Has anyone gone from total boxrest straight to turnout, without in hand walking?

[PaulnasherryRocky]

From my previous posts, you can probably work out how well things are going with my yearling lol!

Back story - he has been on box rest since January due to surgery in both stifles for OCD.
Started in hand walking from the 6th week of box rest - even with oral sedation there were multiple explosions, he became quite a stress head in his stable and the vet said rearing wont help his stifles heal, so stop the in hand walking. We stopped and he is back to the loving little dream pony.

We are now so close to his final vet check where we decide about turning out and this is where my query is!

My assumption is the vet will say turn out in a small paddock. We have one sick paddock at my yard, but it's about half an acre, so not exactly small. It also has multiple badger holes that scream broken leg at me.
Due to yard rules, we cant use electric fencing to cordon off a smaller area, so at this yard my only choice is to turn out in to his usual 3 acre paddock.

Going from total box rest, to 3 acre paddock scares me! All I can think of is dope him up as much as poss, and maybe have the physio massage him before he goes out so hes at least a little bit "warmed up"

Either that, or find another local yard that can provide a small paddock - but he does seem to get a sore gut when stressed out so I'm not sure if this would be the right thing to do either!

Had anyone gone from total box rest straight to turnout before, and did it go OK or badly wrong? I'm just worried he will injure something else by hooning around.

Obviously I will discuss this with my vet too, as he is aware of our yard rules around electric fencing and sick paddocks - just wondering if anyone had experience of this they could share, good or bad!

Thanks in advance!

 

[spacefaer]

Yes. Had a horse that tweaked his tendon - did his box rest very well and started walking out in hand which was very not fun. On vets advice, we sedalined him very heavily and turned him out in a 2 acre paddock. (He was so sleepy, he rested his teeth on the ground when he tried to eat!)
He did 2 circuits of the field as he came round but settled and I left him turned out. I didn't want the excitement of him being turned out daily.
He stayed sound and in work for another 10 years.

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

Yes. Had a horse that tweaked his tendon - did his box rest very well and started walking out in hand which was very not fun. On vets advice, we sedalined him very heavily and turned him out in a 2 acre paddock. (He was so sleepy, he rested his teeth on the ground when he tried to eat!)
He did 2 circuits of the field as he came round but settled and I left him turned out. I didn't want the excitement of him being turned out daily.
He stayed sound and in work for another 10 years.

Now that's the kind of answer that helps me feel better about it! So glad to hear he did so well. I only have relaquin at the moment but I will ask for some sedalin

 

[millikins]

We were at a livery yard with 2 ponies when one was kicked and did a tendon. She was on box rest but not coping well, restless and spinning, when I unexpectedly got the chance to rent a private yard. With just my two, I had little option but to turn her out, she hooned around, I was expecting a bad set back but she settled quickly and made a full recovery.

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

We were at a livery yard with 2 ponies when one was kicked and did a tendon. She was on box rest but not coping well, restless and spinning, when I unexpectedly got the chance to rent a private yard. With just my two, I had little option but to turn her out, she hooned around, I was expecting a bad set back but she settled quickly and made a full recovery.

Did she go straight out with her field mate, or on her own first?
I'm not sure how mine will cope on his own, but as he is an annoying yearling out among 3 older horses, he isnt the best liked and will probably be on the recieving end of a few kicks!

So glad yours also made a full recovery!

 

[chaps89]

If he was going out on his own I'd be inclined to try it. But he's been away from the herd and if he's not well liked then I feel re-introductions should be done carefully. Him going out sedated into a herd feels like a really bad idea to me tbh.
I would look for a new yard - either a rehab yard with pen turnout facilities for short term or something more long term.

 

[millikins]

Did she go straight out with her field mate, or on her own first?
I'm not sure how mine will cope on his own, but as he is an annoying yearling out among 3 older horses, he isnt the best liked and will probably be on the recieving end of a few kicks!

So glad yours also made a full recovery!

She went straight out with him. She was never one who coped with single turnout. It was a fairly heart stopping moment but my options were limited so seemed the least worst one and there was lots of fresh grass to distract her. I hope all goes well with your youngster, it's a hard call and if she'd coped better with box rest I'd most likely not have done it.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Yes, I put a TB who’d had a fracture straight out. He went in a small area- it was actually being fenced off as a make shift school so about that size! He went with my daughters pony as being anywhere alone at the best of times was a no.
We sedated so he came round slowly outside. It was fine!

 

[Trouper]

Made a small pen area (double stable area) in the field with my ex-racer's mates and used some Sedalin on him the first day. It worked well for a few days but then the pen became too "small" for him and he kicked off. I decided that the rearing was doing more harm to his hock than general mooching so let him out with his chums.
I think the more you try to confine a ranging, herd animal like a horse the more problems you have.

 

[throwawayaccount]

eventually, yes!!

my mare had several months of controlled box rest and inhand walking, due to hole in suspensory ligament . after that, she was allowed to be turned out in a small paddock. unfortunately, despite relaquin, she went bananas and made herself worse. she also became unmanageable on boxrest and was very unhappy. went back to vets, vets agreed that as she had made her injury worse to chuck her out for a few months. so october-december she was out, then in at night for a few months- until the next scan when vets said she could start ridden walking

sometimes i think small paddocks are worse as they spin in tighter circles and therefore more pressure on ligament . but then again they can do just as much damage in a big field

so its your call really but i don't think its fair to keep them cooped up forever- it made us realise my mare isnt a candidate for long term box rest.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would not want to turn a sedated youngster out in a herd -, tbh that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Would the YO accede to a vet request for an electric fencing paddock under these particular circumstances? If not I would find an alternative yard.

 

[EmmaC78]

I have turned out straight away as well. My horse is a bit of a worrier so I thought putting him in a small fenced off paddock in sight of his normal field buddies would end up with him trying to jump the electric fence. I did give him a domesedan a bit before but these things often don't work on him and it didn't really work this time either. I would say it slightly took the edge off but he soon woke up when he knew he was heading he field! He did run about for a short time but there were no ill effects and I would do the same again if needed.

I think for me it would depend on the other horses he was going in with. Mine was joining a very small herd of two others who were delighted to have him back so I didn't have to worry too much about him being n the receiving end of a pair of hooves or being chased around.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have done it it’s not ideal but sometimes it’s the lesser evil .
You will need to be careful about colic .
Can you give him pulled grass in his stable in preparation .
ETA I have done it once where I decided a hungry friend would help so I lightly sedated the hungry friend as well that worked .

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Yearling - had been on box rest with daily in-hand grazing due to be stapled back together after a horse V fence accident. Once the staples were out she was sedated by the vet (injection) and was pushed/pulled by myself and the vet to her normal field with the herd. Vet went but I stayed with her as she woke up. She just grazed and was very sensible, so it worked out in this case.

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

If he was going out on his own I'd be inclined to try it. But he's been away from the herd and if he's not well liked then I feel re-introductions should be done carefully. Him going out sedated into a herd feels like a really bad idea to me tbh.
I would look for a new yard - either a rehab yard with pen turnout facilities for short term or something more long term.

Oh no sorry I'm terrible at explaining
He would first go out alone sedated with horses next door, and then my old horse (who does get on with him) would join him later, and the others probably the next day when he isnt sedated

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

Some great advice as usual thanks all, he was fine with being turned out alone before box rest, so I can put the others next door and see how he gets on and go from there.
Good point to watch out for colic, I will have a think on ways to avoid that and will probably keep a close eye on him all day too.

One of the other horses in his usual herd currently has a fractured leg, and my old boy is just sound after a ligament injury, so I imagine nobody wants any running around- I just wish we could tell them that!

 

[sport horse]

I have done it with a 3 year old that had had 6 months box rest. Starved her for some hours. sedated her and turned her out with a friend in a 6 acre field and left them out for 3 months or more, nothing else going in or out of field just left them feral! Personally I would not want to put them in a small paddock - too much risk of tight turns, slipping etc or running through fencing.

 

[Frumpoon]

Yes

But he was only on box rest for a week/2 weeks ( can’t remember) post surgery

Once the stitches were out he was far calmer in body and mind being out

 

[Frumpoon]

Can you find a local stud or a different yard where he could be out with a small number of older horses?

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

I will have a look, though really he is already out with a small group of older horses.
If I hadnt run out of insurance money I'd be sending him to the local rehab yard, very expensive option though.

I will see what the vet thinks, I think once the first few hours of turnout is over he will be exhausted and will want to come back in anyway!

 

[sport horse]

I will have a look, though really he is already out with a small group of older horses.
If I hadnt run out of insurance money I'd be sending him to the local rehab yard, very expensive option though.

I will see what the vet thinks, I think once the first few hours of turnout is over he will be exhausted and will want to come back in anyway!

Can you not leave him out - the constant bringing in and turning out will cause more risk of damage than leaving him out 24/7 - we are nearly into spring now so timing is good.

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

Can you not leave him out - the constant bringing in and turning out will cause more risk of damage than leaving him out 24/7 - we are nearly into spring now so timing is good.

Ideally yes, but we can only turn out 24/7 when our farmer allows it. That can be anywhere from end if April until mid June (and he doesn't give any warning either!)

I've got a feeling after a long day out he will be exhausted, he has always been a bit of a gate hanger waiting to go back in to his stable. I've got him on a waiting list for a grass livery with a big herd to try to get him out of that habit!

 

[oldie48]

My sharer has just moved her horse to 24/7 turnout in a small herd. He's been on box rest for months but it was a pragmatic decision given his diagnosis. she wacked a load of sedalin into him and hoped for the best. He was fine.

 

[Sprig]

I would do it. Make sure that he has a quiet companion and there is lots of lovely grass (and then close your eyes!).

 

[scruffyponies]

Had to. Long term patient decided he had had enough of box rest and went out through the weakest part of the stable which turned out to be the back wall. He was much happier out.

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

Well, we went for it!
The vet reassured me that we had done extra box rest because of the lack of being able to inhand walk, and that he was more than ready to go "out out".

We decided to sedate with relaquin (you can see in the video just how much good that was!) and to turnout with my other chilled older horse.
Youtube link below to the turning out video - the field has NEVER felt so far away, i've never dealt with a horse behaving like that so i've no idea how I held on. He did manage to kick me in the butt at around the 1:46 part of the video, I have a nice hoof shaped bruise for my efforts!

I'm so glad thats over, and touch wood - he has been easy to bring in and turn out since! (Though I will continue to wear hat and gloves for the time being!)

 

[Fred66]

Well done you!!
Definitely a case of rather you than me ?
Lovely yard set up though.

 

[sport horse]

Nightmare! A little more sedative needed? Tip to anyone having to do this - put a lead rope onto each side of headcollar/bridle and have one person on each side of the horse. You can then keep the horse straight and away from each other. We do it a lot with recalcitrant youngsters that have to be moved from time to time and it is much safer for the handler!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

What a tricky situation, well done for hanging onto him. I hope you aren't too sore today and that he's OK too.

 

[GreyDot]

Wow! That was impressive! Well done for holding on to him!