# Horse Help needed ASAP!!



## HorseMama81 (Dec 15, 2014)

hi, I had a mare go down on me this morning, she was a rescue, close to 30 and the vet and I both agreed that it was most likely a combo of her age and spending her life starved(I've only had her for 2 months). This was at 6 am today, we worked on her too noon when we made the call and my bet put her down. At about 3 I went out to check on the only other horse that's stalled, a 15 year old gelding., he was down.. Now I have 5 other horses that are on 24/7 turnout and they eat the same hay and grain as these 2 and they are fine.. The geldings gut sounds fine, he's pooping normal, has a great appetite.. But every time he tries to get up he acts like his back legs won't support him or he can't get them up under him to lift himself.. I've been making him stay semi upright and he's doing it but when he tries to get up(he tries on his own as well as me trying ) his temp is normal, everything else seems fine.., any advice is welcome.. I fed him some mineral oil to try n help him flush his system.. My vet is hours away right now, he is aware of what's happening but he is the only vet with any horse experience around n won't be able to get here till tomorrow afternoon at the earliest


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## norseofcourse (Dec 15, 2014)

I'm sorry about the mare    even when they're old and you know it's time, it's still hard.

With your gelding, is there any chance he'd gotten cast in his stall and injured himself trying to get free?  Any sore areas along his spine? (be very careful if you check for this, if he's in pain he may move unexpectedly).  It's good that you're able to keep him at least partially upright and his vitals seem to be good - best thoughts for him, hope the vet can help him tomorrow.


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## HorseMama81 (Dec 15, 2014)

No not cast, he actually just looked like he was chilling when I found him.. I had just moved stalls bc I didn't want him near the mare when we put her down.. I'm leaning towards EPM.. It's only thing I can think of that would affect 2 that close together time wise.. He's staying semi upright eating so I think his organs and muscles will be okay but just can't get his rear end up


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## Baymule (Dec 15, 2014)




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## HorseMama81 (Dec 15, 2014)

And thanks guys.. Really appreciate the efforts


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## Baymule (Dec 15, 2014)

It always hurts to lose one. Hope your other horse turns out ok.


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## HorseMama81 (Dec 15, 2014)

Thank you.. If I would have thought for one second that it was something else going on with the mare this morning I would have fought harder for her,.. We knew she was in bad shape, the vet had been working with me on her from Day 1.. We both thought that she really was just giving up, that the lifetime of starvation and neglect had caught up and she was happy to go with a full belly.. Now I feel I've failed her and it will devastate my daughter if we loose him.. She worked every day with him to get h healthy.. She sits on him in turnout with no tack, not even a halter and reads on his back or just lays on him while he grazes.. If we loose him right before Christmas,


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## GLENMAR (Dec 15, 2014)

Try to get some bales of hay around him to keep him up the best you can. That's a long time for one to be down.


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## secuono (Dec 15, 2014)

Have anyone else to help you get him up? Use a pulley system to get his back end under him and up?


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 15, 2014)

I am so sorry


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## HorseMama81 (Dec 15, 2014)

Yeah we tried a wench .. He fought too hard for us to be able to get him up safely.. We're looking for someone with a sling system and backhoe to be able to get him up fast.. I have 2 bales and a couple winter blankets behind him so he can't lie flat on his side.. I keep moving his hay coward so that he has to stay upright to reach it.. I was (still am) stressing over the amount of time down, but I was told up to 48 hours and asked my vet n he confirmed.. Said its not ideal but will stay in the safe range for that long..


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## HorseMama81 (Dec 18, 2014)

I just wanted to let everyone know that the vet made it out, took blood and the gelding passed shortly after. I sent both horses to the state vet for autopsies and my vet said nothing unusual in the bloodwork..a hard loss right before Christmas


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## frustratedearthmother (Dec 18, 2014)

I am so sorry.      Hope they can get you some answers.


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## secuono (Dec 18, 2014)

Hopefully the necropsy give you a cause! 
So sorry!


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## Hens and Roos (Dec 18, 2014)

Sorry to hear that


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 18, 2014)




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## norseofcourse (Dec 18, 2014)

I'm so sorry    hope they can tell you what it was.


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## GLENMAR (Dec 19, 2014)

So sorry. I know how hard that is.


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## Pearce Pastures (Dec 31, 2014)




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## Therry (May 7, 2015)

I'm new so just saw this. I am terribly sorry for your loss. I know you said they were autopsied,  you do you think something "un noticed in the autopsie" has happened to them? Maybe a pinched nerve that was just too bad? Or? Was this mystery ever solved?


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