A three-month-old Standardbred colt with no prior medical history presented to the Cornell Equine Hospital as acutely down. The foal was found in lateral recumbency in the pasture, and was able to stand with assistance before trailering to Cornell for emergency evaluation. The patient was assessed to have an acute, progressive, painful, non-lateralizing, non-ambulatory tetraparesis that was localized primarily to C6-T2. After radiographs and computed tomography, a C6-7 fracture was diagnosed—fragments of which were displaced and compressing the spinal cord. Prognosis for return to function and quality of life was poor and the foal was euthanized and submitted for necropsy.