Box rest - horse won't cross tie

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Oldenfelle

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Just looking for some help as worried I've gave up too soon. Horse got kicked and possible fracture just above front knee on radius along with a bone chip.

Didn't discover this until third vet visit when went to take staples out and wanted to scan. He then said cross tie for 6 weeks then a further 6 weeks loose on box rest. The fields are being rested at the moment there's one pony left to leave and then she will be on her own. Don't know of anything else local I can stable for such a long period of time near her and it's not easy to see other horses from the stable anyway.

She is a 3yo hot blooded horse and is not coping with cross ties. Keeps trying to get out the stable and just worried sick about her. We've put a mirror up but she's not interested.

Vet is coming today to mildly sedate her and did say might have to give the cross tying a miss. She's completely sound and has been dancing about, rearing and kicking the door even with her 'bad' leg.

Any advice greatly appreciated, from a very tired and stressed horse owner :(
 
Vet scanned at yard Friday and said possible fracture and bone chip but swelling makes it hard to tell. Seemed fairly certain but she's very sound on it. They didn't want to scan for another 6 weeks but I can't keep her cross tied for that long she's going to end up hurting herself.
 
I've only once had a horse on x ties (4 weeks) and it was done at the vet school, she had to be kept on sedalin 24/7 as well. Not sure I'd attempt at home, apart from anything they often get impaction colics.

At home I think I'd be trying to keep horse v v calm, with companion for sure and sedalin as well. If insured I'd be asking to move horse to hospital.

Saying that, a girl I know had a horse v train accident, horse was thrown in the air and lay for a long time before getting up, so presume he may have done a fair bit of damage to himself. He was v stiff and sore for a few days and vets didn't really want to move him, thinking possible multiple hair line fractures, because he was already retired they just kept him very quiet for 6 weeks and he recovered fine.
 
She needs company she can see regardless of if sh is being cross tied or on box rest , could you have others alternate being in to keep her company?
Is she likely to be quiet on box rest?
If not you will possibly need to speak to vet about sedation or other options.
 
Cross tying a horse which is "sound" for long periods seems to me the height of cruelty, and only likely to end in tears. I'm not a fan of box rest full stop, I think a fenced off corner of a field where other horses are close by would be a much better option in many cases that a horse needs to have limited movement.
Is your vet worried about the horse lying down/getting up?
 
Yes vet doesn't want lying down but agreed cross ties are not suiting her.

She is insured but doesn't cover stabling fees and it's £40/50 a night at vets.
 
Is it worth speaking to the vets regarding a payment plan?

It sounds like she may need to be sedated 24/7 for her own safety if she won't even stay in a corner of the field.
 
Casey76 said:
That is outrageous! My preferred clinic only charges 10€ per night (plus care on top), but even with mucking out and hay it isn't more than 15€ a night.
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pretty standard in the UK I think, actually when my mare was in the horspital post op I paid £50 per day ex vat
its on the bill as daily hospitalisation, veterinary & nursing care so presumably includes her hay/bedding/daily checks etc. OOHs nursing care was additional.
 
Oldenfelle said:
Yes vet doesn't want lying down but agreed cross ties are not suiting her.

She is insured but doesn't cover stabling fees and it's £40/50 a night at vets.
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If all else fails can the vets break down the charge into keep and nursing care? the insurance will not pay keep but they will pay the nursing care which is probably most of the cost. otherwise since the leg has held up to the horse jumping around too date I would be like others here and look at sedating. giving as much hay as possible and keeping in without cross ties
 
Use sedation it works ,I had one in six by eight cage for six weeks this winter he was tied and sedated .
And today he's alive sound and in field in the sun .
Keep your eyes on the prize a sound viable individual you will need to provide company however .
I had to reduce the side of the stable to make it work we built it ourselves and it worked very well .
 
Totally sound, but possible fracture? Did I read that right? Only asking because one of mine was kicked a few years ago and suffered a small radial stress fracture. It was only discovered for sure when the bone started to granulate a week or so later. The vet suspected a fracture as my horse was 6/10ths lame, which is reason I called him out. The cut itself looked so innocuous, and definitely not vet-worthy alone!

Anyway, OP, if yours does have a fracture, cross tying is recommended to eliminate the chance of the bone shattering when getting up. (You probably know that, so sorry if you already do.) Mine had 3 months on them and learned to deal with it. It was a busy yard with lots to see, however.

Good luck.
 
mytwofriends said:
Totally sound, but possible fracture? Did I read that right? Only asking because one of mine was kicked a few years ago and suffered a small radial stress fracture. It was only discovered for sure when the bone started to granulate a week or so later. The vet suspected a fracture as my horse was 6/10ths lame, which is reason I called him out. The cut itself looked so innocuous, and definitely not vet-worthy alone!

Anyway, OP, if yours does have a fracture, cross tying is recommended to eliminate the chance of the bone shattering when getting up. (You probably know that, so sorry if you already do.) Mine had 3 months on them and learned to deal with it. It was a busy yard with lots to see, however.

Good luck.
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Not trotted her up but she's rearing, leaping around and dancing on it quite well and doesn't hesitate to kick the door with it. Vets are going to scan again towards end of the week when swelling gone down so hopefully they can see more.
 
Forgot to say J my tb survived this fracture as a four year old he had a four inch piece of detached bone removed from just above his knee .
It's never effected him at all .
 
mytwofriends said:
Totally sound, but possible fracture? Did I read that right? Only asking because one of mine was kicked a few years ago and suffered a small radial stress fracture. It was only discovered for sure when the bone started to granulate a week or so later. The vet suspected a fracture as my horse was 6/10ths lame, which is reason I called him out. The cut itself looked so innocuous, and definitely not vet-worthy alone!

Anyway, OP, if yours does have a fracture, cross tying is recommended to eliminate the chance of the bone shattering when getting up. (You probably know that, so sorry if you already do.) Mine had 3 months on them and learned to deal with it. It was a busy yard with lots to see, however.

Good luck.
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Totaly possible to have a fracture and be 100%sound.
I had one that the vets could not make him look lame no matter what they did (full lameness work up at vet hospital) he was bone scanned and had a fractured pelvis. His only symptom was random bolting
 
Just moved mirror to smaller stable and now she's not cross tied and can actually see herself in it, seems to have a good calming effect. I will just have to see what vet says when x-ray again on Friday but feel awful for her.
 
Landcruiser said:
Cross tying a horse which is "sound" for long periods seems to me the height of cruelty, and only likely to end in tears. I'm not a fan of box rest full stop, I think a fenced off corner of a field where other horses are close by would be a much better option in many cases that a horse needs to have limited movement.
Is your vet worried about the horse lying down/getting up?
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Well my horse was sound and had no fracture on x Ray but broke the leg getting up from colic surgery so there was a fracture there. Soundness does NOT mean no fracture.
 
Don't feel sorry just focus all your energy into getting it to work.
I will admit I had a cry when I was told Tatts needed to go into plaster it seemed a mountain to climb he had not been stabled for two years and was a complete twonk the last time he was stabled at night .
Once I got my brain into gear and tied him nose to nose with the horse next door ( they took turns ) and we built the cage we just got on with it I spent a lot of time with him and we got through it and there he is tonight sound hacking out with the rest of his life ahead .
I know you what to give up I did but we did get through it you will .
Has she a radio ? That helped mine I had it on 24/7 it stopped him being able to hear stuff going on outside I kept him unable to see outside I know him well he's better if you don't let anything excite or rouse him .
It's the first time I have had to use sedation but it really helped us I would not hesitate to do so again .
 
Yes she's got classical on in the daytime and all lights and noise off at night. Vet has gave me sedation but said I shouldn't really be using for longer than a week.

I'm hoping she won't need longer box rest than the 12 weeks they suggested even though I've not cross tied her :( she's not moving around so much now I've moved her to a stable out of the way.

Just got her back into work as a rising 4yo as well, gutted for her.
 
Oldenfelle said:
Yes she's got classical on in the daytime and all lights and noise off at night. Vet has gave me sedation but said I shouldn't really be using for longer than a week. .
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Really? Mine was kept on 2-4mls of Sedalin twice a day for four weeks, as recommended by Rossdales in newmarket where she stayed for 12 days after surgery to remove a splint bone! She spent, in total, 16 weeks on box rest. Obviously a splint bone is a different kettle of fish to what you're going through, but it does get better and 'touch wood' your mare will recover but the best advice I got from the lovely HHO'ers on here was, unfortunately, to suck it up and get on with it. Think of the future, it will all be worth it!

I worry that although the cross tying is stressing her out that it's necessary to stop her potentially injuring it further/shattering/breaking it more if it is in fact fractured/broken by laying down and trying to get back up?

No other advice as absolutely no boredom breakers worked with mine but the Sedalin did take off the edge when we upped it to 4 mls twice daily.
 
I gave mine no toys it's my opinion they can wind the horses up .
Mine was on sedalin for six weeks two to three times daily .
 
No other advice to add really but just wanted to say I'm thinking of you.

It's a horrible situation to be in but it sounds like she's getting all the help you can give her. Hope she settles soon.
 
Thanks all, really appreciate it. It's not Sedalin that the vets have given me. I'll look into what I've got tomorrow and ask more about it on Friday.

I wish she wasn't such an escape artist in the field. If I put her with other horses though, she's just too playful and they all get fed up of her.
 
We don't cross tie the horses any more. We build them a wall of shavings bales. So they basically have a very small stable! They can go forward and back a few steps and have enough room either side to shimmy about but not enough to give them they idea that they can lay down, roll or turn around. We also give minimal bedding - enough to cover the floor and soak everything up but not enough to entice them to roll and muck out 2-3 times a day. By doing this they still feel able to be themselves. They can have their head over the stable door if they want or they can chill out with their bum against the back wall if they don't feel like being sociable. All hay, food and water is at the front.
 
I've had a horse on 6 months of box rest before right over summer, first few weeks were utter hell but he eventually resigned himself to it and after that it was easy.
Hang on in there!
 
conniegirl said:
Totaly possible to have a fracture and be 100%sound.
I had one that the vets could not make him look lame no matter what they did (full lameness work up at vet hospital) he was bone scanned and had a fractured pelvis. His only symptom was random bolting
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Wow, that's interesting, would never have thought that was possible. But just about the knee, like OP's horse? I was just going on how crippled my boy was, with such a tiny fracture.
 
I had one who did not tie, he would rear, kick the wall and even get his front feet over the rope he went so high. Short rope, long rope, he was very athletic. Cross ties did help but he would still strike the wall. What helped him was cross tying in the doorway, so when he waved his feet he did not hit anything.

I hasten to add we did not leave him unattended like this, and the doorway was generous in height, but I think he felt trapped when there was a wall in front of him, and did not when the door was open. After a while tying up like this he got over his tying up issues, and was just fine anywhere.

I wonder if you have somewhere yours could be cross tied for a period of the day somewhere with an open front? At least it would give your horse's front feet/legs some respite. I also found a massage pad helped, lots of time gentle grooming, a radio, and plenty of company helped. I would take a book and hang out outside.
 
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