“My 11 year old Anglo Arab mare was found 4 months ago with a severe head injury in her stable. “…
Her head was very swollen and she had a lot of cuts and scrapes. She was unable to stand but we propped her up against the wall. She couldn’t walk for 2 weeks and was trembling and sweating. My vet treated her for a concussion. She has improved dramatically but still tilts her head to one side and her ear flops down. She still wobbles when she walks although back in the paddock and can trot and canter around fine but wobbly. Is there anything I can do to make her more stable on her legs? Will she ever recover and be rideable?
Dr. Kimberly Gryl’s Answer:
Aquilla:
Sounds like your mare suffered a severe case of head trauma and sustained permanent damage to some central nerves, which may correlate to her balance. A head tilt is consistent with central nerve disorder. There may also be other abnormalities that are not readily as apparent (how is her vision?, as best you can tell). Anti-inflammatories and supportive therapy are indicated, which I am assuming your veterinarian did. How did he/she treat her?
I do not know if she will be rideable. Your veterinarian may not even know this. It may be possible to see some brain damage with the help of a CT or MRI diagnostic test. You will (likely) need to be within traveling distance of a university or huge practice to have this done, as small practices do not have this kind of equipment to perform such an advanced test. Hopefully this could give you more answers. The most important thing is for your mare to be safe to work around. If she is unstable or stumbling, tripping, or falling a lot, then you must be extra careful around her, and of course DO NOT RIDE HER. Good luck.
