box rest or turn away? suspensory ligament :(

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footballerswife

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my horse - the horse of a lifetime - is currently in his 7th week of box rest having torn a suspensory ligament. i am now walking him out for 15 mins a day - 20 next week. i dont have a horse walker and with the weather and everything its been a struggle! the "big pony" we called bear that the children led around the yard has turned into half a ton of snorting rearing neck arched, well danger i suppose. i want to do right by the horse and i would love him to come right again but i am seriously thinking about just turning him away with the retired pony for 6 months/year and see what happens. any thoughts/experience?
 
It's really hard to know what to do for the best, isn't it!! How bad is the injury? How long has the vet said he should stay in? Is he sound now?

My horse did mild check ligament damage in November, I kept him in for 6 weeks and then turned him out, but wasn't sure about it!! He went MENTAL, was very scary but luckily his leg didn't come up or anything and he's been fine since so alls good.

Depends on extent of injury I think and what you want him to come back to do.

Good luck!
 
My BIG boy did his, kept him in a bit then just turned him out. e had a hooley but then settled down OK. My vet believed that far better for the rest of him to be out....he tends to look at the bigger picture. He was out hunting again the next season. Talk to your vet.
 
mine was supposed to do 8 weeks box rest for a different ligament issue but i had to speak to the vets after 5 weeks and give up on the box rest for the reasons you mentioned! i put him out in a level flat paddock with sensible company next door and he's been there for couple of months now. he looks less stiff and behaviour is vastly improved. am going to leave him for 6 months instead of the inital 3 the vets have said.
 
aw thank you for your lovely helpful posts! when i see the vet in the next few weeks and we look at his new scans i will discuss it. but my gut feeling is to let him go out and be a horse again. its ironic because he worked as a stallion and lived in 24/7 before i bought him (already gelded) . since then he has been out with the ponies and so happy - loves to roll, eat the hedge destroy rugs etc!
 
My mare tore her suspensory ligament and i made the decision to turn her away for the year. shes 13 TB and has bone spavin so decided it was the best for her rather than getting stiff and bored in the stable. It has been just over 6months now and all swelling has gone, fully recovered and she is more than happy horsey enjoying some time off eating far to much and rolling in the muddiest parts of the field :) im waiting until the weather brightens up to bring her back into work...just letting her enjoy herself this year!!but as far as the suspensory ligament healing process....personally i think turning away is better, worked for us, but then i am no vet either :) and depends what is best for your horse and what works best for you. Good luck with whatever you decide to do :)
 
Talk to the vet, but honestly if he is going to go out and run about and tear it again then thats not worth it. You might be able to do it if he is sedated though and the vet thinks its strong enough so ask about that, or even sedate to walk in hand.
Have you got anyone who can walk him with you, or have you tried walking in the bridle or a chiffney or similar ?
 
thanks guys. im no vet and im not even a knowledgable horse owner! i will ask the vet's opinion and she is very very good but i suppose i just wish there was an easier way for both of us! should have learnt by now ther is NO easy way with horses haha xxx
 
After my 2 year old filly had recovered from an injury that required box-rest, the vet sedated her for turnout. She was sooooo dopey that we had to push/pull her into the field. She then went 'ooooohhh grassssss' and very slowly tried to graze. As she woke up she just grazed more and luckily didn't hoon around at all. :D
 
My lad tore both front suspensories-just managed to keep them attached to the bone and that was goofing around in a blooming rubber arena!

Sent him to the spa for 2 months-two spa's daily! Was riding him out after just 6 weeks. Vets never ever have seen such healing. This was when spa's had just been invented though!

Most of the newmarket trainers have their own spa now for the racehorses as its a drug free therapy.
 
Is he on any bute at all? I would do as the others too and turn him away but rather than him hoon around, I'd withdraw any medication for a few days so he's feeling it which will make it less likely to have a blast, or at least not for as long. If he's not on anything, a spot of Sedalin or ACP might help for the first day. Then give him as long as you can, hopefully you'll suddenly look and realise he's sound; it sometimes creeps up on you without you realising it because you've become so used to them being short if that makes sense.
 
Don't box rest - ever. The other ligaments and tendons will all contract and you'll end up with more issues. Vets are really old fashioned about this but any human physio will tell you immobility is really damaging. I did box rest for a fractured stifle and will NEVER do it again. 6 months mental cruelty. Eventually I turned him out with cows so he didn't have anyone to gallop around with. Was back eventing 1 year later.
 
Our mare did a check ligament. On box rest she was an angel but once we were walking her in hand she was a nightmare. Quite frightening really and got away from us on more than one occasion.
Didnt particularly want to have her going round in endless circles so the horse walker was not an option.
Finally, having seen her front feet sail past my daugher's ears once too often, we took the plunge and turned her away for 6 months.

Best thing we could have done. Came back stronger than ever.
 
my lad did his with his old owner, they box rest him for 6 weeks and hes now a nightmare to stable, breaks doors down and if anyone leaves he goes mental.
he did his again 2009, i moved to grass livery and hes been out since, hes been retired now although we will see if he can be lightly hacked this summer.
 
From my experience, now you have done a good period of box rest I would turn him away but ......
1). Talk to vet about lightly sedating him before you put him out - they can do a long lasting sedative which wears off after a few days which will hopefully avoid that 'loopy' first few days!!!!

2). If the ground goes hard again consider bringing him in for part of the day, as in my experience it can put the healing process back again.

Good luck
 
thank you all again - i hadnt heard about spas? we are only an hour and half from newmarket so i will ask the vet. we are going back for scans next week and will hopefully see some improvement but i think i will put him in the back garden (1 acre paddock) with the old retired pony who flatly refuses to play or charge about so an ideal companion. he can mooch about for as long as it takes. i have all the time in the world for this horse who is the most honest genuine show jumper and also a complete gentleman, handled by my 8 year old daughter who used to get on him in the school and make him do flying changes like one of her ponies! she could bring him in from the field and he would practically kneel down so she could get the head collar on! xx
 
I've done both! Box rest for 6 months and 7 months with an hour's walk exercise a day, but the last time I turned him away for 14 months. He's a big horse and has done both hind suspensories. Because of his size, and like yours, he became a snorting monster, it was safer for me to ride! His lesions to the ligaments are/were severe and I've not brought him back into full work - he hacks gently. I think that I would consider the nature of the horse when deciding what to do. My boy was in during the winter, both times, and was quite happy. However he was at times a total pillock in the field when turned away but I think that he is a lot sounder and stronger than he might have been otherwise.
 
not on any bute at all and hasnt been since he went lame and we started months of trying to locate the problem. without mri scans i dont think we would have done it at all. after iv walked him out i let him eat the grass at the edge of the manege - and gradually slip the lead rope and walk away so hopefully he can go out without too many fireworks! xxx
 
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