Ideas to restrict movement

Alyth said:
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.....
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Cross-tying is used to limit/restrict movement when the horse has serious injury. This horse has done the split and believed to have pelvis damage and is not settling in box, and is box walking. This horse could do more damage then good. Cross tying by door so she can see what's going on and putting straw bales behind to restrict her.
Noone said put her on her own but maybe move her to a quieter part of the yard with a buddy
 
Honestly if I tried to cross tie one of mine, whatever he was tied with would be broken. I would seriously consider very high electric fencing a 12ft square in the field next to buddies. Put up next to permanent fence so can tie large haynet, water bucket, hanging toys (if you can). If your others are sensible (don't charge around) I suspect she will settle very quickly. This is what we have done with my lad when he was on 'box rest'. He goes mad in the stable but quiet as a mouse in the pen............ Good luck.x
 
Thanks everyone for the advice. As pointed out by one person she has never been trained to tie up properly or has had a bad experience with it. I am not sure as only got her in the summer. I went in this morning and have cross tied her along the front/corner of her stable as there are no fronts anwyay so she can see over and is near her water drinker. She weirdly has accepted it very well. Only broke one of her strings once and that was because she swung her head round to look at something a bit too fast. I have given her a magcalm lick, a lickit toy that she is not interested figuring out how to use and have been giving her small haynets and carrots in her water drinker etc all day. She was even calm enough to stay there by herself while the other 2 went out for 2 hours. (I was about the whole time checking her) I haven't boxed her in as she has not really been moving about much. I think she has enjoyed the attention to be honest. So fingers crossed she will stand there and behave for a week or so and heal.
 
Sounds like you have a solution :) I was just going to suggest a hefty amount of valerian in her feed if she won't take the syringeable calmer. Apart from that, although it's not what you'd normally suggest, horses do settle better if they can't see or smell other horses at all - so complete isolation. What triggers the frantic activity is usually the sight or sound of other horses coming and going. Even better, isolation but with a companion who also never leaves. Difficult to manage, but probably best in terms of long term mental health (which is, of course, linked to physical health - the more relaxed she is (rather than resigned to her fate), the faster she will heal.
 
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