Horse can suddenly not lift her head

[jollyholly]

Hi! I am wondering if anyone here have encountered this before: my horse suddenly can't lift her head over knee height. This has happened twice with over 6 months apart. The first time we gave her danilon and she was fine again after 30 minutes, the vet also came immediately to look at her and we concluded with that it was a kink in the neck/poll. Then 8 months later it happened again. The first time i found her in the paddock with her norse dragging on the ground. The next time I came early in the morning and noticed she wasn't herself. She had her heap up, but couldn't lift it higher than the withers. I let her out and kept an eye on her and she seemed fine. I took her inside and starts to massage the poll area and wosh her neck is again "locked" with her nose dragging on the ground. I call my vet immediately but he couldn't come so we decide to give her danilon like last time and after 15 she can lift her head again.

The vet does not know what it is and are concluding with a kink, but I am starting to worry since it now has happened twice. Have you or do you know someone with a horse that have had this behavior? Appreciate all answer!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Has your vet not suggested a full set of neck xrays and scans?
Are you insured?

 

[jollyholly]

Has your vet not suggested a full set of neck xrays and scans?
Are you insured?

Yes she is insured but the vet has not suggested xrays. He says it is muscular

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Yes she is insured but the vet has not suggested xrays. He says it is muscular

What does your chiro or physio say then?

To be honest, if it was one of mine, I'd be pressuring the vet for 2nd opinion and full diagnostic checks.

 

[jollyholly]

What does your chiro or physio say then?

To be honest, if it was one of mine, I'd be pressuring the vet for 2nd opinion and full diagnostic checks.

The vet is a chiropractor.
I am going to the clinic next week for something else so I think I will ask the vet there for his opinion, maybe he can do an exam. It is so strange though because we have talked to 4 vets and no one has encountered this before...

 

[Melody Grey]

I’d be wanting x-rays and wondering whether it was a nerve constriction/ strange presentation of wobblers?
Not wanting to worry you though OP, it could as you suggest be muscular?

might be worth checking for vitamin deficiency if you think it’s muscular?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

My vet does acupuncture, I think he would probably think this was a good case for it. Physios can often do acupuncture.

 

[ycbm]

Yes she is insured but the vet has not suggested xrays. He says it is muscular

I would change your vet and get a set of x rays.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

This happens to a horse at the yard every once in awhile and they give him something (Bute maybe, IDK) then he comes out of it. He has arthritis in his neck.

 

[Red-1]

I knew a horse who presented with this. He could get stuck with his head down and not be able to raise it, when he had been to grazing. He could also be stuck with his head up and be unable to lower it, when he had been in the stable (hay net).

X rays showed a narrowing of the spine impinging on the cord, it was a presentation of wobblers.

I would get X rays.

I have no idea what is meant by, "a kink in the neck."

 

[Birker2020]

I knew a horse who presented with this. He could get stuck with his head down and not be able to raise it, when he had been to grazing. He could also be stuck with his head up and be unable to lower it, when he had been in the stable (hay net).

X rays showed a narrowing of the spine impinging on the cord, it was a presentation of wobblers.

I would get X rays.

I have no idea what is meant by, "a kink in the neck."

My previous horse had this when he 'fell' coming in from the paddock. He had to be led in a chifney. The YO got him in from the field and something happened, I'm guessing she was a bit rough with him if he'd been messing around. I assume he reacted and reared and went over backwards. At that point if memory serves me right the vet administered an injection of finadyne as he was unable to raise his head above chest height. He went on to have severe narrowing of the spinal cord due to compression (17mm and should have been 50 something).

He went on to have 3 ataxic episodes b4 eventually, on my insistence going to Liverpool for standing xrays, the delay had been due to a misdiagnosis by my vets. The portable machine the vet brought to the yard wasn't strong enough to penetrate the neck muscles and also contributed to the misdiagnosis.

 

[ycbm]

How long ago was that, B2020?

My mw WB wobbler was diagnosed from very clear mobile x rays 10 years ago, and the kit is better now than it was then.

I did have to refuse to travel a severely ataxic horse to get them taken at home though, some vets with hospitals do often seem to try to force people to use them.
.

 

[Birker2020]

How long ago was that, B2020?

My mw WB wobbler was diagnosed from very clear mobile x rays 10 years ago, and the kit is better now than it was then.

I did have to refuse to travel a severely ataxic horse to get them taken at home though, some vets with hospitals do often seem to try to force people to use them.
.

It was 2004. He was diagosed with EHV with a newly qualified vet who was delighted, (and made no bones about telling me so) as she'd have been the first person in the Midlands to have discovered it and coud finally have a subject for her thesis paper. Sadly her narrow mindness caused my horse a great deal of mental suffering b4 he was diagnosed and pts within 2 hours of arriving at Philip Leverhulme. They had huge standing xrays and were able to look at them like a CT scan, in depth.

He was stabilised again with finadyne although he had a dreadful journey up there in a hire lorry who drove apallingly and very fast and then fell at the bottom of the ramp as the groom pulled him over as she couldn't wait for me to get the chifney out of the car to unload him.

My darling boy was scrabbling on the floor trying to get up with cuts to his legs. That memory will never leave me and i wish I'd not travelled him but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Sorry about your horse. Was he pts?

 

[ycbm]

Yes, I took some flack for it from his physio, who was desperate to be seen to "save" him and from one unhelpful "life at all costs" poster on this otherwise brilliantly supportive forum, but it seemed like no option to me for a horse who could not walk in a straight line or stand up in a lorry moving at 10 mph.
.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

We have had a few in the yard like this to varying degrees. One had arthritis in his neck as a 3yo, given a round of Tildren, didn't make a difference. No idea what happened to him after that as the owners took him away. 2 had rolled awkwardly in the field and had trapped nerves, one never reoccured, one did when he fell racing. The other fell racing and fractured his neck. It fixed and he had no further issues. I would be insisting on the vet coming out to have a proper look and if they have an x-ray machine that they should be using it.

 

[Birker2020]

Yes a lot are born with it, my horse has this issue. It can be hidden for s long time. Very interesting read with Sharon May-Davis having undertaken a huge amount of work on ghe subject.

https://thehorsesback.com/c6-c7-malformation

 

[Apizz2019]

It was 2004. He was diagosed with EHV with a newly qualified vet who was delighted, (and made no bones about telling me so) as she'd have been the first person in the Midlands to have discovered it and coud finally have a subject for her thesis paper. Sadly her narrow mindness caused my horse a great deal of mental suffering b4 he was diagnosed and pts within 2 hours of arriving at Philip Leverhulme. They had huge standing xrays and were able to look at them like a CT scan, in depth.

He was stabilised again with finadyne although he had a dreadful journey up there in a hire lorry who drove apallingly and very fast and then fell at the bottom of the ramp as the groom pulled him over as she couldn't wait for me to get the chifney out of the car to unload him.

My darling boy was scrabbling on the floor trying to get up with cuts to his legs. That memory will never leave me and i wish I'd not travelled him but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Sorry about your horse. Was he pts?

I'm so sorry ?

 

[Callieann]

I had this happen with one of mine. Had full x days done which showed arthritis in lower neck. Had to have injections via ultrasound. I was lucky that treatment worked. Hope your horse will be ok. I would also be pushing for xrays to be done.

 

[jollyholly]

Thank you for all replies.

Update on the horse: X-rays has been taken and they came back clear. No arthritis in the neck. The horse is fine at the moment and is ridden every day without any problems. If the issue reoccurs we will probably take some other tests to see if we can find anything

 

[Quigleyandme]

Have you thought about trying McTimoney? I had a few very enjoyable sessions many years ago and have been completely bendy and pain free since. My animal McTimoney practitioner kept my veterans going happily years after their use by dates had expired.

 

[cobwithattitude]

A horse of mine had a challenge lifting his head, with other symptoms-rushed to Liverpool and diagnosed with bacterial Meningitis. Do underline he had other symptoms and a very high temperature but it is something to be aware of taking into account.

 

[Birker2020]

Thank you for all replies.

Update on the horse: X-rays has been taken and they came back clear. No arthritis in the neck. The horse is fine at the moment and is ridden every day without any problems. If the issue reoccurs we will probably take some other tests to see if we can find anything

I'd be tempted to get a physio out. They can tell if there is any muscular problems or will see any atrophy that may be present and will be able to possibly pin point the problem.