Fall down

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woody hudson

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Hi

I was out driving my cob the other day, almost home and he tripped up and fell right over taking the cart and me with him, luckily he stayed calm and let me un yoke him while he was on the ground so i could move the cart out the way and let him get up. Hes only a young horse 15.3 just coming on four years, hes perfect in traffic and I've been using him since august. He is fine now but Im going to rest him for a few days, Hes stumbled before but never gone down. Im wondering whether theres a problem or is he lazy theres no warmness on his legs or swelling he dose tend to drag his front feet some times,
any help would be much appreciated
 
i had a new horse in January, being very accident prone he has only been ridden for 4 weeks!!
he was 4 in Feb and an ex-racer. i was told they are very clumsy at this age and indeed,when riding him in the field doing basic schooling at walk - he trips and stumbles, almost gone on his knees!

they are babies at the end of the day - think toddlers - so i wouldnt make him do anything other than quiet walking to let him grow and mature more. we havent even started trotting yet. dont overdo it and just hack him out without the harness as well.

for safety - i would be inclined to put knee boots on him as a cut to the knee could cause all sorts of problems and issues, esp if infection were to set in.
 
Have you changed your farrier? My elderly horse tripped and fell a couple of times when she moved to a new yard. Nothing wrong with the new farrier but he had shaped her feet slightly differently and this was enough to cause a stumble in a slightly stiff older horse. After consultation with our old farrier, problem was solved. A young horse still maturing could also find a change confusing to his feet!
 
My first suggestion would be feet. Is your farrier good? If you are unsure just ask your vet to look at the shape and balance of your horse's feet (surprising how many even very experienced owners can't tell a well shod foot from a bad one!!! Honestly!!) I am a farrier's wife and the ignorance of some owners annoys me. People think a farrier is good if their horse never loses a shoe - I ask you. My hubby warns folk that when he takes on their horse they will likely lose shoes especially if he is trying to let the foot widen to natural shape/size. That process actually costs him in visits, but it is a necessary transition for some horses who have been shod too tight and short. A long toe can cause tripping as can arthritic changes in a horses joints and navicular.
 
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