Uncoordinated, unbalanced horse... suggestions?

[PapaFrita]

I've posted about this little arab before; he seemed to me and the grooms to have trouble seeing since he would spook most dramatically at the oddest occasions, and vet has since confirmed that indeed his sight is dodgy at best.
Vet has also said (vets here are terribly indiscreet) he's got some dejenerative joint disease and will most likely break down before he's 4 (he's now 2) BUT most alarmingly horse has now started losing his balance; literally staggering about with no warning and on one occasion actually toppling over.
Purely out of curiosity, what could cause symptoms like this? Wobbler syndrome perhaps? I've not had any personal experience but this is what crossed my mind
(and no, owner didn't bother to have horse vetted, or looked at by a person with half a brain, or even decent eyesight. Nor did he notice that neddy's front feet are completely mis matched and he has humungous windgalls.... *sigh* )

 

[vicijp]

It could be Wobblers.
The thing that springs to my mind would be Ringbone. I had one develop it last year and he went as you say. He couldnt even walk across some nice grass without tripping, could only manage road or all weather.
Is the horse in work at all, eiter way a total rest is probably the only hope for him.
See what he is like spinning on a tight circle, backwards and down a hill.

 

[eventing_chick]

If it was mine i'd be thinking wobbler, horses like that are a danger to themselves and others around them.

Sorry to say it sounds a bit of a hopeless case.

 

[seabiscuit]

Most definately Wobblers there are 5 neruological tests you can do to test for a wobbler- I will dig them out !

 

[PapaFrita]

Horse is being backed now and is in light work. He's been fine so far when ridden, but once Fabian tried to turn him round in the stable for the vet and he nearly fell over! Another time when he spooked and F didn't let go of the leadrope he DID fall over

F thought he'd had a heart attack or something and dropped dead he was so astonished.

 

[PapaFrita]

Well, there's certainly plenty wrong with him even before we get to wobblers

 

[PapaFrita]

Thanks

We did the circle and he was ok one way and pretty crap the other. Will try again, and backing him up today.
His owner is a TOTAL kn*bhead (I can't emphasize this enough) can guarantee he will insist on riding horse, won't get vet out and almost certainly blame F for something!!
Did I mention he was a kn*bhead??

 

[seabiscuit]

Yes, you did mention that the owner was a knobhead!! PMSL you do have such characters out there!!

I was just thinking, this horse sounds so much like another horse I knew that (was thought to have) EPM. He spooked at the oddest occaisions and seemed to have funny eyesight.Also unco-ordinated. looking up on the web, found this;- EPM Equine Protozo Myowhatist -whatsit - basically another neurological disease. EPM Just wondering wether this could be linked to this horses eyesite problem. Does he have any muscle wastage on the face or a droopy eye ( where one eyeball falls down- sounds bizarre but you only notice it on the very odd occaision) or is there any kind of a head tilt?

The other tests for Wobblers are seeing if it can walk when blindfold, and seeing if the horse will correct itself when it has its tail pulled over when walking- more on this website below- ( half of this article is a load of crap, but some of it is right!!) Another big thing I noticed in Forrest who had it was that he had severe muscle wastage on both sides of his neck but this would be difficult to pinpoint in your horse as he prob looks v.weak and has no muscle anyway I'd imagine?
Wobblers

 

[PapaFrita]

His eyes are a bit 'bulgy' and his face, if you look at him head on is not symmetrical; it's very, very slightly curved and one eye is a fraction lower than the other. Muscle-wise on neck back and quarters I've not noticed anything strange. In fact, he looks rather well. Will take some pics/vids today if I can.
Thanks for the links

 

[seabiscuit]

Your description of the face sounds exactly like C who had the EPM. Bulgy eyes and one eye lower than the other!
Poor horse!

 

[PapaFrita]

Oh dear. Doesn't sound good at all does it? I've been reading from the site you gave me on EPM and little arab ticks nearly all the boxes!!

 

[BethH]

I know a horse that something similar happened to it and it was a calcium build up on the brain I think the owner said. Not sure what it was technically called but meant it kept losing it's back end and falling over - possibly some sort of neurological damage, I think the calcium build up impinged on the nerves sending messages to the legs or something peculiar like that. I don't know if this only happens in horses that are a bit older - 2 seems terribly young for the sort of issues you are describing. Hope it is something simple that can be sorted poor thing.