Ideas to restrict movement

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tillsmum

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My 4 yr old came in from the field yesterday having proberly done the splits overnight. She is now on box rest as both her hips and one of her stifles are popping out when she moves. Unfortunatly she is not a model patient and is box walking, spinning on her haunches and generally being a pain in the bum. She just doesn't seem to be in pain so isn't not doing stupid things cause they hurt. She is a bit stressy under normal conditions. We have removed the top half of the stables walls so she can see her friends, I have supplied stuff for her to do, She has her haylage in a tickle net but I am really worried she isn't going to heal beacuse of the constant moving and skittiness. Does anyone have any ideas to help keep her still. Oh and tried Sedalin today but she freaked out as soon as the syringe went near her mouth and flew backwards round the stable so probably doing more harm than good trying that. :(

Feeling very miserable and worried at the moment as she has alot of potential but at this rate she will never get better
 
Cross tie her across the doorway, move her haynet where she can reach it and put her water at a useable height outside the door.
 
Bad luck would she settle in a small circular pen made with tall electric fencing .
Or do you have a stable big enough for her to share with a pony.
Would she eat the sedalin in a small amount of food.
Valerian liquid works really well with some.
 
I crosstied at the door a horse not wieght bearing on suspected broken hind leg.
We blocked the rest of the stable up with bales the horse settled well .
 
We have two stables one only eight feet wide and one very large that we use for box rest they do seem to settle more when they can't see the yard.
 
Those that have done the cross tie thing does it send them stir crazy?? Very concerned about making her more mentally unstable lol.
 
We do have a large shed well away from the yard and any activity other than cars coming past. She could go up there away from the activity.
 
She has been coming in every night for a while and from her bedding you can tell she walks in a circle round the stable alot as she makes a track. It only happened today so tried it by turning out one on its own and then swapping them over after lunch so the other two get to go out. But both of them were very unhappy being out on thier own. It is so difficult to keep them all happy and sane and I have never had a horse with an injury like this or even on box rest in 23 yrs so its all new.
 
tillsmum said:
Those that have done the cross tie thing does it send them stir crazy?? Very concerned about making her more mentally unstable lol.
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If she was mentally unstable before the injury then one would seriously question why you are putting her through this. If you are just being non-PC about her not liking to be restrained then no, it shouldn't send her stir crazy provided you have been sensible with her feed and persevere with getting sedatives. Once she has realised that life now means the inside of her stable you can untie her and she should have settled - or for my mare who was box-rested for seven months and is a box-walker and weaver we made a 12 x 12 pen immediately outside her stable and let her wander between the two. She was cross-tied for a week or so.
 
I did speak to her today and she said I have to stop her moving erratically even if she has to be tied. The reason I was hoping there is another way is she came to me with a big issue about her poll area and if we tie her up she does back up and as soon as she feels the pressure she panics so I have to be there all the time to tell her off if she starts to back up. She has come on leaps and bounds and is such a loving girl who puts so much trust in me and has a lot of potential under saddle that I want to give her the option of fixing but there is no point if it all freaks her out so much that shes loses her trust in me and goes back to being scared of being touched etc. Having a nightmare at the moment with 2 out of 3 of my ponies under vet care as my dressage pony has liver damage and is on a mega diet. Feeling very overwhelmed. I know once we are all in a routine and used to it it will be better.
 
The other thing I have found that helps with box rest is to distract them from things that would cause them to get wound up, i.e. if one is being turned out I have distracted with a nut/treat ball, in your case I would try giving a small high fibre feed/swede or something similar so there focus is on that rather than stressing that their friend is being turned out/brought in/whatever. Good luck.
 
I Think I would be thinking in terms of cross tieing and blocking most of the box with bales .including behind her at first.
 
I can't understand the amazingly stupid replies to this persons dilemma! How can a horse recover from a physical injury by creating a mental problem? Cross tying and isolating, restricting a horse is contrary to their mental health. They are a flight animal that gets very claustrophobic....if movement really needs to be restricted they NEED the company of their pair bond mate, and limited space....a pen at the very least.....the horse needs to feel SAFE and COMFORTABLE.....
 
Thanks Alyth. I think you've understood that it is not as easy as tie her up. You don't by any chance have so ideas do you??? She will not be seperated and she can see bith her pals as she is in the middle box with only 4ft walls.
 
No one has suggested not allowing this horse the company of friends .in fact I point ed out she must be able to see others at times and I suggested tying a pony in with her.
The vet has said if the horse is not calm it must be cross tied ,restricting box size with bales is well used way of restricting movement too.
When a horse is badly damaged you chose between PTS or permanent lameness or restriction so you have to restrict it no choice .
This horse must be sedated just saying the threw it head up I could not give it the sedaline is not good enough you have to find away call the vet get alternatives sedatives you can easily feed and you feed can feed sedaline as I advised OP.
People have given OP lots of suggestions cross tieing is a well used method of saving horses lives.
Being injured is not comfortable at times for people and horses but once injury has happened you have no choice .
This sort thing shows why you have a responsiblity to teach horses from foals about stables and staying in stables ( I am not getting at OP here I have idea when she got this horse and her situation) box rest and the ability to withstand can save a horses life .
I don't think anyone has said its not difficult dealing with a badly trained ( because a horse that does not accept stabling is badly trained )horse who is bad to handle and won't tie up is a nightmare and I feel for OP , but there is no alternative she has to get though somehow .
 
I would try some aromatherapy - get some lavender essential oil and add 20 or so drops to a couple of rags and hang them in the stable to infuse the aroma. Let her inhale some lavender from the bottle by offering in your hand.
You could get someone out to give her some reiki - that is very calming and soothing.
Put a radio on for her and a likit boredom breaker.

I would also administer sedalin - try coring a half an apple and giving it that way. ACPs used to be available and they were tablets but they may no longer be.
 
tillsmum said:
She has been coming in every night for a while and from her bedding you can tell she walks in a circle round the stable alot as she makes a track. It only happened today so tried it by turning out one on its own and then swapping them over after lunch so the other two get to go out. But both of them were very unhappy being out on thier own. It is so difficult to keep them all happy and sane and I have never had a horse with an injury like this or even on box rest in 23 yrs so its all new.
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First I know nothing about splints in practice but my thinking is low level, lower stress movement is preferable to circling in a box or cross tying somewhere she is clearly unhappy which may well cause other problems such as ulcers
Just a thought but perhaps the box walking caused the splints?

Has the vet prescribed box rest?
 
amandap said:
First I know nothing about splints in practice but my thinking is low level, lower stress movement is preferable to circling in a box or cross tying somewhere she is clearly unhappy which may well cause other problems such as ulcers
Just a thought but perhaps the box walking caused the splints?

Has the vet prescribed box rest?
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It's the splits the horse has done I think , I don't think it has splints , I think OP s means the horse has slipped fallen and damaged its self .
The vet did say if it does not settle to cross tie .
 
Goldenstar said:
It's the splits the horse has done I think , I don't think it has splints , I think OP s means the horse has slipped fallen and damaged its self .
The vet did say if it does not settle to cross tie .
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Lol! I typed splits, then changed it to splints as I had splints in my head. Go figure! lol

I still think a risk assessment should be done and a more horse ( and owner)friendly option agreed. Surely keeping a horse motionless is going to cause muscles etc. to seize up (technical term lol)
 
amandap said:
Lol! I typed splits, then changed it to splints as I had splints in my head. Go figure! lol

I still think a risk assessment should be done and a more horse ( and owner)friendly option agreed. Surely keeping a horse motionless is going to cause muscles etc. to seize up (technical term lol)
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But you know it depends on the injury I had a horse crossed tied for months there's nothing horse or owner friendly about serious injury it not a good experiance all round .
I spent the best part of four months in bed once it did my muscles no good at all but it was better than being unable to walk .
If a badly injured horse needs restricted movement you just have to find a way by physically making the stable smaller using sedation whatever you need to do .
 
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