Box rest boredom - any tips?

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goldypops

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I have 2 on box rest with laminitis at the moment. One due to cushings and one with impaction/stress due to the rutted ground. The latter is a little pony who comes in at night anyway and so hes not particularly bothered by being on box rest but my mare is used to being out 24/7 and is going stir crazy and trying to barge her way through the door! Have anyone got any boredom breaking tips? Dont really want to be giving her carrots/apples in her bed to find due to the sugar content - are swedes lower in sugar then I can hang one up for her??
They are luckily at home and I am here most of the day so I am doing lots of little soaked haynets through the day so something is happening in their boring days.
 
Afraid my mare needed ACP to help her get through box rest; she weaves at the best of times, not very appropriate for laminitis!
Salt lick, radio, different types of forage maybe?
 
Have you tried hanging things from the roof beams she can play with? We used to put empty plastic clean milk bottles, balls, etc dangling from the ceiling. Horses would play for ages with them. Easy to replace when they finally get hold and sink their teeth into it.

We've got one of our broodmares on box rest (has been since Christmas Day when she fell over and has smashed both her hip and pelvis and ripped all the muscles around the area) and will be on box rest up until foal is born (end March) and thankfully she isn't in the slightest bit bothered. This mare just loves her stable and would prefer to be in than out so if it had to happen to one of them, thank goodness it happened to her. No toys, gadgets or games for her - she just loves looking over her door seeing what's going on thinking the rest of the gang are idiots going out to play in the awful weather. She's also got the guard dogs for company who go up to her for an occasional lick on the nose.

Hope yours don't have to stay in too long.
 
Routine.

It might actually be more disturbing for her if you're about because she'll be asking you to put her out and getting upset when you don't. The most important thing is that they have something to eat (hay) and are comfortable.

I'd be tempted to leave her alone as much as you can (I assume she can see the other one so isn't alone alone).
 
Thanks for the replies. I have loads of milk cartons and a handy beam so will try that tommorow.
Astray - yes you are probably right. Me sneaking out all the time to see if they are ok and what they are up to isn't helping! I'll try and stick to morning and evening. As I said in my last post its probably me worrying more than they are actually bothered!
 
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