the chance of recovery.

[SpazabianLitRB]

Well, he’s not in danger of being ridden anytime soon, considering I can barely walk as a result of last week’s accident.

He keeps a pretty steady weight, I’m not worried about that, it dropped a bit a few months ago but he had a grain change, a bit more work, and funky weather. His muscling is normal for him, he doesn’t get a ton of work, but he’s building it up.

The part that doesn’t make sense to me is that it seems to be only from a canter. He’s never had balance problems walking or trotting, doesn’t trip at those gaits, never has. After he was out of the arena earlier today, he was having no problems either. He was going forward normally, turning like normal. The last Friday, before the accident, he was normal as well- I was freelunging him in the indoor, and he was absolutly fine racing around, bucking, spinning. And Saturday, during the first two laps, he was cantering okay as well, nothing felt off.

Rebe, thats why I’m asking - horses don’t just fall down from loping around. Like I said, the first time I could easily pass off as a freak thing, the second one I can’t.

If he was going down from the walk, I would have called the vet as soon as it happened. However, with this, its isolated to the canter. In the almost 3 years I’ve had him, he’s never shown any signs of being unsteady walking/trotting, or standing.

[egontoast]

You don’t know really that it is ‘isolated to the canter’ since he has only fallen twice. Next time it might be trot or walk.

[monstrpony]

What was the change in his feed a few months ago? What was he on before, and what did you change to?

I agree, he needs to see the vet ASAP!

[CaitlinTB]

Yes, a visit from your vet is in order - for your and your horse’s safety. Whether this turns out to be a medical problem or a training problem is not for us to determine over the internet. Take it from a vet, and call yours!

CaitlinTB

[SpazabianLitRB]

Thinking about it now, the feed change was a bit more than I thought it was. He was getting 1/2 qt of barley, which was taken out of his feed. He currently just gets 3/4 quart of oats.

[Ghazzu]

You do realize that if you wait till the animal’s condition worsens, there’s a fair likelihood you will have significantly decreased the chances that treating the problem will be successful.

I have to say I’m a bit gobsmacked you don’t seem to consider the problem significant enough to be calling the vet first thing Monday morning…

[jn4jenny]

I am equally gobsmacked that you are not calling the vet IMMEDIATELY. This is major, major, major stuff.

You say it’s no big deal because he’s in no danger of being ridden. But how are you going to feel if he falls and injures a barn worker on his way in/out from turnout, or if he falls in his stall and casts himself, or falls running around in the pasture and gets himself seriously injured?

Horse needs to see the vet NOW. If it were my horse, I’d have called my vet immediately after the second fall, weekend or not, and asked the vet to please return my call first thing on Monday morning. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the vet called me back over the weekend just because it’s so serious.

[Rebe]

[QUOTE=SpazabianLitRB;2156811]

Firstly, I will say that I plan to call the vet within the week, at least to talk, hopefully to set up an appointment (that’s not totally my call to make).

…all of a sudden he just fell…

…On Sunday, my mom and I took him to the arena and let him loose to roll and wander around. He was a little stiff, but otherwise okay…

Today (Sunday), … he cantered a few strides, then reared up and came down in a buck, and fell. It all happened so fast, so the details aren’t too clear, but he went on his knees and went right over on his side. It took him a few seconds before he jumped up, and when he got up, he half reared a few times before taking slow steps toward the arena door. I got up to him (slowly, considering I can barely walk), and as I got close he starting trying to pivot away from me (it would have made a nice pirroutte if thats what I wanted). I clipped a lead on him and tried to get him to walk a few steps, and all he did was shift his weight back and try to rear up. When he was rearing, it looked like he was going to go over backwards and his hind legs couldn’t support him.

In the past, he’s had trouble on the right lead, he can’t keep the lead in the back and instead swaps in the back (keeps the RF leading though). He’s tripped before, going to his knees a few times, both undersaddle and on the lunge. Before, I just thought he was clumsy and didn’t know where his feet went, until I realized one day that it only happens when he is on his right lead. He’s never done it on the left lead before with me. The other day, when I was talking to a friend about the accident, she mentioned that she’d seen him fall before in lessons, before I got him.

Its gonna be a day or so at least before I talk to the vet[/QUOTE]

Honey, I am not being harsh - but I am very upset that you don’t seem to be taking this seriously. This horse has a history of falling down, and is not recovering well after he falls down. It doesn’t matter if it’s at the walk, trot, canter, or standing still.

You have an obligation to this horse. You’re happy to report about your own stiffness and limitations - has it occurred to you that he can’t complain about his? The stiffness and repeated falls are the only way he can communicate what’s going on.

I’m guessing YOU got some form of medical attention after your fall…

PS - Ghazzu - I LOFF “gobsmacked”

[LockeMeadows]

Get The Vet Out

My gosh, there could be so many things wrong with your horse to cause him to fall; EPM, a tumor, cancer, or some other terrible disease.. I was young once, and my parents were not “horse people”, but they had common sense. If the horse is falling (even at the canter), he could be dying.

Jingles for your poor horse.

[YankeeLawyer]

I agree with the others. This is a SERIOUS situation that requires a vet call, just the same as if you found your horse thrashing around in pain from colic.

FWIW, my friend’s horse began swapping leads behind and as you described. She had the vet out and it turns out that the horse had EPM, and 12 months of treatment later is now rideable (which is the good news, as it was not clear the horse would ever be rideable again). And that horse never got to the point of falling on its rider. If your horse has a neurological condition like this one, it is absolutely imperative to get the horse seen and treated right away. Realize that with these conditions, if not promptly treated, the horse ca nworsento the point where even turnout is not an option for the horse (for example if the horse can no longer walk). And of course there are other possibilities that might have caused this (including advanced Lyme disease, a stifle injury, etc.). But all of these require a vet’s attention ASAP.

Don’t you have a trainer or BO that is aware of all this? And what are your barnmates saying? Any horseman would advise you to get the vet out ASAP. I am shocked someone else wasn’t dialing the phone for you.

[goeslikestink]

GET A VET and stop pisspng arpund with excuses – this could be his heart
or anything from shivers to cancer etc
ok let simplified things for you horse goes faster horse falls down-- heart rate goes up when they go fast – there breathing goes up when they go fast
blood flow stops in sezures horse colapses –

a horse falling dwon at any pace for no reason is sick its not food related its health related but hwatever the problem the horse is ill and if hes stiff why get back on him he hurt him self to–

and if i am harsh am sorry but your horse need a doctor ie a vet not tomorrow not next week next month but now
if he doesnt get treated and seen to you might not have him and if you keep riding him the way he is your mum might not have you and you might not have your mum its that dangerous

so you print it out and get her to call the vet and if you both arnt that wise then i dont know why your bo or bm hasnt called the vet inas well on the 1st fall — obvliuosly not very proffessional where you keep him
and obvoiusly no concern for safty –

a horse just doesnt fall over – its not normal

[Dazednconfused]

I agree that this is very serious but when you are a kid with a horse and inexperienced parents - it is not so black and white when it comes to calling a (potentially costly) vet. It sounds like the OP is in fact taking it seriously - I had this same problem myself once and it really sucks - I can see how her hands are tied.