Keeping an ex-racer calm when on box rest

lisan

lisan

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My friends horse fractured his splint bone and is currently on his 3rd week of 3 months box rest and is unmanageable. He has been having sedation from the vet, but this is not something they want to keep him on longer term.

Is there anything herbal she can try?

He is really over exuberant, rearing playfully/but dangerously, kicking out - he also grabs and throws anything he can get hold of out of his stable (he's only 4) Its not nasty behaviour, he's just bored. But its getting dangerous for my friend to go in and muck out/change rugs etc.

Any advice appreciated.
 
Hiya

My mare also fractured her splint bone almost 3 weeks ago, she is also 5 months pregnant!

I bought her a horse ball that you fill with treats, takes me ages to cut up loads of carrots, parsnips, apples etc in the morning but if I fill it right up it lasts her hours. I think without it she'd be going mad too.

It really is the best £15 I have ever spent I think! I'll find a link for you...
 
I have one of those for May!! She loves it!

Will tell Louise to get one, the little tinker (horse that is) should'nt be able to pick that up and chuck it out of his stable!

Will pass on the suggestions re-calmers too.

What is the prognosis for your Mare JH58?
 
Only trouble with that is I know my greedy mare would demolish that in minutes!

I have given up hanging swedes now, they only last seconds! Instead I chop them up and put them in her ball.

Oooh, also what about a stable mirror, I think Vickijp from here has had great success with them.
 
I have a mirror, it seems to calm our fizzy mare. I went to the garden centre and bought a perspex sheet there, its not that cheap though, £50 odd I believe, but quicker than ordering one! Then get someone to drill tiny holes in it and screw it up.

That'll be quite a quick way.

I have the hexagonal ball, I doubt he'd be able to grab that and toss it!
 
Well she was retired this year from showjumping due to tendon injury so was only ever going to be a hack inbetween babies but now I doubt she'll ever be ridden again
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It was a nasty fracture too, and open so you can imagine what it looked like...But she is recovering well so far and *touch wood* foal seems to be OK at the moment. She has re-xrays in 3 weeks so hopefully we'll know more about what the future holds after those.

What happened to this chap? PM if prefer
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[ QUOTE ]
Well she was retired this year from showjumping due to tendon injury so was only ever going to be a hack inbetween babies but now I doubt she'll ever be ridden again
frown.gif


It was a nasty fracture too, and open so you can imagine what it looked like...But she is recovering well so far and *touch wood* foal seems to be OK at the moment. She has re-xrays in 3 weeks so hopefully we'll know more about what the future holds after those.

What happened to this chap? PM if prefer
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ]
We don't know what happened to poor Ollie - its not as nasty a one as your mares is. He had had a prior injury at his previous yard due to crap fencing, hence why they moved yards - anyway, he'd been doing really well, just broken in, she brought him in from the field, gave him a quick flick over and when she went to put his boots on noticed his back leg was really swollen. So we have no idea how he did it, there were obvious injury marks so don't think he was kicked
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Hope you Mare and foalie are OK, will keep my eye out for your x-ray update!
 
This is spooky I have a ex racer called Ollie that I have had from 4 years of age had similiar problems .torn ligament last year tendon injury and bruised cannon bone all in a year mad horse!!!!!!!!.This year I took up parelli and he is a different horse just small movement s in hand from pressure.Its made him think so stimulates his brain obviously thats all he could do with no excercise ,he is so much calmer.It has made a huge difference and only takes about 15 mins per day.
 
The other thing that really helped but you will have to ok with your vet is-putting him in a small turnout I use electric fencing and make up about four fields of 12 by 10 the same size as a stable.He was so much happier he wasnt stressed when he went back to his stable at night.He also had his companion in surrounding field.It kept him busy grazing and they do heal quicker if they are emotionally sound .Good luck.
 
Would have to agree with cellie. I only manage 4 weeks on box rest before things got dangerous with my mare. Vet gave me sedalin and allowed her turn out into a 10m x 10m made up by electric fencing regularly moved around so the grass didn't go bare and next to her field mate. She was much happier and quite happy to come into her stable on a night.
 
Herbal - chamomile flowers - like what the tea is made out of is a calmer. I feed 1 cup a day not for calming purposes- it is also a great source Calcium & Phosphorus at the correct ratio. Either Feed the flowers or the tea and don't make it into a tea as that will kill the oil in it which is what contains the calmative - i know this as that is what I need to do 2 weeks prior to competition as it is swabable. Probably speak to a horse herbal specialist as they will no doubt have better advise.

The below is a site that describes some of the benefits.

http://www.lifescript.com/channels/food_nutrition/herbs/the_benefits_of_chamomile.asp
 
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