Box rest - tips for keeping them sane

[Bonnie Allie]

Our old girl is poorly and after a trip to horse hospital, then after hospital care convalesce for 2 weeks, she is home for 4-6 weeks box rest.

She has been with us since she was a yearling and has always lived out. Never stabled other than the odd night if we were travelling to events. She is now 23. She hates being stabled.

Provided the weather is dry and the ground is dry, she can be taken out for a graze in hand for up to 1hr at a time. She can’t be hand walked just yet.

She will be groomed twice per day, equissaged once a day. What else can we do?

 

[milliepops]

Can you give her company e.g. in next door stables?
My mare has just finished 3 months of box rest and it was all very acceptable for everyone because she always had company. it just took all the stress out of it. As it happened another one got injured and joined in so there was always at least 3 in and they just relaxed into it.

other than that, i generally try not to stimulate them too much.

 

[charlotte0916]

I had a very busy 5 year old on box rest for 10 weeks over the summer. My top tips would be:
•Company next door as far as possible
•Some like a mirror or the radio
•Mini munch nets - fill with forage blocks or hay and bits of carrot/pears/apples/parsnips/swede
•a hay ball for variety
•Treat ball with grass/alfalfa nuts
•Grooming a couple times a day
•Expect that they will be ratty and try to empathise as far as possible (challenging for you both!)

 

[MagicMelon]

Could you create a pen outside her stable door? Something similar sized, she may be far happier being able to stand outside but depends on your setup. One of my horses was a nightmare on box rest, he was going to cause himself more damage and his daily walks were becoming extremely dangerous. I used Heras fencing panels (the ones builder use - strong high mesh) and made a small pen on the grass with a pile of hay and his friends round him. He was better straight away and would finally stand about like he should have all along. Box rest doesnt always have to be literally in a stable IMO especially if the horse hates it, you just have to limit their space to not mess about.