Keeping horse entertained whilst on box rest...

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Jayde

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After the vets visit this morning, Ive got to keep my mare on box rest for at least 5 days pref 7.
She really hates being in on her own, starts box walking, weaving, charges from the back of the stable to the front and looks like she is going to jump out.
So I really need some ideas to make the next 5/7 days bearable and less stressful for her (and me!).
She has a lick, ball thing with a handle, and Ive just been and got her a snack ball.
What else might work?
 
You could ask your vet if it's possible for her to be turned out in a teeny paddock inside her normal one with the other horses in it (created with electric fencing and moved every few days) as it will do her no good box walking and weaving when her movement needs to be limited. This may help to keep her calmer. Alternatively, try to make sure there's at least one horse next to her, or that she can see. Give her ad-lib hay, hide chopped fruit & veg in her haynet, perhaps chuck a small branch in there for her to nibble (Willow actually has pain-relieving properties if you can find any) feed her little and often to keep her occupied and feed in small-holed haynets to a) discourage weight gain, and b) increase the amount of time she spends eating. You can also bob apples ijn her water bucket. I would recommend giving her some Rescue remedy, lavender oil or a calmer to help her cope and adjust with the change. Keep her company as often as you can throughout the day, whenever you can, and just spend time grooming & talking to her.
 
I agree with what others have said... sometimes they are better out in a small padock mooching about on their own than in a stable...

What's wrong with her?

if she absolutely HAS to stay in and she is really unsettled it might be worth you asking your vet for some sedalin.
 
I found clicker trinaing was great to keep my horse's mind occupied (e.g. touch a football or whatever).

Also lots of food based things - those pots of molasses licks are very good,
you can pout some big swedes and a few footballs in a small-hole haynet,
lickets,
parsnips hidden around stable,
apples in water buckets,
my friend even put a small log in her stable and hid treats under whihc worked well (but don't use anything poisonus!).

umm... think that's all... jsut be imaginative! Oh - those treat balls that trickle food out are good, or just puncture a football and -put some nuts in it!
 
Box rest sucks for the horse and the owner......

Years ago I had an Aust. Stock Horse gelding get bitten on the back by a white tipped spider, and it ulcerated something wicked...... (it was in his rug when I threw it on him one night :( How bad did I feel about not checking his rug?? I did shake it, but didnt actually visually check it - it was dark.... )...

Anyhow, was the start of winter, he had just been clipped, and couldnt have ANYTHING on his back at all....

So the poor lad was locked in the box with only an hour out during the day for about 3 months......

I just put lots of plastic coke bottles in there hung from the ceiling of the stable with tiny holes in them with molasses in them for him to play with and lick all day, and instead of feeding twice a day I would go out on my lunch breaks from work and give him a lunch time feed too - thankfully work was only 5 mins drive from home and from the stables......

also coke bottles with some pebbles in them so that he had a 'rattle'.....
 
Fill up lots of haynets and put them in different places around the stable. Try and let the horse be in view of a friend at all times if possible. Lots of grooming too.
 
jenhunt said:
have you tried playing a radio? we have one who hates being on his own, but playing the radio on radio 4 or 5 live seems to be sufficient to settle him as he thinks someone is talking to him! :o
Click to expand...

Classical music has been shown to have the most calming/resassuring effect on horses, and they genuinely seem to find it more pleasant, yet rock/pop music can stress them out more.
 
maybe do what someone on my yard is doing, setting up a small pen at the top of the yard so her horse can talk to some other horses, but not enough room to properly walk very far, he is lapping up the attention, and being able to groom and talk to other horses and see whats going on- maybe spilt her hay into several nets dotted around so she has to forage a bit, and hide bits of carrot or her favourite treats in her bed so she has to search, and put her feed in a trickle ball so it lasts longer- hope shes better soon:)
 
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