My gorgeous cob has a broken leg!

oh, goodness that is awful for both you and your boy
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(((BIG HUGS))) for you both.

Keep us all posted on his progress
LBx
 
He's a stunning boy and such a tragedy for you.
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I don't have any tips how to keep him happy i'm afraid but wanted to wish you the best of luck and hope he makes a full recovery. (((((()))))) hugs for you.
 
So sorry to hear this - he's a gorgeous looking chap - lovely kind eye.
I would be livid about the turn-out changes if you hadn't agreed them or at least been given the opportunity to avoid yours being out with the trouble-maker!
Sounds like the vets are hopeful and if he is quite a relaxed sort of chap that will surely help. My friend's ultra-fragile stress-head TB fractured a front cannon bone in the field - she was operated on and was on box rest for ages at the vets. She didn't have any toys etc, but there were plenty of visitors and lots to look at on the yard, and it sounds like your boy is a sociable sort so hopefully can have lots of visitors. Friend's mad mare coped with the box rest really well - apart from flat out refusing to be cross tied! She's made a full recovery -hope your lad does too. Chin up.
 
Aww poor guy. Horses do seem to get a thrill from blankets; mine are always pulling and playing with each others.

Hope his leg heals well. I echo Amy and say the best thing you can do is spend as much time with him and keep him occupied with hay. Can he be put in a stable which faces the yard or fields? So that he can see what is going on and keep him from becoming bored?

Good luck.
 
Firstly what a beauty - looks very much like the shire x cob my OH shared. These big chaps don't show much pain and often do have a high pain threshold. I agree with the vet about not too much pain relief - had to do this with my old TB who fractured her fetlock (she went on to fully recover) but was so old had to have field rest - also trimmed her feet back to make her slightly footsore to stop her trying to move too much - cruel to be kind.

Our old clydie has just had 4 weeks of box rest - Chancer my youngster "broke" him - he had slight soft tissue/tendon damage from playing barrel racers in the mud and slipped which finished him off.

I gave him a horselyx tub on the floor, he also had a slice of hayledge with his hay so he was kept occupied with plenty of fibre to munch I hung him a couple of swedes up - though with his huge gob they don't last long. He was able to have his ball and be taken for a walk to the pub and then have some time in the school to roll and gently exercise - he is too old too not to have any exercise.

Fleur my WB was in plaster for 5 weeks - to heal a huge cut rather than a break. It was her back leg and she was not supposed to move much.

She had plenty of lickits in the tongue twister, 5 tiny feeds a day of chaff and some carrots and a mixture of hay and hayledge - so she spent most of the time munching. She was not allowed her ball so she had a few nuts sprinkled at the front of the stable to hoover up. She was skipped out twice during the day and I then mucked out and spent time with her in the evenings so she didn't get bored. She went very chilled and ate and slept and I didn't have to give her any calmers.

I do hope he makes a speedy recovery and no doubt he will enjoy having lots of visitors and plenty of low cal feeds to keep him happy. Plenty of grooming and cuddles.

If it helps with the GA choice, Cairo has had many due to cancer over the years. The last one was last year at the age of 21. One good thing about the heavy cobs is that they tend to go down and get up slowly as they do tend to be sensible.

Good luck and I hope to hear that he is fully recovered soon.
 
I think I would probably go for box rest and x ray again to see what was happening in a few weeks time.
We have rested several horses who have fractured bones and they did all come sound though it took 18 months in some cases.
All you can do on box rest is give ad lib hay (not haylage , hay is better older so you can give more of it), and see how he goes.
I would be so cross, I know horses do kick each other but the new one sounds a menace..
 
A friend of mine went through this with a cob mare she had.
She had the operation done and the leg pinned. the mare came through the operation fine and was absolutley fine in recovery untill infection set in. The mare had to have anouther operation to remove the pins, clean everything out and put new pins in. Mare got through that operation as well and 2 years late is back to ridden work. i dont think she is allowed to jump yet, but she is deffiantely doing dressage.
I'g go for the operation personaly.

As for stable toys that keep them entertained whilst keeping them still, a suede on a rope dangling from the cieling is a favorite of my ponies, as are the lickits, if you dangle then in the middle of the stable the horse doesnt move too much and has hours of fun with it.
polos on a rope is also fun for them!
apples in the water bucket is anouther toy i have for mine.
I had an arab on box rest for 6weeks he did not take kindly to it (he was climbing walls) but these toys helped for the first few weeks untill he got bored.
 
How awful, Im so sorry.
My boy did the same, he got a fractured radius Nov 2007 from a kick in the field. He was cross tied for about 12 weeks mainly to stop him lying down and it was awful, I felt so cruel but he managed brilliantly. He also somehow managed to lie down cross tied on a few occasions, broke his headcollar once and had a good roll! and galloped like mad when he was first turned out but he survived it all and I was riding him less than 6 mths later. He has no special treatment and can jump etc just like any other horse.
My boy likes his food and that was his saving grace as he had 2 nets constantly, tied to either side of the door, his water was in a door manger and he had likits as treats, I picked grass and put it in a small holed haynet, that was the highlight of the day for him. When he allowed loose I would give him his ball with nuts in it and just spent time grooming him and fussing him.
Try to stay positive, it will pass so quickly even though it seems so far off now.
 
The only thing I could add that is helping my horse(he is on box rest) is changing his stable.I have him indoors at night but during the day he goes in the outside stable that is empty and he can see everyone coming or going and the other horses being excercised.
I know how you feel about GA I have just had to make the same decision but you will be relieved once its done.His leg will mend fine a friend horses broke his leg and they didnt know it was broken, he had another injury which he was recovering from and she was excercising him with a broken leg.Obviously she felt awful the vet had missed it too because they were so intent on treating first injury.He has made a full recovery and is doing dressage and jumping.good luck with your horse
 
So sorry to hear about your boy. Our pony had a fracture of the tibia and had 3 months box rest. She was cross tied for the first 6 weeks to stop her lying down. She is fine now, 3 years on. Is there any way you can make sure he has company in an adjoining stable at all times. We rotated other 2 ponies in the stable next to our girl, one in at night and one during the day. I think it definitely helped to keep her sane (that and large doses of ACP, she is a bit of a head case!). Also ad lib hay, stable licks, and she loved a swede on a piece of string. Good luck, hope it all goes well with him.
 
How awful for you.
Take the time that he is on box rest to visit him as much as possible and spend time grooming and giving him some company.
Try to stay positive - I know that is so hard at the moment but I'm sure you'll both get through this.
He is a stunning looking horse btw.
 
OMG thats awful.
He really is a lovely looking horse.
My gelding got kicked on xmas day by a M&M that went through the elec fence into his field. The battery was flat! He was badly kicked but nothing broken.
Its terrible to have them in but maybe you could give him haynets in 2 diff places, so he has a choice of view? The keep blocks that you put in the fields are good as a lick. Hang veg up round his stable ie swede or parsnips. Will he stay in his stable with his door open and a stall guard up? I think they don't feel so shut in. If people are around during the day they could keep an eye on him.xx
 
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