Making box rest bearable.....any tips?

georgiegirl

georgiegirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 August 2004
Messages
2,455
Visit site
Any hints or tips on making box rest that bit easier for a rather stressy tb?? She isnt being too bad just weaving away when the yard gets busy. Have been using distraction therapy in the form of buckets of grass which were greatly appreciated!
 
If there are other horses living out 24/7 I'd build her a stable sized pen next to them- she's bound to be more relaxed living out. We've done this sucessfully with quite a few horses, IMO it's much better for them
smile.gif
I'm actually in the process of doing a physcology project atm titled 'Making box rest bearable'! and am using heart rate moniters to moniter stress levels during box rest.
 
When my horse was on box rest I was more stressed than he was at the thought of it but it wasn't as bad as I thought and he soon got used to it.
I tried to give him 3 big nets a day and a few toys of a tongue twister likit thing and hanging swedes etc and also a good old groom and a fuss every day seemed to help.
If you can, try to be there when the yard gets busy and do something with him then if thats the time he is most stressed.
If you are allowed to do 5 minutes in hand then taking them in the fresh air for a nibble of grass is good as long as it is not dangerous for you.
 
Is she food orientated? If so, how about making uyp a series of small fibre based feeds that can be given to her when it is busy - I did this for my boy and asked anyone who saw him getting stressy to pop one in - It worked for him. Also snack balls are great, and I found leaving a radio on also helped. Good luck !
 
How about buying a feed ball sorry their real name escapes me and put some feed if she gets any in there so she can roll it around to keep her occipied. The oval ones have quite large holes and I have used a mix of nuts and chaff in them so that the nuts don't come out as easily.
 
I just went through this a couple of months ago with my 3yo warmblood filly. She had stitches on her ankle. At any rate of all the horses I have this was one who I didn't think would manage box rest.

She proved me wrong though. As I'm in a private situation it was much easier, but her sister stayed in with her during the day. At night the sister went out and she had the company of the rest of the barn. I gave her homemade toys and ad lib hay. Likits are out for her as she manages to eat them in one go.

Who ever suggested the build a pen outside - brilliant idea. We have 4 all weather pens here but they're all 40 by 40 and a little to big for reduced activity. We really had no room to build another, but that would have been ideal.

At any rate, my filly survived quite nicely. It's also nice to know she's capable of being flexible!

Terri
 
When mine was on box rest (3 months) she had her SnakABall with fibre nuts in it, adlib hay/hayledge plus a radio.

TBH once the yard is quiet again, which was usually when her ball was empty, she went to sleep....!
 
When a mare I had was on box rest, I put apples in her water for her to fish out... which kept her busy til she got too good at it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top