Box rest lunatic!!! help please!!

emlybob

emlybob

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My 6 year old warmblood has been on box rest for 4 weeks. The vet told me a week ago to ride/walk him out. But he has turned into a complete lunatic. he is a big sharp horse anyway but is now lunging and leaping through the air at any oppurtunity and also bucking round his stable - which now has a huge hole in the wall!! I have some ACP tablet to ride him which are certainly helping a bit but he is so wound up and i am getting so stressed about it. I want him to do as the vet says to help him recover but am concerned he will do himself more damage. I am menat to be keeping him in and just walking him from the box for the next 3 weeks before the vet sees him again so any ideas greatfully recieved
 
Mine only managed 6 days last year. Started her on a big dose of RelaxMe, hand walked in bridle. Still only walking now and have just doubled the RelaxMe. I understand how you feel, I'm struggling with the bucking etc too.
Keep smiling x
 
could you pop him to a yard with a walker?

Or you could speak to your vet about sedalin/acp/modecate/bromide or try a supplement as Rach1 suggests.

We have quite a few horses in for people who are struggling to box rest/walk out at home. Sometimes a different environment helps as they do not have habits/expectations.
 
I would also suggest a rehab yard or at least somewhere with a walker and experienced people to deal with him. Even if it's just for a couple of weeks, to get him started.

I'd also advise a call to your vet and a proper explanation of the situation. One of my pet peeves is vets who tell owners to confine/walk/ride big, strong horses but then go on their merry way and don't give any thought to the reality. It's all very well to say what SHOULD happen but surely it's in the vets best interests to keep everyone as safe, sound and sane as possible so the horse heals in the best possible fashion?
 
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I'd also advise a call to your vet and a proper explanation of the situation. One of my pet peeves is vets who tell owners to confine/walk/ride big, strong horses but then go on their merry way and don't give any thought to the reality. It's all very well to say what SHOULD happen but surely it's in the vets best interests to keep everyone as safe, sound and sane as possible so the horse heals in the best possible fashion?

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DITTO! a bigger dose of sedalin may help, as may a chifney and lunge rope, and if its safe, i find in hand walking on concrete / tarmac really helps, especially if unshod, much less likely to explode! and hard hat gloves etc goes without saying, take it from someone who has learnt the hard way!
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I had the same problem with my mare after 6 weeks box rest. 6 weeks inhand walking said the vets. But no turnout! Eeek! I found NAF tempralax did make a huge difference, such that I didn't have to use sedalin. Hat, gloves, boots, body protector, bridle (or chifney), lunge line and brave pills for you!!!
 
Whats the reason for the box rest? I had this with my first vet with H had cellulitis, I pushed the issue until she decided he would be ok out in a small turnout area on sedalin.

Mind you it turned out he needed more exercise and should have been out every day but thats another story
 
I am going through this problem atm. My mare is totally wild if asked to walk in hand alone and in an ord. headcollar. She has to have a companion to walk with and I always use a hemp bull halter, which she respects far more. I am lucky I have an arena and I tie her (quiet) friend to the fence and walk her in there and she is fine. Otherwise she'd be on her back legs.
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I'm afraid in this situation i would absolutely say that box rest is not suitable and i would seriously talk to your vet about a small paddock turn out. ultimately if he is like this now there is no way you will be able to safely rehab him.
My warmblood mare had serious ligament damage in her front legs last year and I was told to box rest her for 6 months. I knew immediately that this was a mistake as it wouldn't suit the type of horse she is. however out of desperation and wanting to do the best by her I listened to the vets advice. needless to say even under sedation she was bouncing off the walls. I used to tie her up outsde twice a day on the yard so that she could watch the world and this helped massively but she was still not safe to rehab in hand or ridden. After 6 months box rest she was worse than when i started, and i was gutted that i had not listened to be own instinct. Absolutely in some cases box rest is essential but only if your horse will cope with it. he will do far less damage being turned away in a small field than the situation you are in now. I really feel for you having been in this situation myself. I ended up turning my horse out closing my eyes and not watching what she did. After the initial blow off of steam she is now quite happy and quiet and sane enough to re hab ridden. good luck
 
HI All
I am very expereinced so i know that is not the problem. I have box rested and rehabilitated hundreds of horses over the years and never had one as sharp as this one. He is not allowed on the walker as vet wants him to not walk on circles. He has soft tissue damage to the back of the foot (can't be more specific). I do have ACP and he seems to be ok on this when walked out but the problem is i can't keep him on this all the time.
I know the vet very well and she does understand the situation. Having chatted to her the other day she did say if things were that bad then to just box rest him for the next 3 weeks b4 she sees him again but really wants him to be using the foot. Turning out in a small paddock would not be an option as he would go mental.
Seems like i am in a bit of a no win situation!!! I am coping for now but ask me again in 3 wks and the situation may be very different. I just worry for the horses sanity really!!
 
Im yet another person feeling your pain!

Solo is just off a 6 week stint after twinging a tendon and has a starting program of walk on hard ans soft surfaces for 20 mins, twice a day to be increased every 5 days.

Boy is he being difficult to handle, every time his feet hits the sand he plunges / rears / bucks / leaps and i really don't want him to set himself back again. Ive been told I can ride, but to be truthful, im not liking the personality change and am finding him a tad scary.

Id be interested to hear how people have combated this.
 
I have used a calmer called Cool, Calm and Collected, I had my WB on this while he was on box rest. It made a massive difference to him and a stressy mare I had in work.
I would go down a magnesium calmer route before Sedalin or ACP.

My dressage horse had a tendon injury and when leading him out he freaked, lept in the air, took off then fell over on the concrete. Not what you need when trying to mend an injury.
 
My mare has been on box rest for 6months with a broken pedal bone and I've just started walking her out again. I have not read all of the replies so I'm not sure how relevant this will be but I have found that sedalin works well for my mare and I have slowly increased the scope of our walks, from being tied outside the stable to walking a small circle outside, etc... now we are walking to the schooling paddock and walking on a long line (with occasional excitable rear-buck episodes, that confident handling in an appropriate halter manages)

My mare was extrememly unsettled when she was originally on box rest and after a week of having an injured pony spinning around her stable I switched stables to one that had a higher roof that had views over the turnout, she settled better instantly and became herself again!

Changing the routine from complete box rest to some walking out does seem to unsettle many horses, it seems that if you do manage to acheive safe walking out that these should be at specific points in your horses routine to avoid the perception of turnout/freedom! this has helped with my mare.

I hope that helps!
 
I've just come through 5 months of rehab from a suspensory with a horse that does not do box rest, in the end we had to put him out in a cage and stable him at night. The vets agreed that he would only damage himself more if he was left in - think pacing at the front of the box manically and sweating all the time when in. Being out in a cage that was no bigger than his box seemed to suit him just fine, he was on an allweather surface so no issues with feet there. (((hug))) as I know how frustrating it can be.
 
My mare is currently on week 3 of box rest and we had our 1st incident yesterday. I have to walk her out each day and I graze her on the field which she has been fine about but ont he way home she hit the grass verge and took off. I managed to keep hold of the rope (and now have rope burn) but she was bucking and nearly got me. So it will be hat, gloves and a bridle today..... 6 weeks to go.
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What's is stable life like it a busy yard with lots to look at - or quiet in stable and either of these can effect them.

I have one who needs a indoor, quiet location with no passing traffic which keeps him calm.....esh, And he was on box rest for a long time and we resorted to makeing up a small pen infront of stable door and put my mates 12hh shetland in space (with hay and water) it made a huge difference and he did calm down. What was even wireder, was a night you wouldn't even know that horse had issue, so pony was releaved of his baby sitting duties
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Did this for nearly 8 weeks
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Enviroment does have much strong influence - i personnel would this about change venue?
 
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