Cabin Fever/4 Walls Syndrome - Bailey

[fine_and_dandy]

Bailey has the vet out tomorrow (she was out 4 times last week - dreading the call out bill alone!) to take the staples out of his hind leg and to stain his eye and see whether this ulcer is making any improvement at all.

He has been in for nearly 9 weeks, and for the last 2 weeks his behaviour has got increasingly unpredictable. The only thing I can put it down to is "cabin fever" or "4 walls syndrome." He isn't allowed out, not least until he has healed. This is due to his eye, but also because he refuses point blank to be caught, knowing that he has to come in and have meds. Vet has also advised against it, and we don;t have a small confined area where he could go out and have a field shelter to go into wher ehe can be confined.

Before all this, my boy (who is a baby at 19 months) was as laidback and placid as you like, completely lazy to the Nth degree and you could always get him. The Bailey I am faced with atm is a completely different kettle of fish. He broncs and bucks round his stable when any horses go in or out. Over the last couple of days, it has got to the point where he can't actually be tied up outside his stable so I can muck out, because he has a spaccy fit. Unfortunately, every little thing with him atm has me ready to have a breakdown. Yesterday for example, I needed to move him to let another horse out (the block of stables is indoors). He had a mad fit, OH took hold of him and Bailey was slipping on frozen puddles and just sitting up on his haunches like a dog begging.

I know, or think I know why he is behaving like this, but I don't know what to do. I love him and it is utterly heartwrenching to see him like this, so frustrated and wound up. He just isn't my Bailey, and the one thing I would love to do; turn him out; I can't. My YO said that it was better to get him all healed up, and when he can go out, put him in a confined space, bandage his legs up and let him out (with some sedalin). Problem is, I don't know how long we will have to be on box rest for. The ulcer isn't shifting easily and we could be here for a few more months.

I've tried thinking of toys etc but I'm not the most imaginative when it comes to it. He can't have anything hanging up as he tries to rub his head on it.

Malteser cake and Malibu if you got this far. I don't know what I'm asking really; just getting it out of my system I think.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Sent you a humungus PM hun xxx

 

[jendie]

Would it be possible to take him for walks on a lead rein?

 

[lizh]

Crikey! If you are going to take him for walks, it sounds like you need more than a lead rein! Please make sure you take him wearing a bridle (assuming he is used to the bit), with a lunge rein, hat and gloves....

I do agree though with Jendie that if you can get him out at all it might be better - I would bridle up with lunge line, give sedalin and if possible also another very sensible horse (with another person leading) and take him to the nearest good grass. Because of his eye, do this on cloudy days and see if anyone has a fly mask (one of those ones that is mesh over the eyes) you could borrow - this should make it sufficiently dull for his eyes. By allowing him to eat and having a sensible companion with him it should take his mind off behaving badly.

If you can get him used to this for longer periods it will make turning him out when the time comes a bit easier. If you can get some electric fencing you can make him a stable sized field within a field. Making it stable size does mean you have to move it frequently, but means he can't get the speed/power up to jump out or gallop around.

It must be so frustrating for you - the only thing I can think of for the stable would be one of those balls you put pellet feed in that he has to push around to get the feed out. If he tries to rub against it I don't think he could harm his eye and it should roll out of the way anyway. It does though sound as if the last thing he needs is hard feed, so maybe that won't work.

Is there anywhere you can move him where there aren't other horses constantly passing? He either needs to be somewhere where he can see everything easily or in complete peace and quiet - the worst for him will be hearing other horses, but not able to see them. Has he got a radio on?

I'm sure he will go back to being his old self as soon as all of this is over. In the meantime I would resist trying to use this opportunity to teach him anything or expecting him to concentrate too much (there must be a temptation with a horse this age to want to get him used to saddles etc). He will catch up on his education once this is over - it's much better that he doesn't associate education with this stressful period IMO.

Good luck, it will get better...

 

[Daffodil]

Poor Bailey, he's having a tough time (and you!) Would he tolerate some sort of blinkers with that eye covered up with dark netting, so you could lead him out on a lunge line for some grazing in hand without risking his eye?

In hand grazing is time consuming though and unfortunately it's the worst time of year for that at the moment. Good luck

 

[Scribbles]

Aswell as all of the above which is brilliant advice - does he lunge at all? After the taking for walks/in hand grazing, lunging might help (I say after, so that he doesn't become a complete loon).

What's he being fed?

 

[CBFan]

an really sympathise. My girl is 18 months and has been on box rest since March last year. Luckily for me she as been an almost perfect patient. I had her in what I thought was a perfect box, sunny location in the middle of the yard where she could see everything going on only since the rest of the yard came in for winter her behaviour deteriorated and then a few weeks ago her immediate neighbour started a stretch of box rest and her behaviour deteriorated rapidly. I made the decision to move her to a slightly quieter box and she is much happier - I am lucky in that our new 'box' is a 15ft by 20ft pen, which I have boarded on 3 sides and has a breeze block wall on the other.

I think my fillie's santity through all this stems from her routine and I have tried not to irritate her by 'fiddling' more than necessary (bandage changing twice a day every day on a yearling is more than enough to irritate even the most accepting of youngsters!!)

Is your boy rugged? if not he could be a little chilly, causing him to run about - mine did at the start of winter.

My girly enjoys her horselyx (so much so that it only goes in overnight!!)

Other than that she just has add lib soaked hay.

I'd recomend you get hold of some sedalin and if you do decide to walk him, a bridle, lungerein, hat and gloves is essential and try to do it when the yard is quiet.

best wishes xx