Maybe I’ve been a bit foolish BUT

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Starbucks

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I turned my horse out over the weekend!! He mildly damaged his check ligament about 6 weeks ago and has been on box rest with walking out/horse walker and I’ve been for a couple of little rides since the snow has melted. He has been really good but he’s been so grumpy recently I have been feeling sorry for him!! I really felt that his injury did not justify keeping him in (although vet said he should not have turn out until back in full work). Anyway – bit the bullet and put him out alone… he went a bit crazy!! Didn’t gallop around that much but did lots of huge bucks and was slipping around all over… not great!! Brought him in and his leg was fine so I reckon if it can take that then all should be good!!

Sorry not that interesting but I’m so pleased that my horse is not depressed anymore!!
 
Fingers crossed :)

When my boy damaged his check ligament he was box rested for 6 weeks, I then couldn't walk him in hand because he went ape*****; so the vet gave me sedative and told me to sedate him, bandage his leg and put him in a small paddock. He was 10 times happier after turning himself inside out for 5 minutes lol.
 
Yeah I know I will but I really feel it’s for the best. He’s never been lame with it and had a bit of a swollen leg for about 48 hours.. hardly seems worth keeping him in for longer than 6 weeks! You honestly wouldn’t be able to tell anything was wrong with him now. Was a bit scared when he was leaping about though!!! Eaakk!!

His paddock is quite small/level and he’s just going to go out for a couple of hours a day on his tod – don’t think he’ll feel the urge to be crazy again because he’s normally pretty sensible.
 
Very good luck with it all. I am sure it will be fine. My horse does huge bucks when he is turned out, I mean real eye watering ones. One question. Do you ever worry that he will do them while you are on him cantering?
 
Well not under normal circumstances but think it would be a strong possibility when he’s been shut in for a long time! Don’t think he would on the road but maybe in a field! He’s only really bucked a handful of times but each time he has whoever has been riding has been strait on the floor! :)
 
Please be careful, just because he can doesn't mean he should. Guy I used to ride out for had a ptp horse that injured a tendon, after resting it and being told he could walk it down the road, he got on it walked it for 2 days then cantered it up a field - came back and declared the horse sound and fixed because it could canter and wanted to canter. Needless to say it came back and bit him on the backside and the horse was a lot more damaged for a lot longer with time. I'm not for a second saying you are going to act in such an irresponsible manner and it is obviously a very difficult balancing act between keeping them sane and happy and keeping them still! Good Luck.
 
I’m doing pretty much what the vet said with regard to controlled exercise, I’m just turning out and I’m pretty sure after his initial explosion he won’t do a great deal of running around/pratting about so seeing as he’s survived that I’m thinking he should be ok. Will do another couple of weeks of riding/riding and leading in walk and then he should be able to start on some little trots all being well. Sounds like the guy is a bit silly!! Won’t be cantering up any fields for a good while yet!
 
My mare was on box rest for the longest time and there is no way I would have turned her out against vet advice. What's the point in paying a vet to give their expert advice and then not following it? If I did not trust the vet I would change to another one. Sorry if this seems negative, but my stance on this one is "better safe than sorry" :-)

If your horse feels down about the lack of turnout perhaps you can discuss with your vet whether he can have limited turn out in a small paddock or school. It may also be good to consider stable toys, and whether there are any changes you can make to his feed (keep hard feet to a tiny amount of non-heating mix and consider adding a calmer.) I know how hard it is, but hang in there :-)
 
Well we can only do what we think is best.. and this is what I think is best for my horse. I know this may be a bit controversial but that’s just how it is. :)
 
Starbucks said:
Well we can only do what we think is best.. and this is what I think is best for my horse. I know this may be a bit controversial but that’s just how it is. :)
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imnsho 'what's best for the horse' is not the sole territory of the vet, but should be a decision made between vet and owner. You know your horse best, the vet know the injury best (well maybe, depends on your vet !) and between you, you find the treatment/recovery plan for the horse that fits.

Vets deal with the surgery and the medication, but owners deal with management.
 
Sorry, I am another that wonders why you pay a vet then ignore their advice. Ok, they dont know your horse as well as you do, but they have had years of training, and experience, so in my mind, what they say, goes.

But saying that, i hope that things stay ok with your horse, and he doesnt suffer any further.
 
I am dreading the day when we turn our horse out after what will end up being 4 months box rest (multiple fractures of splint bone) I am probably going to ask the vet for some sedation for the first couple of outings into a small paddock with no other horses. I couldn't bear it if she did more damage to herself. Mind you I know that our mare will go totally mental if she is not sedated.
 
benson21 said:
Sorry, I am another that wonders why you pay a vet then ignore their advice. Ok, they dont know your horse as well as you do, but they have had years of training, and experience, so in my mind, what they say, goes.

But saying that, i hope that things stay ok with your horse, and he doesnt suffer any further.
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Well I paid the vet to come and scan his leg but then he didn't seem to know what he was doing with that so I didn't come away feeling that satisfied TBH!! As someone else said I should have probably got a 2nd opinion.

He has really not suffered at all - in fact I would be suprised if he ever knew he had anything wrong with him as has shown no lameness/soreness even when he first did it!! Also, depends which vet you have as to what the advice is!! Actually, I'm saying the vet has said not to turn him out but I think I was supposed to get him to come back and re-scan after 2-4 weeks (which I find a bit unnessesary) so he may have been happy for him to go out now, just not in the initial stages.

Anyway! Kind of expected some people to say this kind of thing and fully understand where you are coming from, but I try to listen to all advice and do what I feel is best. I really would not do anything if I thought it was going to mean more suffering for my horse!!
 
Clannad48 said:
I am dreading the day when we turn our horse out after what will end up being 4 months box rest (multiple fractures of splint bone) I am probably going to ask the vet for some sedation for the first couple of outings into a small paddock with no other horses. I couldn't bear it if she did more damage to herself. Mind you I know that our mare will go totally mental if she is not sedated.
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Good luck with that!! Hope she is ok.. sure she will be. :)
 
benson21 said:
Sorry, I am another that wonders why you pay a vet then ignore their advice. Ok, they dont know your horse as well as you do, but they have had years of training, and experience, so in my mind, what they say, goes.

But saying that, i hope that things stay ok with your horse, and he doesnt suffer any further.
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Well that's all well and good in an ideal world, but some horses are just not able to be boxrested without other serious implications, which only the owner, with their knowledge of the horse, can foresee. :rolleyes:
 
Puppy said:
Well that's all well and good in an ideal world, but some horses are just not able to be boxrested without other serious implications, which only the owner, with their knowledge of the horse, can foresee. :rolleyes:
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Thanks Puppy!
Was your mare on box rest when you had your accident?? I think that's reason enough for me if it doesn't seem entirely neccessary!
 
benson21 said:
Sorry, I am another that wonders why you pay a vet then ignore their advice. Ok, they dont know your horse as well as you do, but they have had years of training, and experience, so in my mind, what they say, goes.
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Sorry, but so have I, and when I was a professional groom, in the US the (extremely highly trained veterinary team) used to confer with the head groom (that would be me) about management issues.

I don't know the OPs vet, but I wouldn't pay a vet who treated me like some kind of drop in with a pet rabbit.

I might also add that our vets in the US used to treat/stitch/ dress wounds on legs and then stand back and say 'I wouldn't dare put a bandage on with her here, and if I did she'd take it off the minute my back was turned and put it back on ten times better'

Mind you perhaps if more owners phoned the vet and were able to accurately describe symptoms, routinely give Temp Pulse and Resp, and whether or not that was elevated from the horse's norm - as is expected in other countries - then vets would treat them with a bit more respect.
 
my horse damaged his tendon in sept, not badly nd is only slightly lame on a circle. discussed witht he vet as he wont box rest, tried him in a small pen but still kept running around so decided to put him back in his field with his 2 retired mares and keep fingers x'ed so far he's been fine, much more chilled and not leaping around like he was in his pen I know it will take longer to heal because he's not restricted but i'm prepared to wait to get him sound. vets back out at the start of jan to re check so fingers x'ed for then.
 
skewbald_again said:
Sorry, but so have I, and when I was a professional groom, in the US the (extremely highly trained veterinary team) used to confer with the head groom (that would be me) about management issues.

I don't know the OPs vet, but I wouldn't pay a vet who treated me like some kind of drop in with a pet rabbit.

I might also add that our vets in the US used to treat/stitch/ dress wounds on legs and then stand back and say 'I wouldn't dare put a bandage on with her here, and if I did she'd take it off the minute my back was turned and put it back on ten times better'

Mind you perhaps if more owners phoned the vet and were able to accurately describe symptoms, routinely give Temp Pulse and Resp, and whether or not that was elevated from the horse's norm - as is expected in other countries - then vets would treat them with a bit more respect.
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I called the vet and said his leg needed scanning because I thought he may have done some sort of tendon/ligament injury.. so don't think I came across as too clueless. I did mention that I wasn't keen on the long box rest plan though and I explained that he really never does anything on the field, and he looked to the girl who works on the yard and said that she probably had more of an idea!! Errrm, no she doesn't!! She agreed though.. never seen him do anything!
 
probably going to get shot down for this;;;


sometimes you have to just let them go (turnout wise....)

you know your own horse better than any vet imo !

hope it turns out ok :)
 
Starbucks said:
I called the vet and said his leg needed scanning because I thought he may have done some sort of tendon/ligament injury.. so don't think I came across as too clueless. I did mention that I wasn't keen on the long box rest plan though and I explained that he really never does anything on the field, and he looked to the girl who works on the yard and said that she probably had more of an idea!! Errrm, no she doesn't!! She agreed though.. never seen him do anything!
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ooh I'd change vets I think!
The thing is, do they KNOW you know what you're talking about. I've had the new ones turn up and start to explain which end was which, and I just try not to be snotty (after all I only have hairy ponies!) and just say - I know we look like rank amateurs but actually ... and then generally they're OK!
 
the only thing i'd be careful with is if you are claiming on insurance for treatment as prob won't be covered if you aren't following vet's advice. i would probably have waited for the all clear from the vet TBH- really because i wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something went wrong...but sure that you made the best decision for your horse... fingers xxx'd its all ok and he's back in full work soon :)
 
diggerbez said:
the only thing i'd be careful with is if you are claiming on insurance for treatment as prob won't be covered if you aren't following vet's advice. i would probably have waited for the all clear from the vet TBH- really because i wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something went wrong...but sure that you made the best decision for your horse... fingers xxx'd its all ok and he's back in full work soon :)
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Thanks - vets bill isn't much so far so I might just pay it and bring him back how he's said and goes go with it. To be perfectly honest I'm not sure there was really anything to be seen on the scan in the first place!! He even said that if he'd just scanned it he wouldn't be that sure but it was because he'd seen it on day 2 and it looked/felt just like a check ligament injury which is why he thought that's definitely what it was??
 
I have to say in defence of Bucky - that a friends horse did her check ligament and was basically written off.

It's now in the field and sound awaiting a return to work.

Box rest was minimal as the owner was going to put the horse down, and didn't want it stuck in the stable whilst she made up her mind.

Whilst I'm not sure that I would risk turn out so soon - it's not necessarily the wrong course of action.
 
I may get shot down for this too, but I think a leg injury needs to heal for it's intended use - ie. moving around and not stood still in a box. Of course, a certain amount of box rest is necessary at first followed by gradual turnout. The owner knows her own horse better than the vet and we tend to get a sense of when they are ready to progress to the next stage in their recovery.

One of my horses degloved a leg - skin right off exposing the cannon bone. She managed about 5 weeks box rest and then the healing process literally stopped. she was miserable and had pretty much lost the will, totally depressed. There was one area of the wound that just wouldn't heal and the vets were talking about cutting this area away and encouraged granulation again, basically start over again!!. I turned her out (and sat by the gate with head in hands, too scared to look as she looned around the paddock). She soon settled and the wound healed up nicely over the next couple of weeks.

You know your own horse Starbucks, go with your instinct. Do be careful about the ridden work just yet - don't rush that, one thing at a time. Good luck.
 
Puppy said:
Well that's all well and good in an ideal world, but some horses are just not able to be boxrested without other serious implications, which only the owner, with their knowledge of the horse, can foresee. :rolleyes:
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Ditto. My previous horse fractured his cxannon bone (kick injury). He HAD to be turned in a small paddock with his leg bandaged....he was literally clombing the walls, barging the door- sweated from ears to ass in his stable. Took longer to heal...but we both made it through in pretty much one piece. Obviously vets advise was box rest- but even with sedation it was pretty clear this wasn't going to happen.

What you should do, aint always what you can do.;)
 
After having box rested a horse with a tendon injury for 3 weeks and seeing him go into a massive decline, colicky, all kinds of problems. I would be very wary of box resting anything now - esp something thats out 24/7 normally (as this pony was). I think he we hadn't box rested him he'd likely still be with us now, 3 weeks of box rest was the death of him. (TBH he had a damaged liver etc after years if bute for spavin (not given by us!) and his body just couldn't take it I don't think :( )

I think box rest can be good initially, but if it was mine, I'd be bandaging, and turning him out too :)
 
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