Box rest, cross tying and sheepskin headcollars

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Eira

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So I've got a horse with 2 fractures in her leg and now lots of lots of cross tying and box rest.
4 days in and her current headcollar has rubbed her so need some suggestions of what I can buy to stop any rubbing and what I can do to keep her occupied and stop her from turning into the demon horse from hell..

Thanks x
 
Sorry to hear about your mare.

A few suggestions to keep her occupied: a mirror; carrots/apples hidden in her haynet; radio on.

I don't know where her head collar is rubbing but you can get Velcro sheepskin nose and and cheek piece covers which I imagine would work on a head collar too.

Wishing your horse a speedy recovery.
 
Ahh didn't think of just buying sheepskin pieces to attach onto her current headcollar. If she'd just look straight ahead at all times we wouldn't have this issue!
 
We don't cross tie anymore, what we do instead is build a wall of shaving bales around the horse so they have about a foot/foot abd a half to manouvre in every direction. This prevent them from turning, moving too much or laying down. It also provides handy mounts for feed and water. They don't need to be sky high, only 3 or 4 bales high all round. It means no headcollars, no rubbing, no restrictions on head movement and thus a less grumpy horse.

Just a thought.
 
Thanks for the suggestion, she's currently an inpatient at an equine hospital (and might there for a longer stay than the planned mini break!) so unfortunately she has to be x-tied for now.

Will definitely keep that in mind for her (hopeful) return home though. Thanks!
 
You could wrap a fleece bandage round the headcollar to help with the rubbing :) carrots/apples in the haynet, plenty of hay (soaked if good doer) etc
 
I think eskadron do a sheepskin lined headcollar? If you google sheepskin lined headcollar,I reckon you'll get a choice:) Best wishes for a speedy recovery for your girl.:)
 
Apples in water bucket too? Uncle Jimmys hanging ball? (wouldn't want it to smack her in head cos she couldn't move from it tho! Headache on top of broken leg,not good:()
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions. Feel a bit useless without the horse here so trying to plan for when she comes home!
 
It's the buckles that seem to be causing her the hassle (she constantly trying to move I think and turning her head!)

I thought about covering the buckles in bit tape or vet wrap but I'm not sure if that would irritate her just as much?

She's handling it all far better than I am!
 
Sorry to hear about your horse, I went through the same a few years ago and its hard. My boy was cross tied for about 12 weeks and did everything he shouldnt have! He lay down, somehow??? on a number of occasions but we got there in the end and he will be 14 next month and thankfully been sound since his fracture.
As for his headcollar, he left Leahurst with a heavily padded headcollar. They wrapped the felt type surgical bandage thickly around the noseband, headpiece and each 'cheek piece' and then put vet wrap over the top. The also put loops of baling twine on each 'cheek piece' and attached the cross ties to that. This allowed a bit more movement as the twine moved up and down the cheek piece. I also bought rubber trailer ties from Robinsons, they had a clip on either end and were a perfect length. We put tie rings either side of his door, gave him constant haylage, in small holed nets, one on each tie ring.and he stayed there for the 12 weeks, it was awful and broke my heart but he coped really well. I also had water in an over the door rubber bucket, so he had access to clean water.
Good Luck, you will get there and it will all seem a distant memory soon.
 
Thankyou for all of the ideas. She seems to be coping ok at the moment but I think the amount of attention she's getting being prodded and poked and the sedation may be helping!
 
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If only horses could talk!
 
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