horse falling over - what's going on?!

[Nudibranch]

Sorry to repeat myself as I've posted on Veterinary too but am desperate for information. My 16.1 tb has been coming on well (rescue case) but on Monday night as I was lifting her leg to stretch under the girth, when she made a sigh/grunt and sank right down on all fours until her knees and hocks were touching the floor! Then sort of scrambled back up. I thought it was wierd but maybe that I'd overbalanced her, so walked her round, everything seemed ok...Got on and as we went to move off she sort of hunched her back then fell to the ground! Legs were everywhere, she scrambled up then dropped again. I was lucky not to be crushed, as she rolled onto her side.

Anyway vet came out, and can find nothing except very slight arthritis in 3 legs (2 fore, 1 hind). It only showed after flexion-trot test. He thinks it may be vaso-vagal syncope which seems to be a fancy word for fainting...she's had blood tests done and will start with ECGs etc next week. However he paid very little attention to her back, only checked it when I asked and I can't help but feel there's something else going on. He said it was "fine" but literally just ran his hands along once. I was riding her in a treeless as last week she threw me for no apparent reason and wanted to rule out her back - then this happens!

She's now on bute just to see how her legs go, vet said he was almost positive this has nothing to do with what happened but we need to rule out all possibilities. Apparently this syncope is very hard to diagnose as there's usually nothing wrong with them other than the collapses - looks like her working days may be over though. Am gutted! I noticed last night as she was eating her dinner that her hind legs were dipping, almost as if she was going to sit down. Have never seen this before, and it makes me think even more it's spinal in some way.

Unfortunately Vet is away on a conference for the rest of the week so can't tell him about it until Monday... I know we should trust the professionals but something is telling me there's more to this than "fainting" (btw he is a specialist horse vet). Has anyone ever had a similar experience? Anyone seen back/pelvis injuries which cause wierd collapsing and sagging? Am getting desperate!

 

[SpruceRI]

Sleep apnoea?

Cold back?

Apart from that, no idea. Haven't heard of the condition your vet describes, but thinking horsey would be more distressed if it was really fainting as in humans you usually feel sick and wobbly before, during and after.

Hope you can find out for definate soon.

 

[dianchi]

We had a MW hunter that did this twice in the show ring. In the end got sent for an MRI scan nothing ever showed up, but was too dangerous a risk to continue.
He went to rehab and had alot of massage work done, never did it again after that.
She thought that it could be a deep muscle injury that hadnt had the chance to ever repair.
I would see a physio to have a look at back muscles

 

[Nudibranch]

MH that's what I thought - she was totally normal before (admittedly stressed after but then she did wind herself and cut two legs!)... you'd have thought she'd have been a bit off colour or something if it was the blood pressure dropping suddenly?

 

[AmyMay]

I had an older horse that I looked after for someone 18months ago. He started doing something similar in the field - and absolutely no reason could be found for it.

He wasn't ridden, so was no danger to a jockey, however my worry was that he would do it in the stable and seriously damage himself.

We had him put down ultimately - but not just down to this, as he had a host of other problems.

 

[Tapir]

I had an arab that did this once. I got on, tightened my girth (only by one hole and it wasn't very tight at all) and his knees and hocks gave. He then scrabbled about a bit and managed to get back up. It was very unnerving but the vet couldn't find anything wrong and it never happened again in the next 3 years I had him.

 

[minerva]

My horse "fainted" a few times in the field earlier this year, it was very odd and eventually the vet put it down to a viral infection which was causing epileptic episodes, he was on steroids for ages and has been fine since - fingers crossed!
It was accompanied by serious lack of appetite and weight loss and general dopiness (not normal for him).
did post about it in the veterinary section but was a while ago and there do seem to be all sorts of reasons for this kind of thing, hope you get to the bottom of it and try not to worry too much, it makes you very anxioius wondering when and wear they will do it next
x

 

[JRT]

I had a mare who was cold backed she would sink down to her belly when you tightened the girth, and sounded as though she was grunting. Either that or she would back up at great speed and fall over. I got round this by getting a leg up as she was walking and she never did it again.

 

[spike123]

there was a post on the New Rider forums which sounds very much like what happened with your horse.It was thought that the cause was to do with a nerve in the girth region which causes a horse to faint if it becomes pinched such as when tightening the girth.

 

[Halfpass]

I may be barking completley up the wrong tree and don't want to alarm you but this sounds very similar to a horse at our yard recently.
Most of the time that his current owners have owned him (4 years I think) they have been in and out of the vets saying he falls over / is lame or just doesn't seem right. Vets put it down to firstly a young horse, lack of balance etc then just clumsy / accident prone horse. Anyway last week owner went to catch him from field and it was as if he had no control over his front legs kept falling then walking fine then stumbling etc. Vet came out and horse went in for xrays and they have diagnosed him with a type of wobblers. Basically he has a growth on one of his vertebrae which is putting pressure on his spinal cord making him not be aware of where his legs are. It is affecting all four limbs.
I'm only telling you this as it took them so long to diagnose something that has been there for a number of years and had they caught it earlier they woudl have had many more options. It might be a thought just to get this kind of thing ruled out. Good luck and I hope you get you horse sorted soon.

 

[OWLIE185]

I would check out on his history. Why was he a rescue horse? Did previous owner(s) have problems with him?

 

[amandathepanda]

One thing I would want to rule out quickly if it was my horse is kissing spine where two of the vertabrae kind of rub together causing bizarre behavious. It doesn't really sound like your horse fainted, more a case of something hurt which is why he collapsed. Personally I don't think you should ride again until you know what is going on as it would be dangerous if your horse collapsed while you were riding. I saw a few horses when I was nursing at an equine hospital with kissing spines - one of which got referred to us with similar symptons.

I can see where the others are coming fromm with their comments about cold back, but the fact your horse does this whilst eating his feed doesn't ring true.

If your horse is insured I would box him straight over to an equine hospital & let them do the works - x-rays & possibly a bone scan too. I wouldn't be happy with the examination your vet gave the horse either as anything where your horse collapses dramatically like that is very worrying.

Good luck & keep us posted on the outcome! xx

 

[Nudibranch]

Yes I agree, I'm definitely thinking spine here. More tests are planned next week though I don't see why we have to wait for the blood tests to come back, she is insured so it's not a money issue! Owlie, there's virtually no history with this horse, all we know is she apparently used to race, has a granulated scar on off hind (ironically the only leg without arthritis!) and has had physio etc for it. Last carer gave her up, saying she didn't have time for her with having another horse - I'm getting suspicious something like this may have happened before and she hasn't mentioned it.