Horse on box rest - how does your yard arrange company?

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Perce

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as title.

we all know that a horse on box rest will be more settled if they have company and are not left in on their own but what does your DIY yard do or expect in order to achieve this, especially when horses normally out 24/7?

i have 3 hosses so if one of mine is in i would use one of the others to keep it happy, and both if that meant the last was out on it's own and unhappy, and as my problem would accept the costs/effort accordingly.

one DIY yard i know insists the other horses are kept in on a rotation basis to accompany resting horse. but should you have to pay the extra hay/bedding and the time if it's not your horse? i have always seen this as a big favour for which you should be asked and most of us would offer in the hope it would be returned.

several years ago i brought one of mine in each night to accompany only other horse at yard and was happy to give time and effort short term (initially 2 weeks) , but when it became a long term thing...and my hay was running out and there was loads of 'free' grass in the field it was a dilemma. i carried on but asked the loaner for a donation of a couple of sections of hay a night (they had loads!). this did not go down well and i was told not to bother, but as i knew horse would be very stressed carried on at my expense.The owner then offered some hay later when i explained mine was about to run out and until my hay was cut i was not willing to buy more in as I did not need it..and my horse would unfortunately have to go out. She appreciated the effect my horse's company was having. I felt guilty asking but...
it took a lot of extra time on my part and my horse would much rather have been out but i was happy to do this as didn't want the horse stressed but (devil's advocate!!) should it have cost me? (hay/bedding i didn't need to be using?). the favour would never have been repaid as i have 3 of my own to move about.If my hay barn had been full i wouldn't have bothered at all.

so... how does it work at your yard?
is it done on a favour basis/ yard contract arrangment or are owners left to fend for themselves and if your horse is stressed tough!!

rather long! sorry!
 
in one of our fields we have some old stables which we use in this situation... it means that the resting horse can be on box rest and see the rest of the horses which can still be in the field grazing. although this is normally just in teh summer when horses are out 24/7, the rest of the time the resting horse would be in teh main stable block at night and then if it can walk to the field in can be those stables in the day. However i am lazy and my horse is good so she has been in on her own for teh last 3weeks in the main yard as she had an infected cut that doesnt want to heal.

in terms of whether u should be made to leave another horse in my yard its a no u can if u want and really its up to the good nature of the liveries but if u leave in u pay the bill not the poorly horse owner!

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No DIY yard I've ever been on would make rules about this kind of thing, its basically down to the owner of the horse to try to make their own arrangements.

Personally I wouldn't be prepared to keep my horses in long term for someone else and wouldn't ask that of anyone. In my experience most horses will settle down on their own eventually anyway, if not, then its often better to just pen them in a field where they can see their mates.
 
I'm at a yard with 22 horses, if your horse needs box rest it's on it's own! No one would leave theirs in to keep it company, including myself. Then again I have an old one who simply wouldn't be box rested, she hurt herself last year and the vet recommended box rest, I put her out in a small paddock with another oldie and she self healed
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i suppose it would depend on how many of you there were. if 20 odd horses then twould only be about once every 3 weeks so not probs.

i agree with minxie, it was only when i had a severe hay shortage that i even thought about costs.

but i'm not sure i'd be pleased to be told i HAD to keep my horse in.
 
Luckily all ours are happy to stay in alone -especially mine which has had a lot of box rest.

However if someone wanted company for a horse they could leave mine in for the day - but not 24/7, if they provided hay and did the stable.
 
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