I don't know how much longer I can do this for...

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Have you tried a calmer?

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She is on the full dose of the TopSpec one... I have to be really careful with calmers, especially ones that contain Magnesium as she has an adverse reaction to them and almost fits with them
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Have you tried feeding her Horlicks powder?

It was used on my boy who had 'Rodeo Issues' when he was backed, the yard gave him 10 mug fulls of powder a day to start off with. It was so funny he was really sleepy all the time and was too busy trying to stay awake to bother about trying to do his circus tricks (I'd previously broken ribs and my jaw trying to get out of a walk safely with him). Once he was settled they gradually weaned him off it.

We've since used it on a number of horses who are on long term box rest, and on the 'babies' when they go to their first shows etc. Works a treat. a mug full or 2 a day and it just takes the edge off and makes them 'mellow', stops door kicking and general grumpiness in the confined. You need to find the dosage for each individual horse though.

There's nothing nasty in it BTW.

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Are you serious?!
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Does it really work?
 
If I were you I would pen off a very small area (maybe 2 x stable size) - ideally a corner of the school, but if not possible then maybe just outside her stable (so she can go in and out - we did this for my pony when he had lami years ago, he was so much happier just being able to stand in the sun!). Make sure she can see or is right beside other horses. Yes, she may buck about at first but I would expect her to soon settle and it might take the edge off her. I'd also perhaps try a different calmer? I dont like Sedalin - I clipped a horse using that once and he would go really dopey for a while and then flip out for about 15 seconds repeatedly!

Sounds rather hell-ish, I feel really bad for you having to deal with it!!
 
cant you walk and trot her in hand with side reins on to ehlp you control her. at least then shes less likely to be uncontrolled and able to canter about..? and walk her out twice a day...
i would also go for the option of small turnout area. some horses just need turning out....
 
Thanks everyone for your advice and support...

I am STILL waiting for my vet to phone me back
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So still non the wiser about where we are heading. One thing is for sure, I will not be getting on her tomorrow until I have spoken to him!

I love the idea of a little pen outside her stable
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Unfortunately, we have stallions on the yard in very close proximity to my mares so it may cause havoc having her even nearer to them and on the yard when they are being led in and out (although could solve my issue by providing a free covering
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). I am still rooting for getting her some turnout, even just in the round pen for 30 minutes a few times a day... that would really help her in my opinion. However, this is only an option if she will soon be allowed to enter full work as it is not a long term option.

amandaco2... Side reins are not the best thing for her because she tends to go up and over in them
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I have to be really careful when lunging her in them (although before this break she was 100% better), which is why I opted for the Kavalkade this morning. I didn't want to frighten her with the side reins and put us back to where we were with her being so worried.

But, when I was just walking her on the Kavalkade, she was being really good, starting to relax etc. up until those bloody ducks started!!! I think I might have to send one of the jacks in there with them... that will shut them up for good
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I am waiting to hear whether the injection would help her, but I need to know when that would no longer be in her system as if she is sound and well, I had planned on taking her to the Petplans mid October up here... obviously if she is not, then we will not be going, but it is a small glimmer of hope which has kept me going these past three weeks.

Come on vet... PHONE ME!!!
 
Forgot to add.. made a few more phone calls regarding full turnout and not having much luck.

So if anyone has any suggestions in the Lancashire area (preferably no more than 40 mins from Bolton or Chorley), please let me know. I work in Bolton and live in Chorley and would like to be able to check on her and give her a feed at least once a day.
 
kerilli... it has to be a distance I can go and sort her out. I cannot afford to pay for someone else to do it, even as a grass livery, when I am also having to pay for her stable etc. where we are now (I have to continue payment even when they are away at training etc etc).

Plus, it has to be somewhere my farrier can attend to her as she is having her shoes done every 4 weeks on the dot (very impotant for the ligament) and he has done a fantastic job so far.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Have you tried a calmer?

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She is on the full dose of the TopSpec one... I have to be really careful with calmers, especially ones that contain Magnesium as she has an adverse reaction to them and almost fits with them
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Doesn't Top Spec Calmer contain magnesium
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I think you need to get her in the round pen twice a day and ride her straight from it- mean business and just trot straight off if you can, pull her head up and get on with it. Then do your walk work when she's settled.
If you can turn out for a bit as well, ideal. Surely they have one field you could use for turnout, even just for an hour?
 
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Have you tried a calmer?

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She is on the full dose of the TopSpec one... I have to be really careful with calmers, especially ones that contain Magnesium as she has an adverse reaction to them and almost fits with them
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Doesn't Top Spec Calmer contain magnesium
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Yes it does, but not in as high quantities as some other calmers. There have been two I have tried with high quantities which make her have quite a strange reaction.
 
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I think you need to get her in the round pen twice a day and ride her straight from it- mean business and just trot straight off if you can, pull her head up and get on with it. Then do your walk work when she's settled.
If you can turn out for a bit as well, ideal. Surely they have one field you could use for turnout, even just for an hour?

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I think that may just work... Will suggest that method to the vet when he phones!

Every single field is literally under ankle depth of water. I cannot quite believe how bad they are, even when I walk my dog at home it has never been this bad before
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There is a field near home that usually stays quite firm (in the four years I have lived here). I walked my dog in it this morning and it was like a marsh
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Plus, she has eggbars so if she started looning about and the field is so very wet, I have a sneaky suspicion she would come in without them.
 
She could be turned out 24/7 up at Dave's place Becky and that would be on your way home from Bolton. It may not be worth the turmoil of moving her though just for a few weeks. Spot was getting very silly whilst on box rest with controlled walking in hand(and that is not like Spot). We set up a little pen 20x20 on some grass and kept an eye on him. He bucked a bit but soon settled to eat. He has now begun to go on short hacks, but I think that going out in the pen helped keep him sane and Jen safe!!
 
Yes, you need your vet to get it and administer it. You need all 5 vials in a normal human multi-pack for a horse dose though, it's also horribly viscous so you need a wide gauge needle to. Your vet should know all this though
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I've seen it work very well for a 4yo stallion on box rest
 
its probably not an option but my yard does grass livery and might not be too far away (bury)...the fields are nice and not really wet but not sure about individual turnout or whatever but could give you a phone number if interested....
it always amazes me that vets think bringing a fit horse off box rest is going to be easy
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i think i would go for Boss's idea as it seems turning out doesnt appear to be an option and nor does walking in hand if shes so sodding naughty. chestnut mares eh?!
being really strict with her and even if she has two or three massive tantrums while you are on her before you straighten her out, its better than medium ones every single time you get on for weeks on end..........may help with some of her general issues under saddle too...?
 
Does her trot work have to be ridden? My personal preferences would be either long reining (in some circumstances, but if she's bucking it might not be safe) or alternatively leading her off another horse. Again this only works in certain circumstances, but sometimes the other horse acts as a calming influence; and you are safer on the other horse than on board the loony or on the ground.
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Doesn't work if the ridden horse is just as flighty though.

Grace does sound really rather special needs...
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its probably not an option but my yard does grass livery and might not be too far away (bury)...the fields are nice and not really wet but not sure about individual turnout or whatever but could give you a phone number if interested....
it always amazes me that vets think bringing a fit horse off box rest is going to be easy
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Tell me about it...all very textbook on how to rehabilitate, but bloody difficult in reality!
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I would disagree about needing all 5.

I have used 1 weekly on an 18hh.
I have also used 1 fortnightly on a 16.3hh.
And I have used 2 at once to last 3 weeks on a 16hh.

Overdosing can cause side effects so you need to use the correct dose for the individual horse.
 
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Fluphenazine might dope her enough to be safe - ask you vet about it

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It isn't technically a "dope", it's an anti-anxiety med for treating people with schizophrenic and similar disorders.
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No offence to Grace.
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The older model is resperasine (or whatever it's called here) and they're known colloquially as "30 day tranq". Both are used with some regularity for horses on box rest and coming back from injury in North America. They don't seem as commonly used here but I certainly know some vets are familiar with them. I've used Fluphenazine a couple of times successfully for injured horses/horses returning to work and horse I work with here was given it while on box rest last year and it made a world of difference. And now that I've talked to a few people about it I suspect it's more commonly used here than people let on, as it seems to be frowned upon, perhaps as admission one "can't cope". Personally I think it's about weighing risk and reward - why risk getting a horse or a person hurt when it's easily avoidable? It's not for every horse or for every situation but I think it's worth a discussion, especially if more standard methods haven't worked.

It does sound like you don't have many options open to you. There might be other ways of managing the situation but in the end you can only do what you can do.
 
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did you say you were on a stud? Where are all the mares and youngstock? Stabled?

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No they are turned away at a different area (only 4 acres where I am) that the yard owner rents.
 
Thanks everyone for the comments... Will have a chat with my vet (when he eventually phones me back... three messages yesterday and no call, so will leave another this morning) about the injectable stuff, from what others have said on here it may just be the thing we need.

red marksman... I didn't know there was 24/7 turnout there
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It is on my way home from work so will try to pop in this week and see costs and availability.
 
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