Box rest/ in hand walking/ restricted turnout

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km2327

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Hi there...so I've had a read though some previous posts about box rest and hand walking and just wanted some thoughts for my situation before I talk to the vet.

My horse has recently had keyhole surgery for an adhesion in between his navicular bone and his ddft. He is now on box rest for 8 weeks with in hand exercise (walking which starts off at 5mins twice a day and increases by 5mins each week). He is due to have his stitches out tomorrow.

On the whole he is being well behaved but when walking him out he has had a few explosions and I've been lucky not to get kicked or loose him. I walk him in his bridle, with gloves and hat on and his friend comes along too. His explosions come from nowhere and it's not like he's naughty all the time but we have to walk across a busy road to a more quieter lane where he can walk and eat too.

I'm thinking that it may be safer for him be on restricted turnout BUT equally I don't want him to undone all the work put him in to make him right.

Does anyone have any thoughts???

Thanks in advance xx
 
If I have to box rest and walk in hand I use a bit headstall and a lunge rein at each side, with 2 handlers. That way when he explodes you can keep him straight and both be safe.

I would not attempt to cross a main road, even with 2 handlers. Do you have an arena to walk round? If so we had one who had a lap then a munch on hay, a lap then a munch. 5 minutes walking took 20 minutes twice a day and the mare stayed sane.
 
When my youngster had to have four months box rest after trying to amputate one of her hooves, walking her out was a near death experience so my vet gave me a few tubes of Sedalin. Quarter of a tube before an outing kept things a bit less exciting.
 
I walked mine in a small paddock (about 25m by 40m) with good level firm going. A circuit takes about a minute at a steady walk. I walked him alone but I wore a crash hat and gloves, and let my non horsey OH know exactly when I was doing it (so he could come and fish me out if I got squashed).

I tried him in a bigger field but he got rather antsy. I have an arena but I had to keep him off soft going, so the paddock was more suitable. After he'd done his allotted time, I allowed him to graze in hand for 20 minutes or so. It seemed to help keep him sane.

I would not walk a horse out on the roads if it was likely to prat about, it's far too dangerous.
 
I spent about 6 months walking mine in hand for up to half an hour a day round the yard while he was on box rest. The only way I found to do it safely was bridle, lunge cavasson, 2 handlers (one holding a rope from the bit, the other a rope from the cavasson) and a lot of ACP. Hat and gloves for both handlers at all times. I'd never have taken him on the roads.
 
Ive done box rest so many times and the thing that worked for me was doing 5 to 6 stable sized paddocks all linked with posts and tape. I started off putting them out twice a day when I mucked out then gradually increased time. I had no explosions with 4 or 6 yr old tbs as they had already had little turnout.Vet was impressed with how sane they were. I moved posts every day so it kept their brains thinking walking in and around different tracks with hay placed in different spots.Cue no excited explosions once inhand was started :)
 
This is where horse walkers become an absolute god send! Bung them on, put your earphones in and music turned right up so you can't hear what's going on on the walker and go back 5mins later lol!

Sorry! Not really much help but I certainly wouldn't be crossing any main roads or walking on any road at all if possible.
 
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