Horse with radial fracture - 6 weeks box rest

[lizijj]

Hi,

my beautiful boy has a radial fracture (I've had two horrendous injuries to two horses in the space of two weeks - they've been in their field for years without incident). It occurred from a puncture wound on the inside of his right fore above the knee (and yes there is nothing in the field to have caused it). He is 17hh, ID/TB, 7 years. We found the injury fresh and he has been in the vets for a week on intravenous. Second X-Ray showed the fracture. He is coming home to box rest for 6 weeks. I would be grateful for any ideas on keeping him sane (he lives out 24/7) in the stable. My vet has said don't even let him out for a grass walk, for my own sanity, as he might play up, expecting to go out every time he sees me. Also any advice on feeding to mend the bones??? He will have company every night and day time weekend, maybe goats weekdays. Have bought a mirror and radio. For those of you who've read my posts before - yes, it's the same horse who is amazingly bred, and keeps getting injured before every county show... All I care about though, is that he is safe, happy and repairs this fracture. Finally - we have resorted to putting a camera in our field - sad times.

 

[charlie76]

My horse fractured his radius last year. He was cross tied for six weeks and had a further three months box rest. He was originally in a Robert Jones bandage with a splint. The first one was fine but when they x rated and re bandaged his leg starTed to swell so I had to take it off, he still has lumps and white hair where it gave him pressure sores but it was a small price to pay.
He was on very strong antibiotics called baytrill for a long time in case the very small puncture wound was infected and infected the bone.
Whilst cross tied I checked him several times a day, including at midnight as I worried he might get caught up. He wore a leather headcollar that would snap under pressure, I covered all clips and fixtures in sponge and vet wrap to stop him getting caught. He had neoprene covers on his head collar to stop rubs. I moved his ring ties, one on each side of the door to give him two hay nets and we put his bucket holders on his door. When he was allowed to be untied he rolled about a hundred times! I started hand grazing him after three months. He was a bit wild at times ! I then had to start riding him from box rest. The vet gave me zyklene calmer for him which worked wonders.
Whilst he was in I gave him ad lib soaked hay, hi fi light to eat with a handful of nuts with plenty of water as I worried the lack of movement might cause impaction colic.
I gave him a salt lick, bandaged him all round. Groomed him twice a day, used the massage pad on him and kept the radio on. I also deep littered him on shavings as it was easier.
He coped remarkably well and he is an 18 hh warmblood who was competition fit at the time.
He is in normal full work now, jumping and schooling at advanced medium. The only signs it happened are the bumps from the bandage.
Good luck.

 

[charlie76]

Ps, he was x rayed every two to three weeks

 

[lyndsayberesford]

mine just finishing 12 week box rest after a cortical fracture to the cannon bone so know what u are going through!

advice to get some potassium bromide from your vet (cheap mild sedative) and also some ACP tablets if not. make sure he has plenty of food at all times. lots of love and attention in the stable and try not to get too down about it (easier said than done i know).

i have fed mine salt in his feed and a good balancer plus a pre and pro biotic to help his guts!

comfrey is known as bone knit and you can get it from feedmark and put in their feed, i was advised against it but with it only being short term he finished the tub.

dont be tempted to bring him out for a "little" bit of grass as it causes you further battle because then u feel bad for not taking them out!

Mine kicks the door when he sees me and then tries to race round his stable!

its tough and very stressful but worth doing correctly to get the best healing for your horse

 

[leflynn]

Mine is in with a radial fracture, have done 12 weeks box rest to find the original fracture had healed but they found another bit down from it that didn't show on th eoriginal xray so he is still in for at least another 6 weeks so understand what you're going through.

(he was also in for 3 months before that for a suspensory damage)

I used comfrey oil rather than the supplement and applied it to the fracture area, I also feed valerian and alternate with zylkene to keep him sane as he tends to lark about in his stable.

Good luck

 

[AshTay]

No practical advice for the fracture but re boxrest: I didn't think my old boy would cope with prolonged boxrest when he trashed himself a few years ago but he surprised me and once we had a routine going he settled really well. Hopefully your boy will surprise you.

Also I know the feeling when two of your horses suddenly damage themselves at the same time after months/years with no problems with either!! I wondered what I'd done wrong to earn so much bad karma!!! But it's just bad luck.

 

[Goldenstar]

Establish roultine .
Always provide a friend .
Radios
Groom daily , equissage daily do different things but at the same time each day spaced out.
Freed lots of different types of forage some hay ,some haylage somechoppedstraw in a bowl some Alfafa in a bowl it keeps them interested.
Turnips apples carrots etc threaded on ropes and hung up.
Toys although one of ours was wound up by toys and better without .
And as other posters have said if necessary sedation.

 

[Goldenstar]

After years of mysterious self harming we put electric fencing on permanent posts round the inside of all our fields and reduced it by 3/4 ers how I don't know but it did.

 

[lizijj]

Thanks for all your comments

Cross fingers and toes, so far he is coping well. We are lucky that we can rotate stable mates day and night (not sure how happy they are about it though!), so he always has company. Grooming at night, stable bandages (not sure why but he likes the attention!) and rugged. Two feeds a day of low fi, add lib hay, both dry and soaked. Turnips on string, salt lick, carrots hid in hay and best of all... gorse! He loves it! One bucket of grass or green. Deep littering and skipping out. Now pray the bone heals x

 

[weesophz]

my horse did the same thing last year, punture wound included. he was allowed to be walked out for grass once a day for 5 minutes only if he could be counted on to be sane..

while he was in he had a salt crystal which he adored, and was showered with carrots and polos, but even that didnt help his mood which eventually turned horrific. its just one of those things you need to deal with i think.

youre lucky yours is only 6 weeks! fox was on box rest for 5 months solid poor kid.

wish him a speedy recovery, its the most annoying thing when you dont know how they got injured