Box Rest & Fitness

[Swirlymurphy]

Our 6yo TB is now on his 7th day of box rest and I'm thinking about his fitness. So I thought I would ask you knowledgeable peeps - how quickly is fitness/condition lost and what sort of regime should we have to bring him back to fitness? Is there anything that we can do whilst he is still in to help maintain condition?

The current rough plan is to keep him on box rest until Monday (when he will have been in for 12 days and the staples are coming out) and then turn him out before bringing him back into work hopefully at the end of next week.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[be positive]

If he was fit to start with 12 days should make little difference as long as the injury heals without complications he should be able to pick up with just a few easy days to get him back to where he was.
While he is resting obviously cut down the hard feed to keep him sensible and avoid him tying up, increase the forage to keep him occupied, it may mean he puts a bit of weight on but that should soon come off again.
Doing daily stretches will help with flexibility and muscle tone as well as being interesting for him and a proper groom with some strapping will be good as well.

 

[Squishy]

I would be looking at a rehab program for him. Safest way to bring him back in

If he's been out of work for 14 weeks (including time for spelling), I would guess around 28 weeks to get back to his FITNESS level of when he stopped work. Very important to note I say fitness level, not level of training. There is a difference

I would include massage/stretching/etc.. during the spelling period if you can, or in the first few weeks/months of coming back into work (don't if there is still swelling etc..).

good luck!

 

[Swirlymurphy]

If he was fit to start with 12 days should make little difference as long as the injury heals without complications he should be able to pick up with just a few easy days to get him back to where he was.
While he is resting obviously cut down the hard feed to keep him sensible and avoid him tying up, increase the forage to keep him occupied, it may mean he puts a bit of weight on but that should soon come off again.
Doing daily stretches will help with flexibility and muscle tone as well as being interesting for him and a proper groom with some strapping will be good as well.

Thank you for your advice. He was very fit before the injury so it's good to hear that it shouldn't take long to get back there. He's coping surprisingly well with the confinement actually, we have to rotate other livery horses to babysit him in the next door box, but he is fairly chilled. Lots of hay, reduced hard feed, lots of grooming and stretches as you said.

I would be looking at a rehab program for him. Safest way to bring him back in

If he's been out of work for 14 weeks (including time for spelling), I would guess around 28 weeks to get back to his FITNESS level of when he stopped work. Very important to note I say fitness level, not level of training. There is a difference

I would include massage/stretching/etc.. during the spelling period if you can, or in the first few weeks/months of coming back into work (don't if there is still swelling etc..).

good luck!

Thanks Squishy. He will only have been out of work for 2 weeks (hopefully). I'm not sure what you mean by spelling though? I'm thinking it's an autocorrect fail or else it's a term I'm completely unfamiliar with