# Horse is down and can't get up



## goldilockz

Can you pull a vehicle out close to where he is and honk until he gets annoyed enough? My horse was down (long story that makes me angry - someone else caused it and I could have killed the woman), he had basically "given up" and I just honked and honked until he got tired of it and got up.

I hope your bebeh gets up!


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## Solon

Good grief call another vet out there and not the one you already worked with!!!


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## JWainscott1

It is to muddy to get back there. I rode the mower out and that didn't spook him. I am just at a loss. This is my first horse and was told if I didn't get him up he wouldn't make it being down 48 hours.


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## nldiaz66

so I take it he's got colic, you really need to get him up, I know your trying, I would try the horn honking, if he has a halter on you can try just pulling, not too hard but if you keep pulling maybe he will get up, good luck


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## JWainscott1

I have talked to two vets. One is supposed to call me back today. The other can't get out until tomorrow. That is why he suggested I call the other one.


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## nldiaz66

yeah u really need to get someone out today they probably have to clear him out.I'd call every vet in my area.I would also try giving him water..


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## Solon

Call *every* vet within an hour and get someone out there today. You have got a big emergency on your hands.


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## peace love and paints

how is your horse? we had an older horse lay down one day and it was just his time to go.. maybe shoot a gun near him loud noises scare horses badly. i hope he gets up im praying that he does.


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## Spastic_Dove

You need to get someone out ASAP. You said he is trying to get up but can't. Spooking him and dragging him out isn't going to work. You need to find out why he isnt getting up. Call every vet. Fork out the money for an emergancy ranch call.


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## close2prfct

Having a horse down is serious as everyone else has said, but I'd be wondering if it could be something other than colic if he not showing any other signs of colic. I know with tick fever it can take down a dog in no time flat they go down in their hind quarters and can't get up or walk. I have never seen it happen with a horse but that doesn't mean it isn't possible. Hopefully a vet can get there and figure out what's going on before he is down any longer


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## NorthernMama

Any news? I agree that it doesn't sound like colic to me, but other ideas coming into my head aren't nice either.


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## goldilockz

Any updates?


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## cayuseranch

what about an air horn? Very serious situation. hope you are having luck.


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## Peggysue

YOu need to be on the phone calling every vet you can until you get one there NOW not tomorrrow!!! Get him up


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## TrueColours

A neighbour of ours dealt with the exact same thing with an older (21 year old) mare of theirs yesterday. She lost total control of her back end and they all tried but couldnt get her up.

The vet came out and gave her Banamine and some other anti inflammatories, they stayed with her through the night and made sure she had access to food and water as she was eating and drinking just fine. They tried 4 times to get her up through the night and she'd get to a certain point and then collapse

They thought WNV? EPM? A stroke??? But had no real idea what they were dealing with

This morning she got up on her own, gave a shake and walked over to join her friends :? Stiff and not quite herself, but seemingly not too worse for wear so they are totally and completely stumped and are also prepared for the worse with her

Theyve put her into her own paddock close to the house so they can keep an eye on her, but her appetite is great and she seems almost back to normal strangely enough!

Good luck with your guy. It cannot be colic and please dont "scare" him trying to get him up. he could really hurt himself seriously if you do ... Horses wont lie there if they can help it. They are flight animals and not comfortable being in a vulnerable position. If he could get up - he would ...


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## Spastic_Dove

It sounds like he is trying to get up but can't. I don't think guns, air horns, or any other scare tactics are going to work. Laying down is a vulnerable position for a horse, from the sounds of it if he could get up he would.


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## starlinestables

Do you have access to a tractor with a front end loader? A friend of mine had a similar issue when her horse was first diagnosed with EPM. We got out the tractor and were able to get a strap under the horses stomach and tied it to the loader. We got the horse to remain sitting up long enough to gently lift the hind end. It worked! The stupid horse just stood there and munched on hay like it never happend.


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## Scoutrider

I would be calling every vet in the phone book, first of all. My suggestion as far as getting your horse up, when all else fails, would be _ONLY_ 1 or 2 _VERY QUICK_ touches with a Hot Shot or Cattle Prod. If the horse is still down, put the prod away, your horse is probably not physically able to stand. I know this sounds extreme, but so does your situation. I do agree with Spastic Dove, though. Unless your horse is that laid back (unlikely), I think he would be up by now.


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## HalfPass

I agree with every one else here...Get the help no matter what the heck it takes. Do you know anyone to come and help you try to get the horse up? Do you know anyone with a 4 x 4 or something that might have a horn dirt bike something anything....
I would be on that phone with every vet within a 100 mile radius.....
I hope by now the horse is up and some vet has come to help you.....
Half Pass


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## AussieDaisyGirl

I hope that you have been able to get a vet out by now. Sending tonnes of prayers for your horse!


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## JWainscott1

Sorry to post Atilla passed away last night. The vet said there wasn't anything that could have been done that wasn't. Like I said this is our first horse. We took him in as a rescue and he was very thin. We have had him for over a year and he had come around a great deal and was a big healthy horse before now. He had thinned some over the winter but nothing drastic. We got him vaccinated including west nile. I'm really at a loss. Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. The vet stated the same if he was able to get up he would have. They were going to lift him with a wrecker sling this morning but he passed before they could. The vet said it wouldn't had made a difference that he was up.


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## Maynme

I am so sorry for you and your horse, that is very sad. I will pray for you and your family!


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## mls

Spastic_Dove said:


> You need to get someone out ASAP. You said he is trying to get up but can't. Spooking him and dragging him out isn't going to work. You need to find out why he isnt getting up.


Amen.

Come on people. Do you seriously think spooking a down horse is a good idea? What if he had a broken leg? Or had pinched nerve in his spine?

OP - I'm sorry for your loss.


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## Equus_girl

Oh, I'm really sorry - that is so sad. I'll be thinking about you.


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## farmpony84

I'm very sorry for your loss. I started to post a response last night but thought at that point it would have been to late. I agree with mls regarding spooking a down horse. I would have suggested stacking haybales along the horses back to help keep him in an upright position. Then I would have suggested a backhoe w/ two tow straps to get him up. I used that technique with my old black horse and was lucky enough to have it work. I'm only posting suggestions now in case someone happens along that is having the same issue, maybe they can learn from your loss.

One thing you should know is that if you took this horse in as a rescue and brought it back to health and gave it love and care over the last year, then you did that horse the biggest favor and it died knowing it was loved. That is what matters. 

Sometimes with rescues, you don't know what damage is on the inside from abuse and neglect. I'm thankful for people like you who take in animals in need. I'm sorry for your loss.


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## NokotaWildHeart

I am really sorry for your loss. Will be praying for you and your family.


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## Vidaloco

Sorry you lost your boy. You did everything you could. Sometimes everything just isn't enough when its their time. Bless you for rescuing him. I'm sure he lived longer than he would have if you hadn't.


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## JustDressageIt

I am very sorry for your loss.

Please let this be a warning to anyone - if a horse is down and won't or cannot get up, call the vet immediately, and don't stop with treatment until you have answers. A horse that is down that long doesn't have a big chance of survival.


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## Scoutrider

farmpony84 said:


> One thing you should know is that if you took this horse in as a rescue and brought it back to health and gave it love and care over the last year, then you did that horse the biggest favor and it died knowing it was loved. That is what matters.


You've said it all, Farmpony. 

So sorry for your loss, JWainscott1 .


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## kitten_Val

Sorry for your loss. It's always hard no matter what. Just think that he had may be the best year in his life - with love and care.


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## Solon

What did the vet say happened exactly?

I'm a sorry for your loss. I'd recommend getting better educated about horses before getting another one. If that seems harsh then I am sorry for that too. 

You said this horse went down on Sunday. You came to this board on Tuesday. The vet should have been there the second that horse could not get up not trying to call two days later. If I am misunderstanding and he was there on Sunday, you should have called him again when the horse went down.

If the horse was showing signs of weakness and illness it should never have been in the muddy area where it would have risked falling in the first place. 

Find a local horse facility and volunteer there to get more experience with horses. They are certainly the best thing a person have but you have to really understand what it means to take care of them.


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## Spastic_Dove

Sorry for your loss.
Solon and FarmPony both offered some great words.


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## JWainscott1

I did not wait until Tuesday to talk to the vet. When I came to this forum he was already on meds for two days. I was just asking for advice on getting him up. He did not show signs of illness before he went down. He was not in a muddy area where he fell in the mud. It rained for three days and was to wet to drive back.


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## Solon

I thought you had said he had been down since Sunday. I saw that the vet had given you meds and instructed you to try and get him up. But two days of the horse being down (which is what your post seemed to insinuate) was too much and the vet should have been called right away to get out there and get the horse up.

How could he not be in a muddy area where he fell in the mud? There's probably more details then what we've been told and maybe that's why it seems questionable.

I would most certainly not work with the same vet. That guy should have bent over backwards to get to your horse with such a serious situation.

I *am* really sorry for what happened. It just _seems_ like something could have been done. It's a tragedy.


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## farmpony84

In his defense. When my horse went down the vet did the same thing. Gave me meds and told me he should get up on his own... and left.


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## Solon

That's interesting, my vet came right over when I couldn't get my boy up. It turned out he was colicking and it took several of us to get him up.

Either way, it's a very sad ending.


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## southerncowgirl93

I am so sorry for your loss. :-(


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## satrider

*horse can't get up*

just now reading about this, I hope your horse is OK, what is the progress?
I know I would be worried and would try everything to get him up


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## Maynme

I agree with farm pony, you could not possible no what internal damage your horse could have had with the neglect & or abuse it received. Please do not feel responsible for his passing. You called the vet in a timely manner and followed instructions. It may have just been his time to go.


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## satrider

well, I guess I did not look far enough, so sorry for your loss.


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## my2geldings

Solon said:


> What did the vet say happened exactly?
> 
> I'm a sorry for your loss. I'd recommend getting better educated about horses before getting another one. If that seems harsh then I am sorry for that too.
> 
> You said this horse went down on Sunday. You came to this board on Tuesday. The vet should have been there the second that horse could not get up not trying to call two days later. If I am misunderstanding and he was there on Sunday, you should have called him again when the horse went down.
> 
> If the horse was showing signs of weakness and illness it should never have been in the muddy area where it would have risked falling in the first place.
> 
> Find a local horse facility and volunteer there to get more experience with horses. They are certainly the best thing a person have but you have to really understand what it means to take care of them.


Well said.


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## JWainscott1

Thanks for all your concern. I did what I was instructed by two different vets. One I know for a fact does everything he can for animals. The man does farm calls in the morning and works all afternoon and evening at the clinic. All he does is work on animals and sleep. The second vet agreed with his decision to give him medicine. He was not in the mud he was out in grass. Around him became muddy with the rain and him moving around and us trampling around. Please do not think I left him out in the mud. Actually he was moving around the area just not getting up. He would eat around him and then move to another area to eat. Vet said it was not collic or he would not still be eating or drinking. The meds should have taken care of collic or a hurt leg either way. I also kept any sore that were made during the process sprayed with horse heal and kept him covered in fly spray. I feel terrible and wish I could have gotten him up. There was three of us pushing, pulling, flipping him to the other side, whatever we could think of. I can only assume it was his time to go. Even talking to the vet last night again he said there wasn't anything he could do I hadn't.


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## Solon

Actually some horses will eat even when they are colicking - that whole thing is just a nightmare. The often need tubed and banamine is often just not enough to pull them through. Hindsight is 20/20. It's hard to make an observation being on the internet and all, but I still have serious concerns about the vets you were working with.

It likely was his time to go. It's too bad your first horse experience went this way. Good luck down the road.


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## Deej

*OH my gosh!! I'm so sorry to hear about your horse. Is he still down? You poor thing. Your first horse? Are you ok?*


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## JWainscott1

Thanks and now I know there is a forum I can go to if and when I get another horse and have and questions or concerns.


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## Deej

Oh no. I'm so sorry. I didn't read far enough either. I'm very sorry about your loss. But don't let this discourage you. There is another horse out there just waiting for you! Good luck to you.


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## Solon

JWainscott1 said:


> Thanks and now I know there is a forum I can go to if and when I get another horse and have and questions or concerns.


You will learn SO much from this place. There are a lot of great topics here on every single thing you could ever want to know about horses.

I learn something new everyday!


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## farmpony84

Solon said:


> That's interesting, my vet came right over when I couldn't get my boy up. It turned out he was colicking and it took several of us to get him up.
> 
> Either way, it's a very sad ending.


It is a sad ending. Mine wasnt colicking when he went down. He's done it twice now. He's old. When he go's down they give him banamine (not for colic) and they give him adrenaline. We also give him alfalfa and water while he's down. Once I didn't think he was going to get up, it took half the day and into the night. The second time only took a few hours.....

To the OP: Welcome to the forum. I wish it was under better circumstances.


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## cayuseranch

OP: I think you did the best you could and I am glad you adopted an unwanted animal. How many people here can say that. Don't let this discourage you from getting another horse. Maybe others don't agree, but I say if you have the heart and the love to care for a horse then go get one. I would recommend that you get it vet checked or speak with the vet before you purchase the next one, but that doesn't mean that this won't happen again. Everyone here has made the wrong decision or a mistake before and looked back and said, what if I would have... You did the best you could.

I am sorry for your loss and I thank you for the love you gave to a rescue horse.

Best wishes.


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## BerkleysTops

JWainscott1 said:


> Thanks and now I know there is a forum I can go to if and when I get another horse and have and questions or concerns.


I just want you to know I respect your decision to adopt this rescue horse so very much. You made that horse very happy for this past year and be proud of that. It is a shame you are being judged when you were following the advice of your vet which is what most would do. You do not need to explain yourself to anyone. You did your best in a bad circumstance. You have nothing to apologize for nor try to defend. There will always be differing opinions no matter what course you take.

Remember your good times with your friend and know that others feel for you in your sorrow.


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## NorthernMama

Can I duplicate what Farmpony said? So sorry for your loss. You have done the horse a greatness in giving it a loving life for the last year. He crossed the rainbow bridge with friends.


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## riccil0ve

That's terrible, I'm so sorry... ='[

I experienced this once... there was a guy who would let me and a friend ride her horses, and we went out to ride to find an older mare, Copper, laying down. And she wouldn't get up. We got the owner, and we tried for hours to get her up. She could get up but she couldn't support herself, and would fall back down. While she was up, we tried to get her to walk closer to the barn, and she was limping one of her front legs something fierce. When the vet got there, he said she had paralyzed her front leg, and it was possible to keep her in a stall and that she could recover almost fully, but the decision was made to put her down. She had a good long life, and she spent her last hours getting all the attention she could get.

And what caused her paralysis? Our theory is another horse had bitten her along the neck and got a nerve. She had all sorts of scrapes along her crest. On the other hand, the other horse could have been trying to "pull" her up. 

It's terrible when things like this happen, and everyone always thinks, "I could have done this..." when you couldn't have. You did what you could, and your horse knew that. He'll be waiting for you on the other side, no doubt about it.


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## HalfPass

JW,
i am so sorry for your loss. As someone else already stated you gave this horse a great life by rescueing(sp) ! i am sure that you did your best to stand by the horse.
I am so sorry for your loss...
My heart goes out to you and your family....
HP


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## suegj14

Yesterday, my 25 year old gelding went down before feeding and wouldn't get up to eat. I called the vet, we put a halter on him and three of us pulled on him and pushed on him. He acted like he was dying, moaning and groaning, mouth open. He eventually got up, shook off and within a few minutes, I was walking him around and he wanted to eat everything in sight. The vet ruled out colic, found he was very dehydrated, hooked him up to an IV for fluids, examined him and came up with no explanation but said to keep a close eye on him. Very strange. I had ridden him earlier in the day, then bathed him and gave him his Senior equine. He had behaved very normally during the day, then went down in the early evening. I had seen him drink from the trough after eating his grain. He has always been healthy. (Today he seems fine.)


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## nldiaz66

sorry for your loss. I can only imagine how hard it is.When you learn to deal with the loss of your horse(I'm sure it's going to be hard to get over it) there will be others out there for you


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