Making box rest bearable....?

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Ideas please!

As a matter of course (ponio's usually stabled overnight) my stables have the following...

*2 varieties of salt/mineral lick
*a collection of empty plastic milk cartons threaded on a rope - they make a great noise and are good for stress release, so Mr Rage tells me!
*Boo has a mirror, Rage has one on order.
*Hay in 2 different locations

For box rest scenarios I usually offer a tubtrug of chaff adlib as another fibre source for them to graze, and some hi-fibre nuts in a treat ball to keep them occupied.
I was intending to get a big Horslyx type lick as well....

Oh, and neither horse is a fan of root vegetables other than carrots - I have already tried the swede on a rope approach!


Any more ideas/suggestions?
 
Quite simply the radio is a good one. Horses love it, I leave a talk radio programme on like Radio 4 if they ever have to have box rest.
Your stable sounds so fun I wouldnt mind being in there all day, sounds like a creche! Really nice!
Only other thing is, if you are there on site, go and visit them in the day. I did that too, breaks the day up for them! x x x
 
Two stables, a day stable and a night stable. When I have had any of ours on box rest they have adjusted really well and not gone mad by having them in two different stables. I think just a change of view makes a big difference for them.
 
They are listening to Classical FM atm!
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Hadn't thought of radio 4 though, good call! They might not mind radio 2 either, but radio 1 irritates them!!!
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They are just down the drive, so I can shoot down whenever I like, but I'm trying to find the balance between being down there too much as it winds them up and they get all door-bangy for attention, or not going to often and letting them get bored
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Our stables are very localised, not all sprawling and gorgeous like yours, so the view from each stable is pretty much the same
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When I just have one on box rest I do swap stables day/night, togive the floors a chance to air as much as anything, but with two of them in I don't think it will be feasible.
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Swapping stables is a great idea! I did that too actually. Sometimes, when we had our Old Boy I made him stay in to keep my boy company! The Old Boy loved it he was like a dog, would rather had never gone out but loved stayiong in playing Nanny!

You're right about being there and making the bang the door! That is a problem. Radio 4 do a great play at about 2pm so you could go and potte aroung down there and listen to that! Dont get hooked on The Archers like I am, 5 years addicted!!!
 
Oh bugger, I must admit I do forget sometimes how lucky I am with our yard. Although I don't always move them into the big stables for the day sometimes only the next door up on the small ones, it's funny but just the fact that they are still being moved in a routine does make a difference. I can't believe the run of bad luck you have had - lots of hugs being sent over to you x x x
 
Horselyx respiratory lick - this saved my horse from going completely spare on box rest, and stopped him from totally pigging our on hay. Radio is a good idea - I found Radio 3 during the day kept him calmer, but made sure he had peace and quiet at night.
 
When Bob was on box rest the vet suggested putting apples in his water to keep him occupied (apple BOBbing ha ha ha!!!). It didn't work with Bob, he totally lost his sh*t with them and booted the water bucket. To be fair he isn't the most patient of beasts.

It might work for yours though!!!
 
Radio, routine, company and regular visits from mum.

Any horse I've had on box rest has had all of the above - no toys (can't bear them) and never been stressed once.
 
If your horse is food orientated then you could try half a scoop of high fibre nuts in a couple of litres of water soaked to make a soup. I diced carrots in it for his lunch when my boy was on box rest and would keep him slurping for an hour!

He liked to shred empty paper feed sacks (string removed) too and liked to apple bob as well.
 
QR!
Cazza - thanks for the hugs honey!

Halfstep - did you find your boy adlibbed on the Horslyx right from the start, or did he completely pig out initially? I know which my two will do!
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Nosey - thankyou! I had completely forgotten that I used to do that!
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I have a decahedron jobby, but the hole is huge and they empty it really quickly, so I thought about maybe getting a snack ball designed for dogs instead?

Sharon - my two are far to dim for that! Last time I tried that they ended up to scared of the water bucket to drink!!
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AmyMay - my guys here have a very strong sense of justice, so the biggest battle will be when the others are turned out as the ones on box rest will be having tantrums initially
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Agree that sticking to the routine, making them lump it and hoping that they don't do anything stupid in the interim is the way forward though
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I LOVE the feed sack idea... it's not one that Boo will go for but Rage will be entertained for hours with that!
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Boo is allergic to molasses, so I can't really use high fibre cubes, but was looking into some fibre beet or simple systems or similar, so that there is another type of fibre available for them to 'graze'.
 
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AmyMay - my guys here have a very strong sense of justice, so the biggest battle will be when the others are turned out as the ones on box rest will be having tantrums initially

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Always keep one in as company - half a day per horse. Make is soo much easier.
 
My girl is on box rest at the moment and totally agree that routine is important. Her first day in she was really stressed and not happy at all. Now we have our routine going, she seems much happier and settled.

I have one of the lickit snackballs which seems to hold the food in a little longer than the decahedron ones. I'm just putting grass nuts in it for her, so no worse than if she were grazing in the field and I can fill the ball pretty full without worrying about her getting too much feed!

I hide bits of carrot in her haynet and she has a mineral lick and a horslyx in too. (she wasn't so good at the "self-rationing" thing at first, but has gotten better!) If they are on straw, some people suggest hiding carrots in their bed to encourage them to graze and forage for them. Doesn't work for me as I'm on rubber mats with shavings.

I might try making a soup out of the grass nuts too, that's a good idea! Apple bobbing didn't work because my mare, although very food orientated, throws a strop if she can't get at it relatively easily/quickly so just didn't touch the apple or water. She likes the snack ball as she is rewarded little and often!

Good luck, what a shame having two on box rest.
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Hope they come right soon.
 
QR again!

Pidge - I can't get hold of any readigrass until the next harvest is on the shelves, my local stockists say that the feed companies have run out of last years crop
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fairhill - Have just bought a respiratory horslyx - intake will be heavily restricted as I know they will pig it. I have a Dengie one as well which is less sugary and contains yeast, but neither are at all fussed about even trying it!
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mceeaw - I have just managed to get some Alfa-Beet to make soup with, and it was 15% off too
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I'm going to invest in a likit treat bal like you recommended, and have bought her A&P Ride and Relax to go in that, as again, no molasses. Hope your lady is out and about soon.
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