Box rest

[figgy]

Hi all,
My horse came home from RVC last week & we have 8 weeks box rest in front of us 😕 I've had horses all my life and never been through box rest.
OMG I'm finding it so very hard as I hate horses to be in, my horse normally lives out in the summer.
Even when we go back end of September we only have a 50% chance of the treatment working, which means we could be looking at operation & more box rest.
The only good thing is my boy doesn't really care about being in 24/7 ( it's me that does)
Pointless point really.

 

[eggs]

Hope all goes well for your boy.

I've found in the past that my horses have always adapted really well to box rest - even when their companions go out into the field. It is the in-hand walking after box rest that gives me the heebie-jeebies. I tend to give small amounts of hay frequently during the day (I keep my horses at home so it is easy to pop out) and a treat ball keeps them amused.

 

[maxapple]

I agree with the above - my horse was on box rest for nearly 7 months after breaking his leg and coped so well (we didn't know it would be that long which helped - it's the thought of the time that's the hardest)

And yes he walking in hand is the worst bit. My boy is so calm and gentle but we only managed 3 days before he really flipped!

 

[only_me]

Does he have to be on box rest? Any chance you could fence off a small area in a field and rest him there instead?
Then you could move the small patch slightly every week, and if 24/7 turnout isn't an option then you could have him in the small patch during day and stabled at night?

I'm not a huge fan of stabled only rest (expect for broken legs etc.) as imo muscles can seize up & horse becomes very stiff. But that's in my view anyway

 

[frostyfingers]

When my horse came home after kissing spine surgery I had no stable available for box rest (which was only short so it wasn't too much of an issue). I penned him a 14x14 area with tall electric fencing in a nice part of the field with a hedge and tree for shelter and then penned his mates in a larger area around him. I put a rubber mat in one corner so he had somewhere soft to stand as well. He had a no fill rug to protect his dressing from the flies and for rain protection. It worked a treat and he was much more chilled than he would ever have been in a stable. We were lucky in that the weather stayed fine but in your case if you have a stable and he's ok to be moved a short distance it would probably do him good to have a change of a surroundings by being in at night and out during the day.

 

[myprincess]

im the same my TB has been in since 2nd June! he is coping very well though I walk him in hand twice daily for 5 minutes and aslong as hes got plenty of hay to munch on hes happy. I am the same as you though I like them to be out as much as possible I feel so sorry for him. He is going back to the vets in 2 weeks for a review as hes had tendon surgey they said if its healed enough he may be able to go out but he doesnt look sound to me so i think hes going be back in for another 6 weeks

 

[maxapple]

Just to add in our final month of box rest we were able to create a pen outside using electric fencing. We bought the large posts and had 3 rows of fencing up (we had to be extra careful because he'd had such a serious injury)

We moved the pen every two days so he always had fresh grass - as if he ran out he would be less settled than in his stable.

 

[Pinkvboots]

One of my horses is in his second month of box rest his got one more to go hopefully, I have managed to put him in a pen the size of a stable in the field so he gets a few hours out and I can keep an eye on him, he has settled okay and is fine when the other two are out it amazed me how good he has been really he has had a few silly moments but nothing too bad

 

[figgy]

Thanks all....Unfortunately he does have to be on box rest, it was the first thing I asked, as I hate them being in.
He is walked twice a day for 10mins each & have to say he is fantastic, (being a massive 17.2hh irish lad I'm very glad he is )
I just hope it pays off when we go back to RVC.
Good luck to everyone on boxrest & let's hope we all get the good news we deserve !!!!!!