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Down Horse

D

DJL

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 15, 2005
Messages
897
Location
southern Alberta
I have a mare that is very fit, and was fine at 6:00, but down by 8:30. Called the vet, who concluded that she had tied-up, as she had been idle for about a week after working the feedlot all winter, and then had been running and bucking in the pen earlier that day. Ran all the usual drugs, but she was still down the next morning. She has shown some improvement as far as brightness, and eats and drinks, but can't get up. Her front end works fine, but she has little control of her back end, which the vet figured was part of the muscle damage from tying up, and said there may be too much damage, so she may have to be put down. I am wondering if she injured herself during her play session, but it isn't looking good. At the end of this run of bute if she isn't up, she is going home by a different trail, which breaks my heart. Any one else have any experience with something like this? Any help would be appreciated.
 
Did he run any tests for WN? It doesn't really sound like it, but ya never know....
 
Id bet she did injure herself with the horse play. wouldnt think she'd tie up this long afterward. more than likely gonna have to get her up
 
Well hand, I had a big gray that did almost the same thing. Now this might sound like a yuppy thing but I am not kidding. The woman that was living down the road (not a vet) said she could fix the horse she came over did a bunch of massage and then aligned the horses spine. Just like going to a chiropracter. Anyhow she worked on him for some time, after she was done the horse was up. visibly soar but he was up and in about a week acted like nothin had happened. Come to find out he had "ruptured a disk" any way I never tried to rope on him after that but he seemed sound. You might want to check in to this cuz I would hate to see you put the pony down for no reason.
 
Thanks guys. I've been wondering if it could be a pinched nerve, but I never thought about a disk. She sits on her butt with no apparent pain; in fact she doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain at any time, but the bute may mask it. This is the kind of horse you dream of, or at least I do. She is an honest 16 hands, fast walker, and cowy as they come. I was amazed at how she can sweep while cutting cattle, sorting in an alley, as big as she is. I know of a gal that does massage and kenesiology, so I am going to give her a try before this mare takes the other trail.
 
I'm thinking she slipped while running and playing. This just doesn't sound like a tying up problem. Usually when horses tie up they sweat a great deal too.

Our daughters horse slipped, went down in the front and caught himself in the hindend about 10 years ago. They saw it happen to him and he was lame for a long time in the rear hip area because of it. I think had they gotten a chiropractor in the beginning he could have been helped.

Good for you for having an open mind and wanting to do all you can for the horse. Let us know what happens and...

GOOD LUCK!!
 
I had one do something like that last fall it ended up being west nile.She is no longer with us.
 
My QH buckskin and Appy were playng chase one day and QH pulled up lame in his hindquarters.

Seems he pulled a back muscle kicking and playing. He could get up and down but it was a struggle and sometimes I had to go out give hiim a boost up!!!! That massage treatment DOES work...we tried it. It takes some time, heat pack/ice packs ,meds etc.

If you've got the time, patience and love for the horse it might be worth a try.
 
Its way too early up here for WN. The mosquitoes aren't out yet, and where we live they are few and far between most years. Going to try to get her up today, and see how it goes. I won't watch her suffer, but I don't want to give up too quick either.
 
DJL said:
Its way too early up here for WN. The mosquitoes aren't out yet, and where we live they are few and far between most years. Going to try to get her up today, and see how it goes. I won't watch her suffer, but I don't want to give up too quick either.
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I hope she is going to be OK,hard when shes such a good horse.Your closer to the mountains aren't you? We have mosquitoes like you would not believe,really bad this year!!
 
Yes, Mrs. Greg, we are close to the mountains. We do get bad mosquitoes some years, but hopefully this won't be one of them.
The mare isn't so perky this morning. I am thinking it really isn't looking good for her.
 
Its a sad day around here, as the mare was getting weaker and showing obvious pain, which indicates that she was not healing, but rather deteriorating. I made the decision to put her down, as she didn't deserve to suffer longer. It sure wasn't the outcome I had hoped for, but I said my goodbyes through a lot of tears and sent her on her way to greener pastures.
 
Everyone has probably seen this a million times, but I really like the Rainbow Bridge.


Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...
 
DJL said:
Its a sad day around here, as the mare was getting weaker and showing obvious pain, which indicates that she was not healing, but rather deteriorating. I made the decision to put her down, as she didn't deserve to suffer longer. It sure wasn't the outcome I had hoped for, but I said my goodbyes through a lot of tears and sent her on her way to greener pastures.
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Our sympathies,hard,damn hard losing a good horse :cry:
 
I'm sorry.

I hope you realize that is the last good thing you can do for your friend.
Watching something suffer is terrible, be it man or beast.

You have to know you did everything you could. Would really be interesting to know what happened.
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We had a nice gelding that we had bought and Mr. FH rode him 3 times. He was a big, nice, happy horse. He ate his grain one evening and was turned out. When Mr. FH went to wrangle the horses the next day, this gelding was dead on the road. We had him posted and it was SALMONELLA. Of all the crazy things.
 
It was when we were in W. Montana and we got him from some people
at Plains. We paid $2200 for him (this was several years ago) so I always mentioned the fact that it was $750 a ride. (He rode him 3 times.)
Nice, nice horse too.

We did learn some facts about Salmonella in horses. Salmonella is in the gut in all horses. It is when they are stressed that salmonella starts go overgrow. When it gets from the gut to the bloodstream (I think that is the way it was described to us, but it's been quite awhile ago) then is when horses die. It is very contagious and the animal needs buried right
away, which we did.

This horse didn't act stressed at all. He was a really happy acting horse. We grained him, he ate it all and we turned him out the night before.
He was still on the road when Mr. FH found him. No sign or symptoms.

You can save them if you know it fast enough, but it really takes its toll and requires a long time doctoring for it.
 

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