Box rest/field pen rest

[Michen]

In brief for those who don't know, Boggle is on 3 months box rest with controlled walking commencing tomorrow, starting at 5 mins each day and ending on 15 mins one end 50 mins the other end. He then needs a further 3 months in a "small paddock" and will then be turned away until next spring.

I've got the most perfect place lined up for him after the initial box rest, its a super quiet retirement yard with a purpose built field pen with very little comings and goings (he gets very lit up on the livery yard when things start moving around- wouldn't be suitable). He will always have company (shetlands or another connie when not ridden) next to the pen.

Pen rest will start mid May and he will obviously need hay as the pen will graze down super quick. However I'm second guessing myself. Obviously it will be spring/summer, but is it fair to have a horse in one constant tiny area out in a field? He usually comes in during the day out of the flies etc. Obviously plenty of horses live out 24/7, but actually there's no shelter etc for him where this pen is, its a sectioned off with wooden fencing area of the field so totally exposed... he will simply be standing in the sun/rain 24/7?

I've never done field pen rest before but I am just not sure 12 weeks in something like this is actually suitable, and whether he may be better being stabled for half the day? The pen is about the size of 4 stables perhaps.


Am I worrying unnecessarily....

 

[chaps89]

If there's no shelter then I would want the option of stabling him part of the time if/when summer hits, personally. Although that's only any good if the stables don't get too hot themselves.
Being in a pen the size of 4 stables is definitely infinitely better than being in a stable, especially if the stable also gets hot.
Could you rig up a temporary shelter using heavy duty tarp/canvas and some poles for him?

 

[ycbm]

I would only do pen rest if the pen can be moved and he can graze. Will he respect electric fencing? If there is no grazing I would want a bigger area, say an E shape to stop him running anywhere, with hay at various points in the E to make him tootle around.

I did an E with my very fractious warmblood after a tie back and it worked extremely well.

.

 

[milliepops]

I did pen rest August to October last year with an electric pen that I moved daily.

As the summer was not too hot she coped fine without any shelter though rainy days I did have to just throw a rug on and forget how sad it seemed.

The alternative for me was worse, to get through box rest I would have had to keep another horse in 24/7 because she pair bonds so couldn't cope with alternating friends. Pen rest surrounded by a static herd was perfect for good healing.

I echo ycbm I would only really want to do this with a pen I could move, if it rains then a small area turns to mud quickly and if it has to be fixed on a surface for instance, then a more complex shape would be more useful to keep movement to mooching rather than hooning.

I think they cope better than we think though.

 

[Michen]

The pen is proper wooden built posts so wouldn't be able to move. I'm not sure if maybe pen rest is actually too strict, vet said "small paddock"... but surely anything bigger than a pen he can work up speed in so makes a small paddock a little bit pointless?

Actually the point is that he needs to mooch about and move thus negating the need for any more controlled exercise... how do you get the sizing right to say this is enough that you will move and graze but not enough for any damage!

 

[Michen]

I would only do pen rest if the pen can be moved and he can graze. Will he respect electric fencing? If there is no grazing I would want a bigger area, say an E shape to stop him running anywhere, with hay at various points in the E to make him tootle around.

I did an E with my very fractious warmblood after a tie back and it worked extremely well.

.

He might respect it... I'm not actually sure!

 

[milliepops]

Actually the point is that he needs to mooch about and move thus negating the need for any more controlled exercise... how do you get the sizing right to say this is enough that you will move and graze but not enough for any damage!

the first time I ever did pen rest was Millie and the vet said though it was a pain, it would be best to construct a bit of a maze when I added space, rather than just giving her a bigger space. I've done that ever since, so I connect small boxes together with gaps that are in different places so they have to wander about (from fresh grass to the water, for instance) but can't get a run up anywhere.
It seems to work really well. Kira's was signed off as "textbook" healing this time despite only lasting 2 weeks in the box (she was supposed to do 6 )

 

[ycbm]

He might respect it... I'm not actually sure!

If he will, with temporary posts, it's a godsend. But some of them work out how to grab the very top of the post and pull it up! Since we are talking about Bog here, you may need to test him in a confined area first

.

 

[milliepops]

yes good point. I treated myself to 5 foot posts this time and put 4 strands on but K is super respectful of electric fence, this was more to keep the others out

 

[Goldenstar]

No it’s not reasonable to use a small pen 24/7
I would if he will settle put him out a night and have him in during the day, The last one I had on box rest would not have done this .
rain makes the pens impossible to use and unless you move them all the time .
I have six small pens that just about kept Harvey happy without hay getting two two hour slots one night and morning . Rain was difficult . I rotated them and watered the ones he was off to keep them growing .
Flys where a problem when they where bad I got round this by turning out early before they got going and doing one with lots of spray he got too hot in a fly sheet and went mad .
you might have to experiment a bit with what’s the best way the two two hour slots in the day worked for Harvey any longer than that and he began entertaining himself .

 

[be positive]

That sounds more like box rest than restricted turnout, the grass will be eaten quickly and as it cannot be moved there is no chance of it growing back, I would expect 3 pens, or the equivalent, so he can be moved every couple of days and some grass will recover, my sec a has very restricted turnout in spring/ summer and the grass does recover very quickly when the fence is moved but it needs moving a little every few days to give something to nibble at, I think bringing him in every day would be a good idea or at least have the option to use one to get out of the sun and flies.

 

[Michen]

No it’s not reasonable to use a small pen 24/7
I would if he will settle put him out a night and have him in during the day, The last one I had on box rest would not have done this .
rain makes the pens impossible to use and unless you move them all the time .
I have six small pens that just about kept Harvey happy without hay getting two two hour slots one night and morning . Rain was difficult . I rotated them and watered the ones he was off to keep them growing .
Flys where a problem when they where bad I got round this by turning out early before they got going and doing one with lots of spray he got too hot in a fly sheet and went mad .
you might have to experiment a bit with what’s the best way the two two hour slots in the day worked for Harvey any longer than that and he began entertaining himself .

A small pen that's the size of 4 stables has to be better than 24/7 box rest though?

I'm not sure about bringing him in and out like that, that sort of feels like a catalyst to have a hooley... hmmm.

 

[Michen]

Thanks guys I'll talk to the vet.. it may be that he doesn't mean something quite so small.

What would you consider a "small paddock"?

 

[milliepops]

Thanks guys I'll talk to the vet.. it may be that he doesn't mean something quite so small.

What would you consider a "small paddock"?

I think it depends on what the vet has in mind in terms of exercise, and what you reckon he will do tbh. so clarifying that is probably the best thing.

A small paddock for some of mine could be half an acre and they would pootle around in it quietly. I have one in a bit that size at the moment having a bit of quiet time to get over an abscess. At least one of the others would see that as a license to do speed laps all day.

 

[Goldenstar]

I don’t see how he can be expected to settle in a small mud filled pen in the flys in the sun 24/7 .
The pen will get churned up I had six and had to manage very carefully that was only just enough to rest them and the horse was out four hours a day in total if he was out more than that he went nuts.
he had a horse next to him at first but in time I worked out he was most settled when the other horses where stabled and he was out alone .
He got very good about moving about in a mannerly way although the in hand walking was dodgy we led him from another horse and he was fine with that .
He was a very settled horse with a lovely nature who liked his stable that’s a huge help in these situations .

 

[Goldenstar]

My pens vary a little in size they are about six stables some are smaller some bigger.
half an acre is in my view to big they can get up to too much in that size .

 

[be positive]

Thanks guys I'll talk to the vet.. it may be that he doesn't mean something quite so small.

What would you consider a "small paddock"?

I would consider an area about 1/4 of an arena, so 10m x 20m ish a small paddock but I would want at least an arena sized area to be available for 1 horse to provide some grass for the 3 months he is on it, so moving about as and when to give him something to nibble on even if the majority of his food is hay.
When one of mine was on similar recently he soon got bored and I had to keep moving the fence, I set up a long thin area and moved him down a chunk every couple of days before it was bare and he started to go up and down looking at the grass outside.

 

[milliepops]

When one of mine was on similar recently he soon got bored and I had to keep moving the fence, I set up a long thin area and moved him down a chunk every couple of days before it was bare and he started to go up and down looking at the grass outside.

this is how I moved Kira's last year. I had a long section marked out and the top and bottom edges of her pen on separate bits of elec fencing so I could slide one along to a fresh bit and bring up the rear behind her.

I wasn't suggesting half an acre was appropriate in this case It was more about how you sometimes need to tailor things to the individual involved. I could never give Millie a big space without a maze all over it until she was fully signed off and in full work because with just enough space she would jump out of anything or charge around. The one having a rest at the mo is quiet as anything.

 

[Evie91]

When I had previous horse on pen rest- she was out during the day and in at night. Electric fencing, which she fortunately did respect. She had hay in the pen. Did not have the option to move the pen, it was about the size of four stables. She was sedated initially. Think we did this for 8 weeks, not ideal but was better than box rest. She coped remarkably well. Her pen was in her paddock,so she could see her field companions. I was lucky that she was very very sensible. Little bit of a buck but that was it. She also responded very well to a magnesium calmer, doesnt work for all but had an amazing effect on her, so may be worth a try.
Don’t think I would be happy leaving in a small pen 24/7.

 

[Michen]

Ok think I nay need to find somewhere else just asked and they can’t section off any of the field so it’s either pen or a half acre.

Gutted as it was 5 mins away and will be perfect for when he’s turned away but more important he’s somewhere that works for him than is close to me.

 

[milliepops]

that's a shame. TBH I have found the pen rest stage to be pretty labour intensive, far more than box rest, and have always done it myself so I can set things up exactly how I want. is it worth looking for a proper rehab yard somewhere maybe further afield, that kind of set up maybe more accustomed to the needs of a pen resting horse?

 

[ihatework]

I actually don’t have an issue with a large pen, but it does very much depend on the weather and the quality of the ground. If the pen had a bedded down shelter, hay and wasn’t a muddy mess then I’d happily run with that.
If it’s a small square patch of grass then I don’t think it’s adequate

 

[Michen]

that's a shame. TBH I have found the pen rest stage to be pretty labour intensive, far more than box rest, and have always done it myself so I can set things up exactly how I want. is it worth looking for a proper rehab yard somewhere maybe further afield, that kind of set up maybe more accustomed to the needs of a pen resting horse?

I'd love to do it myself but he just won't settle quietly enough at my yard. There's too much going on, he gets super lit up when horses come and go with lorries, trailers etc. Fine in box but even in field normally he's just too sparky.

Be positive may well kindly take him in depending on what happens when and there's no one I'd trust more, though he'd be 4 hours away which will be v sad.

If anyone has any other suggestions of places incase BP can't nearer the time let me know!

 

[Michen]

I actually don’t have an issue with a large pen, but it does very much depend on the weather and the quality of the ground. If the pen had a bedded down shelter, hay and wasn’t a muddy mess then I’d happily run with that.
If it’s a small square patch of grass then I don’t think it’s adequate

Yup it's the patch of grass. So would only work if he had some time stabled I think.

 

[ihatework]

Yup it's the patch of grass. So would only work if he had some time stabled I think.

And I’d want to avoid that as, however small the area, you are still inviting the yee-ha moment on turnout

 

[Michen]

And I’d want to avoid that as, however small the area, you are still inviting the yee-ha moment on turnout

Indeed. I just spoke to priory rehab and they said they honestly would just chuck him straight out in a quiet settled herd if he's a buzzy type like he is, as more likely to get stressed/upset with restricted confinement outside.

 

[ihatework]

Indeed. I just spoke to priory rehab and they said they honestly would just chuck him straight out in a quiet settled herd if he's a buzzy type like he is, as more likely to get stressed/upset with restricted confinement outside.

Yup. I’m inclined to agree. It’s what I have always done after the initial box rest and controlled exercise

 

[CavaloBranco]

I was given Sedalin tablets until my boy settled..he injured a hind suspensory some time ago now. I still never turned him out more than a few hours in his tiny paddock though, I still remember his sliding stops ?

 

[be positive]

Yup. I’m inclined to agree. It’s what I have always done after the initial box rest and controlled exercise

I did this with the last two I long term box rested but the 'herd' was mine, under my control so it could be carefully monitored and managed if it needed adjusting in any way, both were sedated one settled very quickly after the initial excitement, the other had become a bit of a menace and took chunks out of his companion, which was actually the first one who had been rested and they knew each other, on a daily basis for the first month, luckily he was very tolerant, not needed to look his best for a while and put up with it without any real damage being done other than a few bare patches on his bum and a couple of ripped rugs but if he had not I had nothing else that would have coped any better, turning one out into a herd they do not know under someone elses care is a gamble I am not sure Michen is going to risk.

 

[Annagain]

When M was on box rest we started off just putting him in a pen while we mucked out so 1/2 an hour morning and night. That was about 10m long and the width of a gate. We gradually increased the size of the pen and the length of time he had in it so by the end he was doing about 3hrs in the morning and 3hrs in the evening in the pen and the rest in the box. There were 2 of us though so could split the workload and the visits. Our friends would also put him out if they were there during the day especially if they were riding in the school as his pen was on one side of the school so they could keep an eye on him while they rode. The biggest it ever got to was the length of the school so 40m x 10m. This was April / May so the grass was growing well and we didn't supplement with hay while he was out but obviously he was on ad lib hay when in. We didn't put him out if it was very wet to stop it getting cut up and he wasn't out in the sun as he'd be out from about 5.30 - 8.30 morning and night. It was a corner of the main field so he could see his friends and groom over the fence if he wanted to but he's an anti-social old git so he wasn't bothered. In fact, when we finally put him in the main field we were really worried he'd go mad but he spent the first hour trying to get back into his pen before A came and collected him and gently encouraged him back to join the rest of the herd! I think he'd love his own private section of the field where he could see his friends but they couldn't get too close!