Keeping a restless horse occupied on box rest

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LHIS

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Evening all, I'm after some advice again please. My pony sustained a kick this morning and long story short vet has been out, 6 staples, painkillers and antibiotics. He's lame on it (less so when high as a kite) but now on box rest for at least a few days. He's already going mad and it's been 8 hours. He's kicking the door, threatening to jump over it, and generally being a right royal PITA. This is my first experience of having a horse on box rest and I'm stuck for ideas on how to help keep his mind occupied. I'm worried he's going to do himself some damage if left to his own decides. He has another horse in the next door stable for company and I will be staying over at the yard this week to keep an eye on him. Sadly my small network of horsey friends are away so I'm stuffed and feeling quite useless, and worried!
Vet said box rest is a must, he can be hand grazed which we did earlier his afternoon for an hour, but as soon as he went back in the stable he threw a strop again.
Vet said he's been kicked and there's a small chance he could have fractured his radius (front left it is) and if so its 'curtains' for him. I'm worried if he continues to d**k about he's going to do himself some serious damage.
Ideas, experiences and general advice is much needed please, and some reassurance as I'm feeling like a chocolate tea pot :( :(
 
Oh my gosh! I feel for you! Especially considering I was at the yard till 9pm last night with my mare who has sustained a kick to the back of her near side fore and had to be stitched as too near the tendon sheath! She's on box rest till Monday at the latest but she's not even allowed out of her stable for us to muck out. I feel your pain as the mare has already started destroying the water butt outside her stable.

A treat ball, some suede on string and three apples in her water bucket has helped keep her occupied. She's a serial scraper so had to find some rubber matting to put down at the front. A glass of something strong for you to help you through the afternoon as if you're anything like me you can't stop worrying about what they're doing when you're not there! And some chocolate, preferable the tea pot you're referring to xD
 
What bad luck. Are you able to get your hands on a stable mirror? It helped my late horse when he had 4 months of box rest for a stress fracture (also to his radius).

My boy had the added complication of needing to be cross tied for 3 of the 4 months too, as getting up from lying down or rolling might have shattered it irreparably. He wasn't allowed to leave his stable at all during that time, except for when he had his shoes whipped off.

Remarkably he just got into the zone and totally chilled out. I can honestly say he was good as gold. He was on a fairly busy yard though, and was able to watch the comings and goings. He ignored his hanging lick dispenser and wouldn't touch a hanging parsnip either. I was just trying to be kind!

Could you fix a rubber mat to your horse's stable door to lessen damage to it and himself when he kicks it?

Is your vet saying curtains if it is a fracture, or is that what you're expecting? Only because my boy came back 100% sound after his.

Good luck OP.
 
A pal next door full time is pretty vital. If that won't work, I would go with serious sedation or hospitalise. Expensive but better than leaping doors and doing more damage....I've had to do it.
 
Thanks everyone, I will get some vege tomorrow and hang it about his stable. I hand grazed him this evening and he calmed right down and was angelic. As soon as he goes back in the stable the naughtiness started again.
So the vet said because of where the kick is it may have caused a fracture, but as he moved alright with a bit of gentle encouragement he said instead of going straight to X-ray to medicate and treat the wound and see how he goes. Vet coming on Monday to see how he is and see about taking him off painkillers. So I don't think I will know until then. If the painkillers are masking any issues we'll soon know and then X-ray if at all worried.
Assuming (I hope!) he recovers how long might he be out for? I hope it teaches him a lesson in play fighting but suspect it won't, I think that's how it happened. His favourite play mates signature move is a reverse and kick into his chest, which is what I suspect has happened here.
 
I will investigate a stable mirror of it turns out he's going to be in for a while. Can I ask - how does a strip of suede entertain them?

Re. the 'curtains' chance - vet basically said if he's got a fracture and he prats about then curtains would be the only option. I have no idea what I'd do if presented with that option. I'm going to try and not think too much on it and sit tight until Monday and we see the vet again. If he continues with the PITA behaviour I will ask the vet about a sedative to help settle him.

I hope he comes back 100% because I'm only just starting out with him, I would be devastated. Anyway in the spirit of positive thinking I'm going to try and not dwell on that.
 
Not the same at all, but a month into owning my mare she came in lame with an acute tear to her DDFT. It was so bad we weren't sure she'd see the weekend out, but nearly 12 weeks later we're about to begin ridden rehab.

Trying to keep a 5yo entertained has been hard work but we've managed to keep her sane with a combination of carrots hidden in her hay bar, a treat ball, likits, although she's now sussed out how to unclip them and apples in her water.

As for keeping myself sane, I very quickly decided not to google the problem, asked my vet and YO every question under the sun and would write down everything that was said to me as it's a wonder how little my brain retains when I'm stressed and upset. I also asked for good news stories of others with our injury that made a full recovery and are now back out there competing. Basically anything that helped me stay super dooper positive.

Best of luck xx
 
I too would get some mild sedation otherwise box rest is counter productive. They normally settle after a few days and get into the routine. Feedback do some fibre blocks that mine like.
 
The vet came out today to check him, he was happy with how he was and that the wound was behaving as expected. He's got to have the staples in for another 2 weeks. Box rest until then, with some hand grazing and a tiny bit of solo turn out (watched like a hawk) though I'm not sure we will try this for at least another week and it will be on a very small patch. All being well when the staples come out and vet is happy he's sound then I can think about bringing him back into work.
I asked, given this all sounded positive, did he [the vet] think a fracture to his radius was unlikely? He said yes, unlikely, but can't be totally ruled out until further down the line.
I'm feeling less ARGH! about it, though wish I could find a way to burn the energy he's got. When he does eventually get turned out I'm quite sure he will explode.
 
LHIS said:
I will investigate a stable mirror of it turns out he's going to be in for a while. Can I ask - how does a strip of suede entertain them?
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I think they meant a swede. I tried this but my horse got bored of trying to eat it and not succeeding after about 45 seconds and didn't touch it again.

You could hide veg in hay, in a small holed hay net, they quite enjoy the game of trying to find it. And just spend as much time with him, grooming and fussing, as you can.
 
JennBags said:
I think they meant a swede. I tried this but my horse got bored of trying to eat it and not succeeding after about 45 seconds and didn't touch it again.

You could hide veg in hay, in a small holed hay net, they quite enjoy the game of trying to find it. And just spend as much time with him, grooming and fussing, as you can.
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Ah! Yes you're right, haha.

I am making sure he still has lots of love and fuss, he's the best groomed expensive pet at the moment, though somehow despite being in his stable manages to get absolutely filthy. Sadly today he was so lively he wouldn't stand still to enjoy a groom, so I did it anyway whilst he shuffled about.
 
wench said:
If there is a chance of a fracture how come they haven't xrayed it?
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He said if it is fractured it's a tiny fracture and he wanted to treat the wound first. I don't think it is fractured, he's moving really well and has come off the bute now so no painkillers. If he regresses then I am to ring him straight away and then will explore those options. It's the first time I've used this vet (or any horse vet actually!) but he comes highly recommended. I'm happy with the course of action and my pony appears to be doing well.
 
We reached a new level of naughtiness this morning. Whilst mucking out I let the two horses (mine and another also on rest) wander round the small enclosed yard. My horse decided to snuck under the fence and do 3 laps of canter around the school until I caught him. My nerves are shot and we've got another 9 days of this until the staples come out and we can consider giving him a little bit of turn out.
As you can see from the above he doesn't have much respect for fencing, and an electric shock won't always stop him (fencing this morning that he went through isn't electrified).
I feel like we're both suffering! I'm going to need a few days off horses once he's well again to recover myself. Does anyone have any advice please on how I cope? It doesn't help that my support network are all on holiday at the moment and my husband is in the states with work, I have no one to vent to (hence this post!) and work is also crazy busy. I feel and look like crap.
 
You are not really helping by letting him have the opportunity to escape, box rest if there is a risk of a fracture should mean staying in the safety of the stable not having access to a yard with another horse, they will not understand they have to wander about, they will be fresh and potentially explosive, as he has got away with cantering round the school I would either see if he could go out in a restricted space or not put him at risk again until you get the go ahead from the vet.

Most horses are more accepting of being shut in if they don't get out at all, I have had a few and the more freedom they had the worse they were, it is not easy but you need to be less emotional about it as that will transmit to him, stay calm and tell yourself it is only a few more days before you get back to normal.
 
Can you try a treat ball? My horse became a master at his when on box rest and it kept him occupied for about an hour at a time. You can fill with fibre nuggets (the big ones are best) or chopped veg - if you make the bits fairly large they can take a while to get them out.

I am now trying to offer my horse to the English football team as he could teach them great ball control ;)

It has become my "go to" when he is stressed by something when in as, like yours, he's not adverse to coming over the door in times of stress. The treat ball, however, seems to be an instant "calmer"
 
I know I'm being too emotional about it, I can't help it. The way he was having a blast this morning around the school I now highly doubt he has a fracture. I will see what the wound looks like this evening when I go after work. The vet said I could hand graze him and he could have some turnout in a contained area.

I don't know what to do for best. I completely understand that giving a little then putting him back in the stable will be confusing to him, especially as if he feels good within himself (which I'm quite sure he does). But equally, being in his stable is driving him mad and nothing is helping and he doesn't seem to be any more accepting of it.
 
LHIS said:
We reached a new level of naughtiness this morning. Whilst mucking out I let the two horses (mine and another also on rest) wander round the small enclosed yard. My horse decided to snuck under the fence and do 3 laps of canter around the school until I caught him. My nerves are shot and we've got another 9 days of this until the staples come out and we can consider giving him a little bit of turn out
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As someone whose horse will most likely be on box rest until the end of the year (and has been on strict box rest since July) reading this just made me shudder. In your shoes I honestly wouldn't be putting your horse at risk like that. Pops would go nuts if she was allowed to wander around an enclosed yard whilst she was mucked out and that's before adding another horse into the equation. I know box rest is tough, but with there being even the most remote chance of a fracture the alternative is far worse! In your shoes I'd be doing everything by the book until the vet says otherwise.
 
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