Honest opinions need, don't know what to do (sorry it's long)

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ariellaII

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I have a 12 year old tb ex racer who jumped out of the field 2 months ago and broke his hind right pedal bone. He has been on complete box rest since and hasn't been coping well at all. He still has a cast on but first set of x-rays since incident has showed that it will be a slow process but he will have a good outlook. He has lost a lot of weight and had colic three times in this time. Yesterday afternoon he tried to jump out of his stable (he is in a 12x12 American barn stable) and basically got his front feet over and got his back legs stuck and fell over the door with a large crash at an incredibly awkward angle and cut all of his knees and was very sore on his other back leg.

Phoned the emergency vet right away and they were great and came out within 20 minutes and cleaned out his knees and the cut on his face and bandaged him up but were very concerned about how lame he was on his other back leg. He was sedated and taken to the vets for x-rays and observation as they were worried he had actually seriously damaged his other leg.

Got the phone call this morning that he has broken his splint bone in 3 places in his hind left and his pedal bone fracture has actually returned to the way it was when he first broke it (he was re x-rayed 6 weeks after the injury and it showed slow progress in healing). His splint bone surgery is scheduled for this afternoon.

As he is a pure tb and has quite spindly legs I am used to him going lame or getting injured but he has only ever been on box rest a maximum of 3 weeks and he just cannot stand it. I've tried leaving him toys to play with and lickits but he just gets himself so stressed and wound up. I have another horse who he has known since she was a baby and he used to dote on her and have them stabled next to each other and he can still see her etc and she is in on box rest keeping him company just now (she has an abscess) so it's not like he is alone.

I don't know what to do as the vet has said he has another 3 months minimum of box rest until his pedal bone heals. Thankfully the vet is very confident that after surgery his splint bone won't be too long of a recovery as the breaks are not too nasty.

So basically this is my dilemma. Is it fair to put him through this? I have been basically doping him up with magic calmer which didn't work so gave him a magnesium supplement to try and take the edge off of him in the stable.

I have had him for 8 years and he has gone from a skinny, lanky ex racer to a fantastic competition horse and all round family friend. It is heartbreaking to see him like this as he is just so miserable.
 
Would it be possible for him to go out in a very small paddock? One YO I knew used to put box rest horses in a paddock not much bigger than a large loose box.It was done with electric tapeing.
 
Had tried this before when he was on box rest before for a couple of weeks and he jumped out, had tried putting two sets of fencing up and jumped the first and literally ran through the second (it wasn't electric thankfully). :(
 
Has vet got any suggestions? I hated doing it but I had to sedate my mare when I moved yards earlier this year as she was a danger to herself.a week on sedalin helped her to accept her new surroundings. It was horrible that it came to that but did ease the process along.
I know it's not the same but might be worth asking vet about.
 
I have looked after a couple of horses that were a nightmare on box rest. Have you tried a stable mirror? Some horses really like then. One horse I knew had to be put in a large pen with a very small pony for company. It depends on what the vet thinks as to his possible outcome. Ive not know any horse that was on box rest that had problems in both hind legs. If you can't find a way to make him happy and the outcome doesn't look good I would consider pts.
 
It's an awful situation is he on livery ?
What you need is a cage stable so there's no door to go over is it possible to adjust the stable.
I also think that if possible you might get way with high electric fenced turnout coral and walking him in and out daily once the splint fracture is sorted .
I think that will be less dangerous than his recovery than crashing around.
Also get some more heavy duty sedation for the vet there's one you can give long term and they eat while they are taking it.
Only you can answer the is it fair question but I did once put a horse to sleep six months into box rest it was awful,and I regretted many of the desisions I had taken but it was torture for the horse and the outcome was becoming more and more less rosy.
I feel for you .
 
I had a total stress head horse on box rest for about 10weeks with a fractured cannon bone.....he was a nightmare- charging the door, stampeding around the stable....I left his field mate in half the day so he could see her which helped, and when she went out for the afternoon I had to sedate him....eventually he settled to a degree but I have to say it was THE most stressful period ever....

When he started to improve he did go out into a small fenced off area which helped, but the first few times he bronced like a lunatic...luckily it didn't set him back.

Any chance of some sedation for him?
 
milliepops said:
Has vet got any suggestions? I hated doing it but I had to sedate my mare when I moved yards earlier this year as she was a danger to herself.a week on sedalin helped her to accept her new surroundings. It was horrible that it came to that but did ease the process along.
I know it's not the same but might be worth asking vet about.
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Vet hasn't mentioned sedalin, it's something I've never even thought of so thank you! Vet suggested putting up a weaving grill so he wouldn't be able to jump out and stress himself weaving however he would just box walk and buck etc his his stable more which isn't really helping the healing of his hoof so I'm pretty much ruling that out. He has also suggested a change of surroundings to a quieter yard as where I am just now is quite busy so will see how he gets on at vets as it's quiet there and will maybe move him afterwards.
 
What an awful situation for you. Have you spoken to your vets about any sort of sedation for him? There must be something he could have for the duration of the box rest. Im not usually keen on prolonged sedation but this does sound an extreme case.

I seem to remember reading about something called Zylkene (?)(I think that was the name) that your vet can prescribe in this sort of case.

I really hope he settles down for you and is a happier boy, it must be so difficult to see him like this.
 
I was going to say has the vet got any suggestions. Unfortunately Sedalin might be your only option, even if it is just enough to take the edge off of him.

Really feel for you as you so obviously love and dote on him, what a horrid situation to be in, if only they could understand that we are just trying to help them.
 
In your shoes, I would look to have him in a barn situation with a mate, or I'm afraid I'd put him down. Because, no it's not fair for him to be stressed and distressed as he is at present.
 
If he can't be turned out in a very small paddock. Then I would be looking at PTS. I am sorry if thats not what you wanted to hear, but you did say you wanted honest opinions. He doesn't sound like he can cope with much more boxrest without injuring himself further.
 
Thank you everyone for your replies :) have just got off phone with vet who has said sedation will be an option for long term use, the only reason he didn't suggest it was as when he gets his teeth done he needs to be quite heavily sedated and he requires a lot of sedation to actually calm him as he seems to fight it. Vet also said he likes to exhaust every other option first before having to drug him for quite a long period of time but if it will keep him safe and stops him getting injured again I will just do it as he doesn't need to be practically comatose like he is with the dentist, just enough to take the edge off and make him less crazy.

Trying to think positively and keep everything crossed for his surgery going well.
 
I also think you should get him a little buddy/someone else on permanent box rest that he can see and preferably touch. You could try valerian as well as that has a nice calming effect.

I think that sometimes when they get settled into box rest they adapt to it much better than you think. I was dreading having my son's pony in on box rest as he has never been happy in a stable & turns himself inside out if left on his own. I made sure he always had a pal in with him that he could at least hear if not see, and when he was eventually turned out after 9 weeks I wasn't certain I would ever catch him again. I was mightily surprised when he came belting over at a spanking trot demanding to be brought in again!

if yours is otherwise a lovely horse I would give it a go.
 
After just having a mare on 7 months boxrest (out now!). I do sympathise with you! My mare is incredibly laid back though!

I truly think you have 3 options!

1. Get a buddy, but will cost you in livery, time, feed etc, so weigh it up.

2. Sedate. This too will be costly.

3. Put to sleep.

My mare took a total of 6 months to recover from front splint fracture, and the hind leg is often more of a sticky healer than a fore. I should say that after 3 months she was on 'controlled' exercise from the box. Strictly no turnout for 3 months after start of exercise. Basically, if theygo out too soon, hooley about, they will refracture.

In your situation with what sounds like a highly strung girl, i would put to sleep.
 
What a total nightmare for you! I cannot imagine how hard it must be. I would try with electric fencing making a small pen for him. Use at least 4 strands and make it high. Ensure he has lots of tasty haylage to eat. Make sure it is electrified. They know when it isn't. If this does not work, then I'm afraid I would put to sleep. Anyone who knows me on here will know how I never say this lightly. But honestly, I do not see a happy outcome to this. I have known a horse need 6 months box rest for a pedal bone fracture. Prognosis is good, so long as they cope with box rest. Sounds like your boy is in mental hell. So sorry.
 
One horse I knew had to be put in a large pen with a very small pony for company. It depends on what the vet thinks as to his possible outcome.
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Is something like this possible? A slightly larger area with a companion in with him?

Stress actually slows healing. Vets don't seem to take this into account, and when told horse is not eating properly, not sleeping well, box walking, trying to jump out - and that that the fracture is not healing as fast as they'd expected, seem not to link the two. There is a physiological reason why horses who are stressed heal more slowly (partly to do with the effect of the chronic stress hormone cortisol).

Any way at all of reducing stress levels will speed up the healing process. Sedation will help keep the horse in the stable, but sedatives are not anxiolytics - they quieten the horse but don't make them feel any less unhappy or anxious, so the beneficial effect on speed of recovery won't happen with just sedating.

See if you can find one of the vets working with you who's willing to discuss this, and maybe try to work out a compromise :)
 
Feel for you. Re: the buddy - does it have to be another horse? Could a goat or similar do the same job? A hell of a lot cheaper!

Wishing you best of luck and hope surgery works out
 
ariellaII said:
Thank you everyone for your replies :) have just got off phone with vet who has said sedation will be an option for long term use, the only reason he didn't suggest it was as when he gets his teeth done he needs to be quite heavily sedated and he requires a lot of sedation to actually calm him as he seems to fight it. Vet also said he likes to exhaust every other option first before having to drug him for quite a long period of time but if it will keep him safe and stops him getting injured again I will just do it as he doesn't need to be practically comatose like he is with the dentist, just enough to take the edge off and make him less crazy.

Trying to think positively and keep everything crossed for his surgery going well.
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Will keep my fingers crossed for you and him.
 
Hiya,

I specialise in box rests and have had everything from top racehorses and fit eventers, to very young foals. Our worst was a three month old colt who fractured his skull. He went absolutely bananas in his box - he had to come away from mummy and all his friends, and learn to come into a stable alone. After two weeks, he was a delight! He was quiet, sweet, calm, learning things and was enjoying being with people. With horses like that, we tend to whack them full of sedalin for the first week or so, and we always put up an anti-weave grill to stop them trying to jump out.

I've found horses do better on box rest in courtyard boxes as they have more to look at even when the yard is quiet, so if you do end up moving, try going for a yard that has them.

Stick it out - he will settle, and there are plenty of tricks to keep him entertained. Have you tried gorse? He'll pick off the flowers and avoid the thorns if you hang it in his box - takes them aaaages!
 
You might be able to barrow a pony just need one that does not kick !
As a last resort run electric fencing round the stable .
But you donned to lock in that door or look for a small barn or how about a round corral built with big straw bales two high. could you cross tie and sedate during the day put in the stable at night ?
 
Why not phone up one of the large horse hospitals in Newmarket (such as Rossdales) and ask them how they deal with keeping 24/7 stabled racehorses calm after an injury.
 
ariellaII said:
Had tried this before when he was on box rest before for a couple of weeks and he jumped out, had tried putting two sets of fencing up and jumped the first and literally ran through the second (it wasn't electric thankfully). :(
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My mare used to be an absolute nightmare with electric fencing, I tried both the above methods... Stallion posts worked though...
 
I would second the vote for a goat companion in the box with him. They often prefer to have something 'with' them rather than just in the next stable.
 
When any of my horses have ever broken a bone or anything else which requires weeks or months of box rest I have always chosen to PTS. I dont believe in cooping horses up like battery hens. They dont understand why they cannot be turned out. Box rest is, IMO cruel. I wouldn't subject any of my horses to it. End of.
 
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