If your horse/pony became ill or injured

It would depend on how long the box rest had to be and for what reason. Vets often prescribe it when there are alternatives such as turning away, or making a small pen in the field.
 
I've gotten around this with a small pen in the field and one in front of a field shelter. The pony in question is horrendously stressy when in and weaves and boxwalks so much it defeats the object.
 
If it's an option, I'd rather give them a longer break in the field (even if it's a very small paddock) than a shorter one in the stable but if it HAD to be box rest I'd give it a go - with a mild sedative to begin with if necessary - and think again if it really wasn't working.

There are things to try. A fellow livery's horse was struggling at our yard as he was used to going out with the others and couldn't cope with them leaving him. He had to have 6 weeks box rest after an operation. She took him back to the vet's yard (also a full livery yard run by his wife) and he was fine there as he didn't know the other horses so didn't get clingy to them. There was also someone there at all times to deal with him if he did lose it a bit and the other horses spent far longer in than the horses at our yard. She was lucky that her insurance covered the livery bill as well.
 
I had my previews horse put down for this reason as his injury would have involved lengthy box rest & I just knew he wouldn't cope.

For short term things, we were able to pen a section of the field off & manage it that way.
 
Some horses also cope better than we think they will. Old pony historically wasn't keen on being stabled, but with no alternative we tried box rest with the proviso that we'd reassess if he wasn't coping. Once his routine was sorted, he settled really well (long term box rest, i.e. months and months).
 
Friend had this issue. Vet wanted 6 months box rest or pts. Horse would have just box walked continually and stressed majorly. So horse was turned away, had to move yards to accommodate, on the understanding it reduced the chances of her becoming right. She isn't 100% right but 3 years on she is still with us and field sound and happily living out.
 
My old boy had to do box rest for laminitis. My fellow liveries very kindly loaned me their horses to'babysit' him in shifts. Life saver.
He was good, but looked awful after about 4 weeks.
He was allowed out booted up in rx therapy boots in a tiny paddock after that.
 
I had a similar situation, small turnout area didn't work, went bonkers after just 2 days into box rest and made things a million times worse, prognosis wasn't looking good atall so I PTS litterally didn't have any other choice
 
exept for maybe a broken leg I will NEVER subject any of my horses to boxrest for a longer time, ever anymore.
20yrs ago I was given the advice to pts a horse with a severe tendon injury, but because she had arthritis as well I put her in the field for a half year + hot/cold baths etc. Vets were amazed she it was healed, tendons had clotted together operation to split them was an option, but she came out 100%, never had any problems after that.

Recently my 12 yr old mare suffered a tendon problem (gate left open by my father and she almost fell in a underground storage tank) boxrest was prescribed which ultimately killed her- laminitis that we couldn't get under control. Sinckers don't even describe what happened.
 
The last one that would have required box rest and would not have coped either with the rest or the fact that he may have needed an eye removed at some point was pts as soon as it became obvious that the outlook was poor, most of mine would cope and I would give a little sedation if they did get unsettled.
Most injuries can be treated outside in a restricted area even if they need a few days in initially but quality of life has to be considered, to box rest for months on end with a poor prognosis is not always best for the horse and they must be the most important consideration when treatment options are discussed.
 
Coming at it from a slightly different angle, as I take horses for long term box-rest - most, if not all, will cope. They may be a bit miserable/wild/dangerous at first, but after a while, they accept that they're staying in and settle. The temptation is to occupy their minds with toys/food etc, but in reality, that often makes things worse. The best way to get a horse box resting satisfactorily is to avoid over-stimulating, keep the environment very quiet and calm, and not fuss the horse too much. Obviously there will be exceptions, but in general, most horses can box-rest, and it doesn't traumatise them as much as the owners think it will.
 
Auslander said:
Coming at it from a slightly different angle, as I take horses for long term box-rest - most, if not all, will cope. They may be a bit miserable/wild/dangerous at first, but after a while, they accept that they're staying in and settle. The temptation is to occupy their minds with toys/food etc, but in reality, that often makes things worse. The best way to get a horse box resting satisfactorily is to avoid over-stimulating, keep the environment very quiet and calm, and not fuss the horse too much. Obviously there will be exceptions, but in general, most horses can box-rest, and it doesn't traumatise them as much as the owners think it will.
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I agree with all of this post, most will settle but the environment has to be suitable, the last one I did box rest long term was never left without another equine within sight, he was left alone as much as possible with just nets of hay to eat and play was not encouraged, if he had been given toys I think he would have become over stimulated and far less settled, boredom to a horse is nothing like it is to us, most will be more than happy to eat most of the time, rest if left in peace and often only become stressed when their owners appear or other horses get moved about, the average busy DIY yard is probably not the best place for most on box rest as they are rarely quiet for long.
 
be positive said:
Most injuries can be treated outside in a restricted area even if they need a few days in initially but quality of life has to be considered, to box rest for months on end with a poor prognosis is not always best for the horse and they must be the most important consideration when treatment options are discussed.
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This.

I do think, though, that vets over prescribe full box rest, when actually turnout in a restricted area would be ok.

The one time we had to do a very necessary box rest long term here, it was a neighbour's horse in cross ties for a pelvic fracture (long story). She coped much better than expected, though I had to turn my own horses' routine upside down in order that she always had another of mine in view. Neighbour freely admitted that if the accident had happened when she was at home, not on holiday, she would have pts immediately.

As it was, the mare came good, albeit after a bout of laminitis due to the long period of immobility.
 
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Depends on the situation- and I've faced it a few times. One had a DDFT injury and I decided to turn him out as mentally I knew he couldn't cope with the box rest.

Another was potentially looking at box rest this summer for what we could only class as some sort of stress laminitis. He was 18, but has been a field ornament since he was 6 due to an injury. I decided to call it a day instead of subject him to box rest in the middle of summer when his field mates were out. He did also have squamous cell carcinoma of his sheath so there were other factors I was considering long-term. I have no regrets and he went very peacefully on a lovely summers day.
 
If it was bad enough ie a break, I'd pts. If ligament, muscle etc it turn out in small paddock with sensible company. Wouldn't bute as if they can feel the injury they tend to look after them selves and not run about. Think the only exception would be a young horse with a lot of potential. That might be worth the stress for all involved, would have to an exceptional case though, to put them through it.
 
My mare has always had separation issues, mainly in the field but since a yard move 2 years ago had also developed it to a varying degree in the stable. I said at the time I moved that she would never cope with box rest if ever needed because she was hysterical at times if other horses went out of sight. Forward 2 years, and she developed a bilateral foot lameness. 6 weeks field rest made no difference, and with no option left, I put her on complete box rest, resigned to the awful thought that she wouldn't cope and may never recover as a result. Wind on 3mths, and I LITERALLY haven't had a minute's problem with her. She's accepted it, kept calm, and is now starting work again.
 
be positive said:
I agree with all of this post, most will settle but the environment has to be suitable, the last one I did box rest long term was never left without another equine within sight, he was left alone as much as possible with just nets of hay to eat and play was not encouraged, if he had been given toys I think he would have become over stimulated and far less settled, boredom to a horse is nothing like it is to us, most will be more than happy to eat most of the time, rest if left in peace and often only become stressed when their owners appear or other horses get moved about, the average busy DIY yard is probably not the best place for most on box rest as they are rarely quiet for long.
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A spot on post. Box rest is easier on your own yard where things can be quiet. Our stables overlook the farm yard so the last box rester I had always had something to look at, a net to eat, and an equine pal.

My old mare would not box rest, she box galloped if shut in, my very sensible vet agreed to just turn her out with the others in a full size field and it may have taken longer but she came good. She also needed less slow work to start with, so all in all was probably back in normal work at much the same time.
 
This happened to me in may of this year. Horse hates being boxed, will obsessively stare at everything thats going on amd wont eat. She damaged tendons and needed to be in horsepital for 3 days. She lost months worth of painstaking weight gain in those three days. On coming home broke her pelvis in transit.
Considered immediate pts, but put her in a stable sized paddock next to her buddy. She stayed there calmly for 5 weeks, and has since been turned out in small fields with her friend. Vets say may come sound, but she looks happy, aand has a quality of life. She is now only slightly lame at a trot, which may be due to how the pelvis fused.
But basicly it can be done using a small pen, providing the horse is happy to stay in it.
 
Often not just the box rest but how to contain some horses coming off it- I've seen some just explode no matter how carefully those around them try, even with sedation- undoing all the work and putting everything back to square 1.
 
Luckily, my yard has a few options. We do have a fenced off area by the door (maybe the size of two stables? Or one big stable) to the field that is on hard standing I could put hay out on or alternatively there is an outdoor arena that is small that could be used. One of the other liveries also has a mini shetland that I could use to keep her company.
 
My mare needed box rest for her tendon. She lasted a week before she started loosing the plot. We turned her out in our very small paddock (usually for the little fat pony on a diet) and she was much happier just being outside even if it was in a small pen.
My youngster went through a stage of self harming that required him to be stabled. He used to find being in a stable very stressful so we would keep a friend for him in the yard so that he had some company - although this then meant the other poor horse was stuck in too so not ideal. Youngster was okay for the week or so he had to be in.
Since then we have worked really hard on getting him happy in the stable both with company and on his own and he has come on leaps and bounds. We are not quite there yet but I'm sure we will get there but hopefully he won't need any box rest any time soon!
 
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