Narcolepsy

[Happy2Hack]

My mums cob has been diagnosed as having narcolepsy. I've not come across this in horses before. Does anyone here have any experience of horses with this condition?

Thanks!

 

[TayloredEq]

My boy had it. Used to have 12 - 15 cataplexic episodes per night and would actually hit the deck about once a fortnight.

They are best if they can be turned out as much as possible.

What symptoms does your mums horse show?? and how was it diagnosed?

There is an injection available, but it is a daily jab and it isn't cheap.

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

It depends on the type of narcolepsy

What sets it off? tacking up? standing still too long? feeding? or is it just randomly sporadic? as this obv effects treatment options.

Horses can cope with it, but obv means riding etc can become more dangerous due to this increased risk......

hope her pony is ok!

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

I had a lovely ex advanced eventer on loan that was the most perfect horse ever. We had him stood on the yard a couple of weeks after we had him and he had an episode, he looked like he was going to collapse and did it a few times.
I had also noticed the back of his hocks were a little "rubbed" on occasions and we since found out he would prop himself up inside his field shelter.
I got the vet out and he had an episode while she was there and she actually clapped really loudly in his face and there was no reaction whatsoever.
She thought he was unsafe to be ridden although I found out he had done it for a while before I had him.
His owner had him back to be a field ornament where he still is to this day I understand.

Such a shame as he was my dream horse with so much experience to offer.

 

[lillie07]

There was a little ex Adv mare at Moreton Morrell with narcolepsy- not sure on the type or the triggers (she used to hit the floor in her stable quite a lot and if I remember rightly couldnt be tied up outside) but she was ridden daily, still jumped and schooled etc and was still going in her late teens/ early twenties

 

[fatpiggy]

As long as you know what the trigger is (eg. doing up girth, being tied up) then you should be able to manage it. It is really quite common.

 

[Happy2Hack]

She does it when she's quietly relaxing! She dozes with her head resting on the stable door then almost goes down but seems to snap out of it before actually getting to far! We tie her up on the yard for grooming , tacking up etc and she is perfectly ok - hopefully she just has a mild case!

 

[moodymare1987]

I also had one on loan with view to buy that was like that, and had him tied up outside the stable and he just went down, didnt get to the floor but he did that a few times. He also when tacked up would go to go down then aswell. So stretching legs once tacked up was a no go. I ended up sending him back.

 

[suzysparkle]

Yes....one of the black carriage Horses in my pics had it. If he was stood still for too long he'd just go down. You'd see a knee go 'floppy' and then bang, he'd go down. I'm not convinced if it was actually narcolepsy or just that he lacked the ability to 'lock' his legs when sleeping standing up. It never affected him when working. Yours sounds like a similar case - I wouldn't worry. You just need to make sure there's nothing lying near the Horse when tied up just in case.

 

[jenh166]

My horse wasnt diagnosed with narcolepsy but i had a rather amusing incident when I'd just had a lesson with mary king, and was stood chatting to her about her medals she won at pratoni, getting pics done etc, then my horse just fell over right in front of her! and i was still on board - luckily no injuries! I think she was just dozing in the sun...

On a different note, I know one of tim stockdale's mares has narcolepsy, but shes still a fab jumper as she doesnt do it when concentrating!

 

[Gingerwitch]

My old lady has been diagnosed with this. she is does it when she is nodding off - and has marks on her fetlocks when she must "fall over" at night. We are going to try her on some "human" drugs when she is over a cough virus she has currently got. She seams really really bright in herself, it just that time she sleeps, her head gets lower and lower and her nose touches the floor, and she will either "jump" to wake up or she has been seen to fall forward. I have been advised to get some overreach boots and turn them up to protect her fetlocks, and my vets have said it is becoming more common in older horses (maybe cos they are living a lot longer than they used too). I would not give up just yet as my girl had a bout of this last year and has just started again.