Did my horse just pass out??

I had a mare with narcolepsy who would suddenly fall to her knees in the stable but she would immediately get back up. Could be that for whatever reason your mare went down and winded herself.

Don't worry about those people saying you shouldn't have tied her up and left her unsupervised. Things are done differently in different countries and I know one of my German friends is somewhat bemused by how many English horses either nap or push their handlers around.
 
Thanks guys. My gut feeling is that she was unconscious. I ran up the drive screaming, she was unresponsive. She is normally so laid back that she is horizontal, nothing fazes her. She never stresses about anything, in fact when we first got her I got the vet out because I thought there was something wrong with her. I have never known such a chilled out horse. So although she was neighing when we left I thought she would be absolutely fine... And she was, when we went back out second time. Would the stress / excitement be enough to cause vasovagal syncope? I have been trying to read up about this.
 
I once had a little Shetland foal that got in such a tizzy while with the farrier that she just lay down and passed out. The farrier did her hooves while she was like that and we let her come round when she was ready. It was a bit of a shock but our farrier said he'd seen it before. As far as I'm aware, it never happened again.
 
Cortez said:
Our horses all tie, all day if required. Please don't berate someone for doing something that is entirely practical IF THE HORSES ARE TRAINED FOR IT. Many British horses would benefit from learning to tie properly (or even at all.....).
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Well said Cortez, far too many worry wort owners and na by pamby horses around.

I wonder if they realise that Cavelry horses were tied all the time they were not working, to ropes, strung from one tree to the next, no bars between them either.

Our school ponies were always tied up during the day when not working.

Teach your horse to tie properly in the first place, then have some faith and trust. "What if?" Will spoil your life otherwise.

OP possibly your horse suffers from narcolepsy and the stress of being parted brought on an attack. Glad she had no injuries.
 
MDB said:
Would the stress / excitement be enough to cause vasovagal syncope? I have been trying to read up about this.
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Potentially, yes .. it could. Syncope, based on similar potential causes in humans, can be as a result of many things .. the brain "forgetting" to send the heart signals to beat, a heart arrhythmia (the heart either beating too quickly or as a result of an irregular beat(s)) or even something less "dramatic" as an infection or temperature or a girth being done up too quickly. If this were my horse, I'd want this checked - especially before attempting to ride him/her, particularly as you seem sure he/she has lost consciousness, albeit momentarily
 
Tnavas said:
Well said Cortez, far too many worry wort owners and na by pamby horses around.

I wonder if they realise that Cavelry horses were tied all the time they were not working, to ropes, strung from one tree to the next, no bars between them either.

Our school ponies were always tied up during the day when not working.
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All of them IN COMPANY.

No one is saying you shouldn't tie horses up, even for extended periods. It's the tying up completely on its own. No other horses. No people around.
 
Wagtail said:
All of them IN COMPANY.

No one is saying you shouldn't tie horses up, even for extended periods. It's the tying up completely on its own. No other horses. No people around.
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If you are at a show you can be pretty sure there will be another horse within sight.

The point of my post regarding the cavalry horses was that they were taught to tie up properly - ALL of them. People need to work with horses that don't tie up and get it sorted.
 
Tnavas said:
If you are at a show you can be pretty sure there will be another horse within sight.

The point of my post regarding the cavalry horses was that they were taught to tie up properly - ALL of them. People need to work with horses that don't tie up and get it sorted.
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I agree. All of mine tie up without company it's really not the big deal people seem to think it is.

For instance my friends horse broke it's leg and had to be cross tied for months. For him, his life was saved because his owner had taken the time to train him to tie up and he accepted his treatment with no issues at all.
 
I wish everyone would stay on topic! To make a point, in NZ it is a common occurrence in certain areas to see horses tied on the roadside. That's where they live, by themselves. And ironically they injure themselves far less than horses living in paddocks.

Anyway, I digress. It sounds to me like narcolepsy or a heart condition. I would highly recommend at least getting a vet to listen to her heart for any arrhythmia or murmur. Definitely don't ride her until then just in case, so you don't put her or you at risk of injury.

Ps love the photos! My horses move their heads far too much so all our selfies are blurry!
 
Sure she couldn't have fallen/thrown herself down and stunned herself motionless for a while? A couple I've had fall before stayed down in surprise for a short while before being back on their feet no problem again.
 
Agree with Cortez - I don't have a problem with the tying up, once they're used to it - as this one apparently is.

Could be narcolepsy, could be epilepsy, could be a number of things. OP, I'd keep a close eye on her in case she does it again - you don't want her doing it under saddle if there's no-one around ...
 
My first thought was narcolepsy too.

And the first thing I teach my horses is to tie up, on their own, building up at least an hour. While I probably wouldn't ever tie mine up and leave them completely void of human intervention if necessary for a length of time, they are completely capable of it if the need should ever arise. :)
 
As on a previous thread, my horses are taught to tie correctly, and I too think it's important that horses CAN be left should they need to be.

HOWEVER, on the topic, I had a little Welsh mare who would have what can only be described a panic attack when you put a saddle on her. She'd been a ridden pony, but had had a terrible accident under saddle. She recovered after 14 box/paddock rest, but couldn't have saddle on - pulse rate was rocket, she'd start shaking in extreme distress, throw her head up, and then BANG - down she'd go as though shot. The physiological reasons were explained to me, but apparently it's not uncommon during a bad stress reaction. In our case, it was luckily easy to resolve once we knew it was happening (three years later, pony is happily in PC again - all's well that ends well!) ... we did some exposure therapy as well as positive conditioning to change her existing associations. Perhaps you could try similar -- perhaps separate your mares more often (not just to "take one away" but perhaps tie out of sight of each other or with a small obstacle between them such as a car/truck (obviously not close enough to touch goes without saying!!)), give them something really nice - bucket of carrots/bucket of fresh grass if you can get it/etc ... work on getting each horse comfortable in their own zone not depending on the other?
 
Sorry to hear about your horse OP, what a scary situation at least she seems ok now. I've not heard of anything like it so nothing useful to offer really. The only horse I've known with narcolepsy, would sort of nod off and go a bit wobbly beforehand. Think the fainting thing seems more likely, but I've never heard this, didn't realise horses could faint! Silly really!

As for tying up - I try to ride in every country I visit - as long as I'm happy with the horses condition. I was recently in Porto santo and went riding twice with a man who bred, started his own horses as had his father before him. The first time I rode he rode a mare and her foal followed - over roads, up hills, on a gallop. The foal was sometimes behind, sometimes in front or the middle. He felt this good education as the horse would know the routes when starting to be ridden at three. Think foal was about 7 or 9 months old.
His stallions where tethered in various places alone.
On the second ride - he left one horse tied to the shelter as he was going to use it after our two hour ride, so we went off on two and left one alone.
He was very proud of horses, showed me what good condition they were in, showed me the quality of their barefoot hooves.
After the ride they were given a variety of melon to eat, then let loose - they trotted off down the road to find their friends. He didn't wash them off as said they would roll and would also find water when they got to the herd.
When I wanted to gallop he got me to gallop on the Tarmac road as he felt this best for legs, than stoney, bumpy ground or grass where there maybe hidden holes. I felt the horses legs and they were clean, the horses didn't have a scratch or sore on them.
He did thing very differently to how we do in the UK but his horses looked fab and he really was caring and very proud of them. These horses weren't neglected and he was obviously knowledgable just did things very differently.
 
Tnavas said:
If you are at a show you can be pretty sure there will be another horse within sight.

The point of my post regarding the cavalry horses was that they were taught to tie up properly - ALL of them. People need to work with horses that don't tie up and get it sorted.
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I thought that was wagtails point ?? That op wasn't at a show and was leaving ridden mares only companion for the first time since they have been together?
 
OP have seen something similar once before - the gelding in my avatar was playing in the paddock, lost his footing on a slippery patch (cow pat) and hit the ground hard. Normally they just bounce, but he didn't and stayed down, which had me running! He was very slow to get up, and while I don't think he knocked himself out, he definitely knocked the stuffing out of himself. I'd like to say he learned from the experience, but no.
 
Thank you everybody for your replies. It was very strange indeed. One minute she was on her feet, neighing but essentially fine. Not panicking. Next minute she was down. I was about 400-500 metres away so couldn't see clearly. But, she appeared to be motionless and stayed like that until I got right up to her.

I must add that this is not the first time she has been apart from her companion. I have been taking one out for inhand walks and leaving the other. This is the first time since my husband left for abroad that I decided to go out riding alone and leave one. The one that collapsed cannot be ridden as she is the one that has the wither wound which is nearly healed but not completely.

She is normally very placid. This is the one that had surgery on her withers with only a bit of sedation and no anaesthesia because the vet couldn't get local anaesthesia into the area due to scar tissue in the area. My beginner husband rides her normally. She never spooks or gets into a tizz. I have never known a horse like her. This is why I did not think twice about leaving her unattended. But that is a whole other debate.

Today she is fine. Thank goodness. I got such a fright. I honestly thought she was dead! She doesn't appear sore and has had several gentle massages which she loves. It is Semana Santa here in Spain. So everything has ground to a halt. I will get the vet out after the holidays to give her a check over. :) :)
 
Good to hear she is fine, I suspect you are more worried than she is. I have a very beautiful, vain and extremely athletic Spanish horse who very occasionally overdoes the twirling about in the paddock and tips over; he often lies on the ground for a few minutes, I think from pure embarrassment :-)
 
shortstuff99 said:
Horses can (especially ponies) faint if they throw their heads up too fast. He may have done this. My mare hates having mouth wormers but when she was ill she had to have mouth syringed medication she once threw her head up so violently to avoid it she made herself faint! I thought I had killed her! Vet told me how this can happen quite regularly.
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It is one of the neurological tests that vets perform - push the head up and make the horse walk back. Whether it cuts off the blood supply to the brain or something, or maybe pinches a vital nerve, I don't know, but it can trigger a seizure.
 
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