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What could kill a horse within a few hours, no symptoms?

8 months pregnant, healthy sound 16 or 17 y/o Paso Fino mare. Absolutely fine this morning, dead this afternoon. Vet checked regularly on the pregnancy and she was fine

Update:

Thank you to all answers so far. I doubt gunshot due to the farm setup and doubt it was fright, not caused by excessive exercise (she had a very minor hind leg injury a year ago that rendered her retired from riding at all). All the rest I could see.

11 Answers

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  • Rosie
    Lv 7
    4 years ago

    Most likely aneurism or heart attack.

    I know of 2 horses that basically dropped dead from an aneurism.

    One was a fit, 8 year old Paint stallion. Trainer loped him down the center of the pen, stopped, and the horse dropped.

    The other was a 15 year old Appaloosa gelding owned by a friend. She'd ridden him around 'the block' about 2 miles, heading home, he reared and dropped dead, pinning her to the road. Luckily, someone saw it happen and was able to get him off her pretty quickly.

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    About the only way you will find out is through a necropsy, she could have had a heart attacks, massive stroke or aneurism. The placenta could have pulled away and become toxic to the mare, or possibly a porlapsed uterus that hadn't come out yet. The horse could have spooked in the stall swung her head around and clocked herself dead. I've seen it done before.

    I'm sorry for your loss but the only say you will know for sure is the necropsy.

  • Joe
    Lv 7
    4 years ago

    Sorry for your loss.

    I saw a horse go from "healthy" to "dead" in just a few minutes, once. This was a valuable horse, and insured, so there was a necropsy. They found an enlarged heart, and concluded "heart failure". (This was a high-level show jumper, who had not shown any symptoms before.)

    There's really no way to predict that sort of thing.

  • Annie
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    1

    Source(s): Pregnancy Remedies http://netint.info/GetPregnantNaturally/?mWEz
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  • 4 years ago

    Im sorry to hear that :(. The horse could of got a fright of some kind and died of shock. Heart attack. Anything.

  • 4 years ago

    Blister bug posion. Happned to a pony of mine. The only clue was blotches of yellow on his gums and lips.

  • 4 years ago

    Heart attack

    Internal bleading, if the foal kicked a hole in her.

    Lung abcess.

    stomach or intestinal abcess burst.

  • ?
    Lv 6
    4 years ago

    aneurism, CVA, colic, heart attack, gunshot, 22 can barely be seen and no exit wound.

  • foofy
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    Snake bite?

  • 4 years ago

    a necropsy will give you the answer but is extremely expensive.

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