'Controlled' exercise on a mentalist

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I keep wondering what I would do if my horse ever had a really serious injury that meant box rest and a controlled return to exercise. In regular work he is an absolute angel...well, hyper sometimes but a nice happy person to ride and handle at home. Although he still needs a good blast and a buck once a week to keep him sane.

Last week he had to do 72 hours of box rest after getting caught in some electric fencing. On day 3 vet asked to see him trot up. With a vet student anchor on one side and me on the other there was still rearing, leaping and rodeoing. It was like leading a wild animal. This is on 3 days box rest.

Last year he had 4 weeks box rest and he was diabolical when walking restarted, he had the full repertoire of airs above the ground down pat, plus biting. He simply can't contain himself and loses his mind. He only calmed down after breaking away from me and galloping flat out for 15 minutes on frozen solid ground. After that he was lovely again. Clearly this would not be particularly helpful if it was a serious injury.

So it makes me wonder if it would be fair on a horse like him to do 6 months box rest if that ever was to come up. I wondered what other people have done with similar horses?
 
Have similar issues with my mare, we managed two weeks tops with her laminitis she was only good for that long as she was on sedatives. Was like letting a lion out of a cage for months after, got to the point where she had to have the leadrope slipped through the headcollar rather than clipped on as she would just bolt through as soon as the gate opened.
Its only that first moment that she looses her head/doesn't use her brain but could be terrible if she did a tendon etc
Id think long and hard before i put her through any serious box rest!
 
Mine is like that. Vet wanted me to walk out during box rest after doing a tendon. I said "really??" "I'll try!!". After the 3rd rear, launch on the hind legs and land in canter with me clinging onto the rope for grim death she conceded that he wasn't suited to box rest/ walking rehab and permitted me to turn out into a small paddock. Started off with a paddock the size of a stable and gradually increased as exercise would have increased. He stayed sane, didn't loopy leap in the bad leg and in time came back into work with his brains in tact and his leg healed like new!

I couldn't understand that all horses weren't like that til my other one managed 4 months box rest like an absolute gent and led out like a lamb!
 
Mine has been off for a couple of months (in the field). Previously if I'd got on after a few days off I was taking my life in my hands but she is either just so unfit (however she has always hd stamina to burn so not sure) or got used to chilling out she is no bother to ride out now. So I think I'd turn out for a while after the box rest if possible personally lol
 
KatPT said:
I keep wondering what I would do if my horse ever had a really serious injury that meant box rest and a controlled return to exercise. In regular work he is an absolute angel...well, hyper sometimes but a nice happy person to ride and handle at home. Although he still needs a good blast and a buck once a week to keep him sane.

Last week he had to do 72 hours of box rest after getting caught in some electric fencing. On day 3 vet asked to see him trot up. With a vet student anchor on one side and me on the other there was still rearing, leaping and rodeoing. It was like leading a wild animal. This is on 3 days box rest.

Last year he had 4 weeks box rest and he was diabolical when walking restarted, he had the full repertoire of airs above the ground down pat, plus biting. He simply can't contain himself and loses his mind. He only calmed down after breaking away from me and galloping flat out for 15 minutes on frozen solid ground. After that he was lovely again. Clearly this would not be particularly helpful if it was a serious injury.

So it makes me wonder if it would be fair on a horse like him to do 6 months box rest if that ever was to come up. I wondered what other people have done with similar horses?
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Hee hee 3 days box rest, my poor boy had to have 9 months box rest due to a broken pelvis my vet said (turned out to be an injured tendon in the end!!) but that is a story for another day... after 9 months box rest, came the "take him out for a controlled walk" well you can imagine my reaction.....!! the only way we could do this and stay safe is to give him a half dose of sedalin (a gel tranquiliser), he was calmer but still a little skittish and this is the only way we could accomplish this, god I was glad when it was over....!! He was still lame, but vet said "his hips were level he is fine" blooming wasn'tn had to go to another vet and months later he had an operation... he is ok now but jeese...
 
Ummm...not everywhere in the world has stables as a matter of course, so box rest just doesn't happen if you don't have a box to rest them in.

Back in the Cavalry days horses lived in tie stalls or tied up on lines. The only time they were untied is when they were being ridden. If a horse was sick or injured it would be put into a loose box for "box" rest. It moved more, not less.

Any how getting back to the no stable thing, I have rehabbed everything from laminitis, to a strained tendon to major lacerations in the paddock. Have only had one horse have surgery and that was many years ago when she had a check ligament cut for club foot (wish I knew then ....), she did 24 hours in a stable at the surgery, then came home and went back out into the paddock.

If I need to restrict movement, I set up an electric fence paddock so they can still see their mates, but not hoon. If they are that way inclined in a small area, then they are just better off out in the paddock. Horses are made to move, not being able to is bad for them mentally, emotionally and physically. And IMO movement helps with healing - circulation is improved and injuries don't stiffen. Having had a few injuries myself, I always recon that getting out of bed in the morning hurts more than anything else. Having said that, yes there are some situations (post colic surgery would be one) where stabling makes complete sense.
 
I don't really subscribe to box rest; unless it was a very severe, specialised injury I'd just turn out in a flat paddock.
But generally if you've got a horse that's been in and you think it'll be naughty to lead out then sedalin is your friend.
 
I think, where possible, I would definitely be of the 'turn him out but give him more time' school of thought. I'd need to find somewhere without heavy clay, but I think he would stand a much better chance of recovery left out than if he spent x months in and then ruined it all in the first 10mins of leading him.
My sisters horse has been relatively restricted for two years and is an angel, but mine is a whole other species in comparison!
 
Three days out of a normal routine will make any animal suspicious and scared and just a little bit panicked. It's not the pent up energy it's the fear of the unknown.

In my experience, all horses eventually cope with box rest and its a case of establishing a routine as quickly as possible and being as quiet and as gentle as possible to reassure and calm the horse that its ok. After a week, it sinks in they calm down. All horses will call and go a bit mad for a few days first of all as its not what they are used to. Then once this initial protest is over, they settle.
 
Done it with a mentalist, he can just about cope with 7 days on box rest if the weather is vile, any more than that and he gets lairy. He ended up on a lot of box rest after multiple injuries - he did his front suspensory which was 3 and a half months box rest, tried walking in hand which was rearing in hand for 20 mins so he got sedated and turned out with a sensible friend for 2 weeks until he returned to normal. Was back in work 6 weeks then got kicked and fractured his foreleg, another 4 months of box rest followed with lots of bad behaviour after the first two weeks (couldn't cross tie due to this so had to risk it). He broke several light fittings broncing and reaering in his stabel towards the end, got a bit fast and loose with his teeth so went on valerian which helped.

He got sedated and turned out again and after 3 days he got kicked again :( Another 3 months box rest followed to be turned out for 10 days after fighting off a tube of domesedan to turn him out, I managed to hang onto him to the closest paddock, then he pulled his hind tendon 2 weeks later, 6 weeks box rest again. Used valerian and zxylekene alternatively to keep him a bit chilled (more boredom than anything I think).

The last time box rest was over, we managed to convince him to get on a trailer and he went to a rehab yard for a month on a walker to build him up. I tried to ride him from the box and he promptly reared and bronced for 20 mins so he got turned out with me crossing everything for a few weeks!
He is as sane as you like and can hack on the buckle end these days and doesn't bronc or rear in his stable thnakfully!

There is no way I would ever attempt controlled exercise with him after more then 2 weeks box rest as it's verging on a suicide mission for both of us, the only that would happen is that he'd be chucked on the horse walker which is a godsend! If he ever has to go through more than 3 or 4 months box rest it would be a tough call as I know he'd be okay following but just getting through it is tough...
 
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