How long is recovery after colic surgery?

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I am thinking until Grace can be ridden... just to give me an idea???

What is the usual time scale?

I know this should be in veterinary, but thought more people would see it in here... thanks to those who have replied in there already
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I am worried about putting her out in a stable sized paddock because she will not stay out on her own really at the best of times without looning around and knowing her she will just break through the electric fencing
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I think I was told at least 3 months before even any gentle riding as long as everything goes to plan. 6-8 weeks before any turnout at all and then after that small paddock for a few weeks before back to usual paddock.
How's she doing anyway Becki, has the diahorrea stopped yet? Been looking for your updates.
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Diarrahoea still there, but not as bad. That will not go back to normal until her the colitis completely reduces... nothing yucky going on though, all tests have come back clear, which is excellent news. But the bad news is that I will never know what caused it
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I turned my horse out as soon as possible. I turned him out with a shetland pony which helped to keep him settled.

I found that my horse, Bill, let me know when he was ready for different things. I also found that his recovery actually increased once I started long reining him as he likes to be in work and included.

My times schedule was along these lines:
December - 1st colic surgery
6 weeks later started long reining
end Jan - 2nd surgery related to 1st.
6 weeks after started long reining again
May started competing again.

I waited a year until I started jumping him again but this was more due to the fact that my interest is dressage not jumping.

As with people recovery rates differ in horses. Aim for anything from about 2 months to 6 months depending on age, how she handled the anaesthetic and what sort of a patient she is.

My horse is very tough. For example he tried to jump out of his stable at the vets 2 days following surgery. So maybe my recovery was quicker than yours will be.
 
The long lining was all done in walk I presume?

Grace does not do 'doing nothing', and has already been in for 6 weeks for her suspensory
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I am going to speak to the vets when I pick her up because the turning out in a field the size of her stable is just not possible with her without a lot of sedation every day which I really don't want to do
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I was wondering whether I could just keep walking her in hand?
 
Yes I did everything in walk, building up to small bits of trot.

My vet was one of the leading people dealing with colic in America at one of the colleges over there and his belief is that the best thing for the horses gut during recovery is what it was designed for - grass.

How good would she be walking in hand? For me I think it is one of the most dangerous things to walk or graze in hand a horse on box rest. My friends horse was on box rest for several months and they had to trot her up to asses her soundness. She went nuts! The owner was at risk at the end of the rope and the end result was that the horse then tied up, which did not help the situation at all.

If you are worried about turning out in an electric fenced space would you be able to get your hands on a round pen? When you buy these pens you buy them a section at a time so you can have it as big or as small as you like. It might help her as she then would be contained but unable to jump out.

Once you are back up and running with her I found the guys at Baileys horse feeds excellent for a feed plan for him. They will come out and give you a free assesment and feed plan with no pbligation to buy from them
 
There is no where I could put a round pen where I am at the moment I am afraid... it is a temporary place until the yard I am moving to is ready. She is pretty good in hand to be honest, so I was planning on walking her in hand and giving her some grass that way.
 
Correct me if I am wrong, because I'm no way an expert
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but is the stable sized pen there so that the horse has access to grass all of the time but can't move much?? So walking in hand wouldn't be the same? I'm asking because I honestly don't know
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If you're worried about using electric fencing how about using builders fencing. I'm buying some to make a round pen, and they're very cheap. I think for my 60ft round pen is going to be £300, so a stable sized one will be nothing
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Hi Rebecca

So glad Grace is doing so well and coming home.

I've been through this with a few different horses. In an ideal world yes you'd turn her out in a small pen and she'd behave impeccably but unfortunately all horses are different. If Grace will go loony toon in a small pen then she could do herself a lot of damage. You have to tailor what you do to the individual horse and the facilities you have to hand. If she'll behave walking in hand then that's what you should do. You'll not be doing anything strenuous and gentle meandering with plenty of time stopped to graze will be far better for her than her stressing herself out loose in a small pen.

The two horses last year I knew who had colic surgery (one had a massive amount of intestine removed) are both 100% fit and well now. The one who had the intestines removed is a very highly strung show pony and they had to walk that in hand for the first few weeks as otherwise it would do the wall of death round a small paddock. They never found out what caused her colic either but she's had no reoccurrence since and you'd never know by looking at her that there was ever anything wrong. She was back competing after six months, but bear in mind she did have a lot of intestine removed and at one point they thought she would die. Grace's surgery wasn't as serious so I'm sure it won't take anything like that long, and will also give her suspensory plenty of time to heal.

It must be worrying not to know the cause but that doesn't make it any more likely to happen again. I'd definitely consult some of the feed helplines - more to reassure yourself than anything. I know a lot of people who use Simple Systems including many whose horses have gastric ulcers and they rave about it. It's certainly one of the most natural ways of feeding horses.

Glad you've found a new yard to move to, if only temporary. I've found a new place too but no room until the end of January - can't wait!
 
my friends horse had colic mid Feb he was at vets for a wk hen on box rest til June (3months) before going out in the feild - building up time from 1hr-4hrs in the first wk then increasing this by an hour every 2days, he started gentle ridden work after a week or so not sure exactly what happened during his op (anything removed?) but he was brought back into work mid-end June as friend tried anoter friends horse for RC camp & came off & broke her ankle!!
 
A horse at my yard had similar surgery back in May this year. Part of the intestine had just got caught up somewhere it shouldn't. The vets described it as the simplest form of surgery to be done. He was at vets for a week then on box rest for 8 weeks. He had 15 mins of inhand grazing 3 times a day at the start and then increasing up to 30 mins. He was then allowed turnout starting at an hour and increasing so on for another month. I really wouldn't think a little long reining would hurt if she prefers to be doing something.
 
Hi Becky, really pleased Grace is on the mend. Just wanted to say that if you can find a bit of space in a turnout area & you are not too sure on electric fencing, you can borrow my Claydon pen if it is of any use to you. I wont need to use it till later in the year & it is only sat here not being used at present. It will go up to 50ft diameter, & obviously smaller if required at the start of turn out. Also it will all transport very easily in a trailor or small waggon.
 
Following colic surgery you have to be careful that the horse does not open up the incision, therefore they ask you not to turn-out in anything larger than a 10x12 pen. The horse is allowed to walk about pretty freely (in fact walking is a good thing to stop adhesions) but you don't want bucking or twisting etc. Its not like restricted turnout for a tendon where you want to limit movement - just need to limit high jinks.

If you don't feel happy T/O then graze in hand more often (just be sure she isnt going to prat about!)
 
Thanks everyone... visited her this morning and spoke to the surgeon
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She is on box rest for 8 weeks with as much walking out in hand as possible and she can have grass too in hand... After this first 8 weeks she has to go on 8 further weeks of grazing in a small paddock. I was thinking something the size of a stable, but the surgeon said it should be about three stables in size at that stage.

So it is going to be about 4 months before she can be ridde
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But hopefully, once those four months have passed we should be able to get going again slowly ad fingers crossed she should be able to reach her potential without any other major hiccups
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(touching wood frantically!!!)
 
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