He fell over :-/

[ponyparty]

The groom at the yard I have Bruce at told me when I got there tonight that he fell over today. She said he was standing there in his hard standing, and suddenly his back end went - his right hind buckled and the rest followed. He scrambled back up fine and seemed ok afterwards.

I checked him over, he has some superficial cuts to his hocks from landing on the hard standing. He seemed to be swinging his right hind outwards rather than bringing it under - he does this though due to hock arthritis.
Got my sister to lunge him while I watched and he’s not bringing that right hind under him properly.

I haven’t been having him brought into his stable at all during the day, he’s been on the hard standing overnight then out on grass for a few hours each morning; then back onto the hard standing for the rest of the day. I wonder if he (as he has always previously been used to some time stabled) is just really tired and not sleeping properly asbhes not lying down? And was maybe dozing and just buckled? And the increased stiffness in the right hind is from it being sore due to him landing on it. This is what I’m hoping as best case - a horses back end doesn’t just go from under them, does it?

I’ve cleaned up the cuts, they are superficial and there’s no heat in either leg. I’ve stabled him overnight - I’ve been reluctant to do this as no other horses are coming in at the moment; but he can see the others out of his stable window so hopefully he’ll be ok. So hopefully if he is just exhausted and needs to sleep properly, lying down, he can do that tonight, and I will change his routine to this every day.

Groom is going to report how he is first thing tomorrow morning and i’ll be going up there by 10.30am, I have another appointment first... though i’ll be cancelling that if groom says anything is amiss!

Yet another thing wrong with him, and for me to worry about. Hoping I’ve done the right thing leaving him in his stable overnight, and not calling the vet just yet; I figured see how he is in the morning and get the vet out then if needs be. Please let that be the right decision

 

[TheMule]

Usually if they're not lying down it's because the hocks hurt when they go to get up. Therefore I would up the painkillers and see if that helps but unfortunately this is often a telling sign that they're not really coping anymore with the arthirits, sorry

 

[mel2]

Hope he's feeling better tomorrow,

Just a thought, my old horse used to have stiff legs/onset arthritius, magnetic/therapy boots helped him incredibly..may be worth a try to give your horse a bit extra comfort?

 

[ponyparty]

Usually if they're not lying down it's because the hocks hurt when they go to get up. Therefore I would up the painkillers and see if that helps but unfortunately this is often a telling sign that they're not really coping anymore with the arthirits, sorry

He’s not lying down because he’s only on hard standing - I mean literally, it’s hardcore, none of the horses lie down on it. He *could* lie down in the field when he gets turned out in the morning - but he’s too obsessed with eating the grass. So he’s just not getting opportunity to lie down - or at least, I think/hope that’s what it is. He’s been seen lying down in his stable when I’ve brought him in during the day a few times; I’ve been reluctant to do this though as he’s the only one coming in at the moment, and he can be a bit of a stress head. But he can see others out of his stable so I think maybe I’m stressing about it more than he is!
Arrrrrgh wish I could have a camera on him tonight! I think I’ll just go up there really early morning tomorrow before my appointment. Physically really struggling myself at the moment too due to pregnancy related ailments so hopefully I’m fit to actually do that!
Reassess in morning anyway. I hope you’re not right, I’ve been counting on getting him right and being able to get back on him eventually, after I’ve had the baby 😔

 

[ponyparty]

Hope he's feeling better tomorrow,

Just a thought, my old horse used to have stiff legs/onset arthritius, magnetic/therapy boots helped him incredibly..may be worth a try to give your horse a bit extra comfort?

Thanks, I was going to order some actually - premier equine have got 20% off at the moment, do you know if theirs are any good??
He’s got the vet coming out next Friday anyway, to reassess his kissing spines and hocks, so my plan was to see what the vet’s verdict on how he’s improving (or not) was and go from there.

I wouldn’t want to put boots on them now anyway with cuts all over them so guess my order can wait until after the vet has seen him!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I had very good results on one horse with Bioflow boots but haven't had such good results with a couple of others.

I hope you can get him right soon. Does he have to spend time on the hard-standing, or could he just go into the field 24/7?

 

[Templebar]

Why does he need to spend so much time on hard standing as you are saying out of 24 hours he is probably spending 18-20ish hours on there, which doesn't seem good for any horse. Depending on what food available there, then he probably spends the time in the field eating. So he may not be lying down at all.

 

[SEL]

Can you put thick rubber matting on the hard standing?

 

[Pinkvboots]

I would put him in his stable with a nice bed rather than standing on concrete for all that time, his probably not lying down in the field a lot of horses don't so his probably really tired, mine come in to there stables for about 3 to 4 hours most days and they tend to just flop on the floor once they have eaten a bit of hay.

 

[ponyparty]

He can’t go out in the field for more than a few hours at a time, depending on what the sugars in the grass are doing, as he’s got EMS. I wish I could just turn him away but it would kill him! The whole reason I moved to this yard was so that he could spend time outdoors with more space to move around and keep active - for his kissing spines and hock arthritis - rather than being cooped up in a stable 22 hours per day.

I’ve been to see him this morning, he’s definitely had a lie down or a roll as he had shavings in his tail and on his head.

I agree that he isn’t getting opportunity to lie down with his routine as it has been, the reason I have been reluctant to bring him in on his own though (particularly overnight) is that historically he has box walked and stressed if in on his own. Thankfully he does seem chilled at this place though.

I think a change in routine to being stabled overnight, then out for a couple of hours on grass and then onto the hard standing for the rest of the day, might be wise.

There’s no heat in the legs this morning, I’ve cleaned the cuts again and although they look pretty angry it’s really just the hair and top layer of skin that’s been taken off. Just going to keep them really clean and hope to god no infection sets in; and quiz the vet about it on Friday.

I think I will look into magnetic boots - particularly the brand you mentioned, PaS - though on the Premier Equine website it says that they should not be used by pregnant women?! Does that mean they should not even be handled by pregnant women? Wasn’t planning on using them on myself 😂 does anyone know why?

 

[Pinkvboots]

He can’t go out in the field for more than a few hours at a time, depending on what the sugars in the grass are doing, as he’s got EMS. I wish I could just turn him away but it would kill him! The whole reason I moved to this yard was so that he could spend time outdoors with more space to move around and keep active - for his kissing spines and hock arthritis - rather than being cooped up in a stable 22 hours per day.

I’ve been to see him this morning, he’s definitely had a lie down or a roll as he had shavings in his tail and on his head.

I agree that he isn’t getting opportunity to lie down with his routine as it has been, the reason I have been reluctant to bring him in on his own though (particularly overnight) is that historically he has box walked and stressed if in on his own. Thankfully he does seem chilled at this place though.

I think a change in routine to being stabled overnight, then out for a couple of hours on grass and then onto the hard standing for the rest of the day, might be wise.

There’s no heat in the legs this morning, I’ve cleaned the cuts again and although they look pretty angry it’s really just the hair and top layer of skin that’s been taken off. Just going to keep them really clean and hope to god no infection sets in; and quiz the vet about it on Friday.

I think I will look into magnetic boots - particularly the brand you mentioned, PaS - though on the Premier Equine website it says that they should not be used by pregnant women?! Does that mean they should not even be handled by pregnant women? Wasn’t planning on using them on myself �� does anyone know why?

He doesn't have to stay in overnight just a few hours in the morning would probably be enough for him to have sleep in his stable, many horses won't sleep and lie down in a field so it's probably nothing to do with his arthritis just give it a try and see how he goes

 

[pippixox]

I would put a few rubber mats in the hard standing. My old boy often chooses to lie on his mats in the barn rather than the straw bed! As it is supportive I presume.

I don’t think there is anything seriously dangerous about putting magnetic boots on a horse when pregnant! I did nearly forget until the vet reminded me that I couldn’t hold a horse for an x-ray as I was pregnant. But radiation is very different!

 

[ponyparty]

Ok I’m going to ask if i can put a bit of rubber matting down on one corner then. It gets woodchip put down over winter, it’s just in summer they take it all up. Does it not get terribly slippy in the rain though? That’s the last thing I need, him slipping over as well!

I forgot to bring his Danilon up yesterday afternoon so I came back at 10 pm to give it to him then; he was dozing standing up when I got here. This morning when I arrived he was covered in shavings so he’s definitely had a lie down. Going to see about putting a camera up to observe him one night, would love to see when he does actually lie down. I suspect it’s early hours of the morning. He doesn’t lie down when there are people around - he’d be ok coming in during the day in the week, as the yard in quiet, but at the weekend it’s a real hive of activity in the day, with kids running around etc so I don’t think he’d be relaxed enough.

Going to have the vet out tomorrow to prescribe some more Danilon I think - just to keep him comfortable while the hocks heal. Poor boy, with hock arthritis as well, this is the last injury he needed to sustain vet is due Friday anyway to reassess kissing spine/hocks but if he’s still lame from this incident I don’t suppose there’ll be much point in that appointment!

 

[ihatework]

Could you pop a corner of wood chip in his hard standing pen?

 

[ponyparty]

Could you pop a corner of wood chip in his hard standing pen?

Yeah, spoke to the yard owner who said she will be putting more woodchip down soon anyway. If he’s coming in to have a sleep at night though, there’s no rush, as hopefully he won’t be so tired he falls over! If he falls again, whilst he’s having opportunity to sleep, then I know there’s something seriously wrong.

Just want my boy to be pain free and happy, it’s one thing after another after another at the moment with him