Very wierd any ideas????

V

vanessahook

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 May 2006
Messages
528
Visit site
One of the wierdest things i have ever seen happened on Friday night. To give you a breif overview my mare has had some very difficult behaviural problems and has been out at grass since June as she is no longer really rideable.
Anyway Friday i tied her up and gave her dinner and left her to eat while i did some poo picking. I checked back a couple of times and she was fine, third time i glanced round she was flat out on her side. I set off running, it took me about 30 seconds to reach her, mean time she hasn't moved at all. I thought she had had a heart attack and was dead but i got close and shouted and she lifted her head and struggled up.
I got hold of her but she was all over the palce and had no idea where she was. She was trying to go down again so i let go cos i was scared she would fall on me. She wandered round in very strange circles and then stood still and her head was hanging down.
She seemed to recover about 15 mins later. I was in a catch 22 as it was getting dark and im a long way from the stables. I didn't think it was safe to risk leading her to the stables and it would have been dark by the time the vet arrived so i just monitored her over the weekend. She has been very quiet. Vet is coming out on Wednesday to take bloods. Anyone heard or seen anything like this before.
 
I would say, and I am sorry, but twinned with the behaviour you said she exhibits (I remember your first post) and now this, I would ask your vet to focus on a neurological problem, which may have worsened, hance the behavioural problems initially and now what seems to be a fit?

I am really sorry to hear this as I know what a struggle this mare has been for you. Hugs x x x
 
Yes, sounds like a fit - I've known of a few horses do similar things to varying degrees. I'd keep her off concrete for now & see what the vet comes back with.

Hope you get it sorted.
 
Thats exactly what i think, and i know deep down what the prognosis is but i have come so far i just need to know now and get some sort of closure on the whole situation.
 
[ QUOTE ]
nothing to hit her head on unfortunately

[/ QUOTE ]
Except the fencing...........
crazy.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thats exactly what i think, and i know deep down what the prognosis is but i have come so far i just need to know now and get some sort of closure on the whole situation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Once you have got the closure you need you will feel much better - It all sort of matches up I think, what with the behaviour and now this?

If that is what you think, to save time with the vet etc (and money!) I would ask him to focus specifically on this theory when he takes the bloods etc so you can eliminate it first - or deal with it.

Huge hugs to you hon, she is gorgeous but at least if it is this you will have reason for her behaviour once and for all x x x x
 
well despite all the trouble she has caused you never want to see your horse like that. makes me wonder whether this has been happening for a long time but this is the first time i have witnessed it.
My poor insurance company will probably have a heart attack when i ring them later!
 
[ QUOTE ]
well despite all the trouble she has caused you never want to see your horse like that. makes me wonder whether this has been happening for a long time but this is the first time i have witnessed it.
My poor insurance company will probably have a heart attack when i ring them later!

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree, and no, it cant have been nice at all x x
 
I suppose you just dont know how long its been going on. I can imagine you are not feeling great at the moment, as like you said no matter what shes put you through its awful to see your horse like that. And perhaps to think that it might have been an underlying problem all along aswell
frown.gif
Do keep us posted as to how it goes
frown.gif
x
 
Sounds like the issues you have been having are connected I'm sad to say.

I've seen 2 that have done virtually as your mare - I'm sorry but both had brain tumours.

I know how hard you've tried with this mare and I'm sure you feel terrible.

Big hugs and let us know how you get on with the vet
 
Fortunately my vet knows her history very well and spoke to me about it this morning. He wanted to send her for brain scans last year but Regumate had a good effect so we postponed it.
I do need a reason cos i have never met a horse like her, everything that is reasonable she has thrown back at me so it will be nice to hopefully get a positive diagnosis once and for all.
 
I am prepared for the worst case scenario but i was hoping to move out to France next year and let her enjoy her days in the sun. It wont be the same without her!!!
I will let you all know how she gets on and thanks very much for your replies.
 
are you sure she didnl;t get her head under the lead rope, mines done it before and it is possible she could have pulled up and really given herself a nasty on her poll area, the first joint of the neck is very influential in the blood supply to the brain so given the right movement she could have affected it significantly and almost passed out etc a bit like a fit.
 
i've seen a horse with ryegrass staggers, and that's the only thing remotely close. one of my mares had a similar episode, and the vet came out and gave her a huge boost of vitamins and minerals and took bloods, she was alright again in 1/2 hour and the bloods told us nothing.
no idea if it's genuinely similar though. poor mare, poor you.
frown.gif

i definitely would not ride her until i found out the reason.
 
My first horse had seizures. They'd been going on longer than I realised. Afterwards she'd be really spaced out with her bottom lip drooping but otherwise you'd never tell anything had happened - we were fortunate that she'd had all of hers in the field or stable with no one around to get injured. She'd displayed loads of difficult behaviour prior to this and I'd stopped riding her. It was only by chance a friend saw her down in the field, seemingly totally paralysed.
Unfortunately hers was a tumour but my vet did mention that problems with the kidney or liver (sorry it's all a bit hazy now) could have been to blame (and apparently this could have been treated).
Fingers crossed you get some answers and that they are of the happier kind!

Jo
 
I've just retired a horse with narcolepsy, sounds VERY similar to yours. Unfortunately there is no definitive diagnosis, bloods etc came back showing nothing. There is also something called vaso-vagal syncope which is basically fainting, apparently it can be triggered by daft everyday stuff like tightening a girth. She could have been referred to Edinburgh as she was insured but as the vet pointed out, if it is narcolepsy they won't find anything and the outcome remains the same - no riding. Good luck - and don't ride until you know!
 
I had a mare on my yard start having 'fits' this last spring. She had a very clear sequence of events and most of it was really disressing. she had epillepsy which is quite rare in the older horse for no apparent reason, she had suffered no trauma. She was sent for a scan and an MRI at huge cost but nothing was found.Unfortunately the fits got regular, every 7 to 10 days and they were very difficult to bring her out of safely. We had to have her put down as it would have been awful had she injured anyone or broken a limb herself.As it was we said goodbye on a quiet sunny evening this summer.
I have no idea about your mare's history but know how awful it is because you an't explain to them what is going on. I hope you find some answers. best of luck.
 
I've known a couple of horses with seizure disorders and I'm afraid this does sound similar. One turned out to have a tumour and became increasingly erratic. I don't know if the other two were ever firmly diagnosed but one was treated with Phenobarbitol. Frankly that was difficult to get done, not very effective and sometimes downright scary. None of them ever had a serious seizure with a rider on but they were all otherwise "odd" to ride. I've also seen a few horses with narcolepsy (or similar) and with what I suspect was vaso-vagal syncope and I have to say your situation sounds less similar, especially since their symptoms appeared in specific circumstances and they were otherwise "okay" to handle and ride.

A stroke or some similar circulatory disorder might also be at fault.

Oh dear.
frown.gif
I hope someone is able to give you some sort of definative answer, if only to provide you with information. It sounds like you've been having quite a time.

Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top