# Horse fell over on side for no reason.



## Ashkat128 (Nov 4, 2013)

Hmm you have every right to be worried! I would confer with a vet right away and see if they feel it might be worth a trip out to see him. A horse at a barn I used to board at displayed similar behavior (uncoordinated, occasionally wobbly and fell over once). No one thought much of it until worsened. He was eventually diagnosed with West Nile and barely survived his ordeal. That being said there are a great many things that can effect a horses balance, coordination and nervous system.

Good luck! Hopefully he just had a clumsy moment.
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## b7afonso (Apr 2, 2014)

Thanks. He does seem to stumble at times when he walks, and might be off balance or uncoordinated. But there's nothing wrong with his appetite, no fever, colour of his manure is still normal... I really have no idea...
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## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Try backing him up... If he has difficulty doing this, and lifts his hind legs in an exaggerated, wobbly fashion, he may have wobblers syndrome.


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## Aesthetic (Aug 7, 2012)

Where are you located? Keep and eye out for EHV-1 in your area. I don't know the symptoms but I know it's neurological. 
That's odd, is definitely call my vet!


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## b7afonso (Apr 2, 2014)

Has anybody else seen anything like this before in horses? It didn't happen to him again
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## b7afonso (Apr 2, 2014)

He also backs up fine no wobbles... and runs and eats
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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

I would do the tail test. I would get a vet out yesterday!


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Don't know about West Nile or the likes over here (crosses fingers) but have seen 'neurological' issues that cause a horse to fall over out of the blue, including 'wobblers'. So called 'narcolepsy' is another possibility, which I suspect is more about, due to stress or physical probs such as lack of working 'stay apparatus', that the horse is exhausted due to sleep deprivation. Hoof imbalance, pain or other lameness issues can also cause a horse to be 'trippy' - you say he's often 'un-co' so it sounds like this may have just been a 'worse than usual' event, rather than 'out of the blue for no reason'.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

subbing to hear more...


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

usually the last thing a horse will stand for is to fall over, (looking at that now, no I'm not trying to be funny, no pun intended). There are two options I guess, One, the horse is just really clumsy, I had one like that. Wasn't my own horse, it was a horse I had assigned to me on a cattle station I worked on, she fell over while I was riding her at least 3 times, the last one she nearly killed me.
The other option is that there is something wrong with your horse, like others have said, get a vet to have a look at it.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Andrew, I have a really hard time believing that a horse would be so clumsy as to fall over for no reason. I have seen horses fall over when they slip on a corner, once with me on, but horses just aren't clumsy like that. 

I would have a chat with the vet and then decide from there where to go.


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

NorthernMama said:


> Andrew, I have a really hard time believing that a horse would be so clumsy as to fall over for no reason. I have seen horses fall over when they slip on a corner, once with me on, but horses just aren't clumsy like that.
> 
> I would have a chat with the vet and then decide from there where to go.


I thought so too till I rode that horse, she was, without question, the most clumsy animal I have ever encountered, and when I say she nearly killed me, I'm not exaggerating, I was in and out of consciousness for 6 hours and airlifted to the Darwin Hospital after being flown back to the station airstrip in the mustering helicopter; and still bare the scars to this day. Utterly useless horse you didn't have to be riding her, I'd just watch her walk around and she was the same. she was retired to being a brood mare after she messed me up they wouldn't use her as a station horse after that.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

^A broodmare because she's so clumsy she's only good for passing on her genes...? I agree with NM. Not at all saying horses can't be that 'clumsy', but that there is very likely a physical - or neurological - problem behind it. Sometimes it may be as 'easy' as imbalanced hooves or such...


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