Ahrena
Well-Known Member
My 15 year old gelding, Squirrel, is on 5 months off with collaterial liagement damage. As far as ligamet damage goes, its fairly minor and we're almost 4 months done.
He goes out in a small pen - I was told to make it small enough to disourage him to trot. Well he has steadily become more and more bolshy and naughty and today was the final straw and frankly I'm not sure what to do with him.
Now usually this horse is Mr Horizontal, could pop your granny on him for a hack with your baby and not bat an eyelid. Was fed 2 scoops of racemix over the summer when he wasd eventing and he was still lazy!
However about a month ago he became a Holy Terror to lead up to his pen, bucking and leaping ect so we moved the pen very close to the yard. He then spent a week escaping from said pen but I've made it fairly escape proof now (1.50m electric fencing with 3 strands). I move the pen weekly to try and keep the ground as good as pos as he gets given hay frequently whilst he's out to ensure he's got plenty to eat. I also put my old retired mare in with him so he's not alone (she's got navicular anyway so doesn't harm her to be in a small space!)
We obviously reduced his feed, hes just on chaff and we also put him on a calmer about 3 weeks ago (not sure off the top of my head which 1, but its not magnesium based as he isn't hyper usually so I figured its not due to a defeciency or anything, and he is still on supplements including a general multivit). He goes out sort of 8-3.30.
I've just spent the best part of a week in hospital and when I went up this morning I was greeted by the Savage Beast. As soon as he was done with his breakfast he was kicking the crap out the door (never done this before in his life), as soon as I changed his rug and went to change the mare's rug he was bucking and squealing in his stable. When I put him out, he span round, cantered off as far as he could, jumped straight out of his pen (1.50m), galloped up to the top of the fields, jumped into his old, thankfully empty, field and went to town in there.
I could kill him. He was quiet when I caught him and has been fine all day now its out his system...but this is clearly not doing him any good! He had such a cheeky expression on his face after I caught him too...
So now I'm getting frustrated with him though. Obviously he's bored, but there's not much I can do about it.
I think I'll phone my vet but I guess my options are pretty much
1) Box rest. He won't be happy but he won't hurt himself
2) Turn out in a normal field and hope he stays fairly quiet
3) Turn out24/7 but he would have to be out individually as none of my others can live out (there's other horses who live out but I wouldn't want to put him in with the fo just 6 weeks and he isn't very keen on being alone, even with horses next door). Vet also said it would be good for him to come in at night to rest.
4) Some kind of sedation, but for 6 weeks??
5) See if I can start walk work now and perhaps that stimulation would be enough to keep him quiet.
6) Keep going and hope for the best!
He clearly isn't ready for retirement yet!! I mean I can double fence his pen so he won't try and jump out again BUT it still doesn't stop him hooning in his pen and I do worry that the 2 strides of canter, skid to stop, turn and repeat is worse than him just cantering.
He goes out in a small pen - I was told to make it small enough to disourage him to trot. Well he has steadily become more and more bolshy and naughty and today was the final straw and frankly I'm not sure what to do with him.
Now usually this horse is Mr Horizontal, could pop your granny on him for a hack with your baby and not bat an eyelid. Was fed 2 scoops of racemix over the summer when he wasd eventing and he was still lazy!
However about a month ago he became a Holy Terror to lead up to his pen, bucking and leaping ect so we moved the pen very close to the yard. He then spent a week escaping from said pen but I've made it fairly escape proof now (1.50m electric fencing with 3 strands). I move the pen weekly to try and keep the ground as good as pos as he gets given hay frequently whilst he's out to ensure he's got plenty to eat. I also put my old retired mare in with him so he's not alone (she's got navicular anyway so doesn't harm her to be in a small space!)
We obviously reduced his feed, hes just on chaff and we also put him on a calmer about 3 weeks ago (not sure off the top of my head which 1, but its not magnesium based as he isn't hyper usually so I figured its not due to a defeciency or anything, and he is still on supplements including a general multivit). He goes out sort of 8-3.30.
I've just spent the best part of a week in hospital and when I went up this morning I was greeted by the Savage Beast. As soon as he was done with his breakfast he was kicking the crap out the door (never done this before in his life), as soon as I changed his rug and went to change the mare's rug he was bucking and squealing in his stable. When I put him out, he span round, cantered off as far as he could, jumped straight out of his pen (1.50m), galloped up to the top of the fields, jumped into his old, thankfully empty, field and went to town in there.
I could kill him. He was quiet when I caught him and has been fine all day now its out his system...but this is clearly not doing him any good! He had such a cheeky expression on his face after I caught him too...
So now I'm getting frustrated with him though. Obviously he's bored, but there's not much I can do about it.
I think I'll phone my vet but I guess my options are pretty much
1) Box rest. He won't be happy but he won't hurt himself
2) Turn out in a normal field and hope he stays fairly quiet
3) Turn out24/7 but he would have to be out individually as none of my others can live out (there's other horses who live out but I wouldn't want to put him in with the fo just 6 weeks and he isn't very keen on being alone, even with horses next door). Vet also said it would be good for him to come in at night to rest.
4) Some kind of sedation, but for 6 weeks??
5) See if I can start walk work now and perhaps that stimulation would be enough to keep him quiet.
6) Keep going and hope for the best!
He clearly isn't ready for retirement yet!! I mean I can double fence his pen so he won't try and jump out again BUT it still doesn't stop him hooning in his pen and I do worry that the 2 strides of canter, skid to stop, turn and repeat is worse than him just cantering.
