Mad idea? Calming a neurotic horse..

[madhector]

So far Blaze has done a month and a half of box rest, 5 more months to go!!!

He is a nightmare in his stable when in 24/7 and box walks. This is not good for his injury, and so far we have managed to reduce it by sedation and an outdoor pen in the day time.



He is so settled in his pen during the day it made me start thinking. I could build a field shelter ajoining the concrete pen and he could live in that 24/7 and not need to come in at night and be sedated. The area would end up being 26ft x 12ft in total, do you think this is small enough to constitute box rest?



Also, since he would have a bigger area, thought it might keep him even calmer if he had a friend in with him. I have a little welsh youngster that he could have for company, or thought maybe a goat or something like that might work? What do you think? Mad idea?


He realistically isnt going to be turned out again till next may so really have to come up with a decent solution



Thanks!

 

[AmyMay]

Sounds like a perfect solution. Amy was on box rest for 6 months many years ago - and I vowed never to do it again. And she was very quiet. I think what your suggesting should work really well for him, mentally and physically.

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

Yes yes yes, brilliant idea!! Another 5 months box rest sounds like forever, and as to not being turned out until next May, blimey, that's a LONG time. Yep do it. I did a similar thing with a laminitic horse who was very stressed on box rest and my vets thoroughly approved (sorry don't know what's up with your horse ) but as alternative to being confined and sedated 24/7 it's a great solution. If you can't get a companion, how about stable mirrors?

 

[H's mum]

I think that's far better than him box walking constantly putting pressure on his injury

Such a nightmare isn't it!

(We do want to see pics of you shelter though

)
Kate x

 

[Mavis Cluttergusset]

Really good idea! Would he torment a goat? One of mine (years ago) had a sheep in her field once as a companion, along with other horses, and she used to drag it about by it's coat and generally torture it

 

[Bossanova]

Doesnt sound like a bad idea.
Does he box walk all night? We have one that box walks badly and she's tied up by her hay/water until the yard is fed and quiet in the evening and then she doesnt do it much overnight.
We tried her in a big stable with a firend but she ended up putting the friend in the middle and just going round and round her!

 

[madhector]

Thanks guys, thought it was a good idea but just wanted to check!


Tried him in his small pen with the pony and he did get rather playful so not sure if that will work, but will definitly try building the shelter and keep him out there 24/7.


Boss - at the moment he comes in at 7, gets tied up in his stable till 11, then doped and untied, and put out in his pen at 6. Meaning I get very little sleep!

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

We do that for the ponies if they need box rest. They get half the field shelter (its huge and would easily double as stables for 2 big horses) and a little pen out the front. That way they get to 'stay out' with their buddies without moving around to much - can always tell when they are better as that is when they start to escape.............

Works really well as they get so stressed when they are stabled away from the others and normally they stay out 24/7 with the shelter - so ideal solution.

 

[alwaysbroke]

Sounds like a good idea. At one yard I was on we had a pen about that size, with stables, well if you could call them that......more like shelters that opened out onto the pen. Horse out in the pen had company but the ones in the stables could move back and get out of the way if they wanted to. We could alternate who was in the pen/in the stables but they always had company and didnt get stressed. I used it for box rest and used to put a good bed down in the pen with rubber matting underneath.