Horse stumbling and falling

J

Jump2live

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My 12year old paint mare(of unknown bloodlines) has recently started stumbling a lot. The other day she fell to her knees. She also did it once in the spring but because there was nothing after that I chalked it up to pure laziness as she was walking. But yesterday it happened at the trot and she was travelling forward off her hind end. She's been doing slight stumbles for the past 2 months. I'm hoping to get a vet out but my parents are reluctant and they're the ones who'd be paying for it as I can't afford the extra right now. This summer she seemed to be struggling a bit with the higher jumps(she's usually very athletic, she's 14.1 and used to jump 4' with ease) I don't think it's farrier related although we have had to change and were having trouble finding someone we like but she's had bad farriers in the past and was pretty much sure footed on any hoof they left her with. Does anyone have any ideas what it might be?
 
Please get the vet out. And I would stop jumping (actually, I'd lay off the riding completely) until you know what is going on. If your parents don't want to pay for the vet, try telling them that you are risking a serious accident by riding a horse that keeps stumbling.
 
She was taken out of work the minute she fell and hasnt been jumped since the stumbling began, I've already told them I won't teach lessons on her which removes their income from our farm.
 
Could be as varied as saddle fit/dental issues/long hooves/navicular/tendon problems/laminitis.

Emergency care would be to remove from grass and sweet feed until you can get a vet and rule out laminitis.

But it's a vet issue plain and simple.

Care and safety of the horse comes before money, so tell your parents to do as you tell them ;)
 
Laminitis (maybe Cushings?) or feet left to grow too long in between trims (another cost-saving measure?). There was a horse near us whose feet clearly hadn't been trimmed for several months, and the poor thing was tripping over its own feet. Was bound to have an accident and end up costing more than if the feet had been trimmed every 6 weeks or so. I have no idea whether this is the case with your horse, but worth weighing it up.

You could always post feet pix on here, and people will soon tell you if the feet are majorly out of shape in terms of long toes and/or lots of flare for the horse to be tripping over.

But otherwise, yes, I'd opt for vet too.

Sarah
 
I'd say from the OP's post that the horses feet are too long as Sarah has suggested.

False economy to wait long periods between trims imho.

Get the vet for a lameness work up, - and note to parents: if you take on the responsibility of an animal you must pay for the costs associated with illness.
 
This is probably not at all related but my friends TB started doing this everytime he was ridden, turned out he had arthritis in the neck. They turned him away for about 4 years, let the arthritis, joints, bones and etc do their calcification, bought him back into work and touch wood has never stumbled again
 
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