I just don't know what to do :(

[ihatework]

I’m afraid I wouldn’t put an older known arthritic horse on an extended period of box rest for an unknown cause I’m afraid.

 

[Ellietotz]

Why have they suggested the box rest?

IME box rest isn’t great for older/creaky horses, they stiffen up. I’d do it for a younger/fitter horse.

I guess they just don't really know what else to suggest without investigating more but she had her hind limbs x-rayed and scanned 2 years a go with nothing major to show except the low grade arthritis in both pasterns and a tiny bone spur in the left hock so the vet at the time put it down to SI joint causing the short striding on the back which was injected, though the results had no changes to movement and things seemed to get better after treating for PSSM.
She has enough room to walk around a little bit rather than staying in one spot. I did think maybe it wasn't really necessary and I would have just given her 6 months off in her fields as normal with shoes off but was just going by the vet's advice I guess.

 

[Ellietotz]

I'm not the OP, but this reminded me...

There are 2 types of people in this world: the type that turn away and see what happens, and the type that put them in the box and see what happens.

I've personally seen better results with the latter approach, your experiences may vary.

I'd rather have just turned away but the vet said to try box rest/very small paddock rest first.

 

[Ellietotz]

I’m afraid I wouldn’t put an older known arthritic horse on an extended period of box rest for an unknown cause I’m afraid.

I'm not keen on it which is why she has a double shelter plus a stable sized space out the front so she can still move more. I'm only doing it as the vet suggested it otherwise I would have just given her 6 months off to winter out and transition to barefoot in her normal paddocks. They've only said to do it for 1-2 months.

 

[BBP]

If it’s any help, my horse, who moves similarly to yours and has a muscle myopathy, went in for a work up this week and has strained ligaments in his back and sacroiliac and suspensory. Flat plantar angles in hind coffin bones. Cost me about £1k (uninsured) to get xrays and ultrasound of his neck, back, hind feet and suspensories.

I’m working on basis of hoof balance, movement and correct in hand work for rehab rather than rest, as his resting posture is too poor for rest alone to be of benefit. I need to teach him a better posture in order for all the compensatory muscle patterns to correct themselves.

Not to say your horse is same story but that it might be a similarly complex interaction of issues that all need addressing as a whole.

 

[sharni]

i'm a great believer in turning out into a large field for at least 6 moths and longer if you can. nature and time are great healers.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I also don't see the point in box rest for a horse that is looking stiff before exercise, I have a horse with mild hock arthritis and I try to keep him out as much as possible, he can look stiff when first ridden but after 5 ten or 10 minutes looks much better, his fed boswellia on a high dose 20g a day and msm and I think it really helps.

 

[Ellietotz]

I also don't see the point in box rest for a horse that is looking stiff before exercise, I have a horse with mild hock arthritis and I try to keep him out as much as possible, he can look stiff when first ridden but after 5 ten or 10 minutes looks much better, his fed boswellia on a high dose 20g a day and msm and I think it really helps.

I agree. However, she looked just as bad after the last time I schooled her and that was the last time I rode before I saw the email back from the vet too. She was really bucky and resentful to begin with in the school, worse than usual and then when she had got it out her system by cantering around continuously, she settled down but it was almost a sluggish trot. She seems to find it hard to trot around the corners without going into canter. I rarely school her because she just seems to get frustrated at the beginning and then just flat, unless I jump her (before all this began) then she just gets wound up and on her toes. I'm not sure she will come right enough to ride at this point.