Recommendations needed – turning an injured horse away

LFD

LFD

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Hi, I’m looking for some where to turn my 6yo ISH gelding away for 12/18 month from April onwards. He has a collateral ligament injury from trying to jump out of his field back in August. I’ve had him on box rest ever since (limited walking in hand) but unfortunately he is still lame. We are trying IRAP therapy over the next 6 weeks but the vet thinks that his only real chance, before having to consider the worst, is giving the injury time to heal.


I’m based in Edinburgh but want to move him to a yard with big fields with lots of grass for him to roam, and hopefully heal. I don’t mind where it is as long as there is someone reliable to check in on him for me and I’ll visit weekly. We don’t really have anywhere with the grass/space locally so finding somewhere lovely for him is the most important thing. It’s such a hard decision as I have spent so much time with him every day since the accident but it seems like the only option left.

Can anyone recommend anywhere Lothians/Fife/Borders/Glasgow/Perthshire way I could contact?

Thanks in advance
 
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Also does anyone have any experience of turning a horse away they can share with me as it’s something I’ve never done before and am very nervous? Thanks :-)
 
LFD said:
Also does anyone have any experience of turning a horse away they can share with me as it’s something I’ve never done before and am very nervous? Thanks :-)
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I turned my WB away for over a year. He had a chronic injury which I had fixed as much as I could, but he still had to overcome his own mental issues after having been forced ridden at a pro yard in pain and beaten also. It worked for him - he healed mentally and strengthened physically. I am lucky enough to have my own land so I just set several acres aside exclusively for him with a good shelter. If I had to find somewhere to do it for another horse I would seek out recommended retirement livery where they have huge acreage and the horses live in herds. This wouldn't have worked in my horse's case as he needed the mental space to work out for himself what he wanted. I believe one should never underestimate how good Dr Green can be for horses.
 
I cannot help with your field search as too far away but wanted to say that it is great to hear you are going to try this option, so often if the vets cannot fix things turning away is not possible for many reasons but given time it is amazing what can heal.
I had a horse turned away here last year recovering from a tendon injury, he had several months box rest, walking in hand, which gradually increased then he was sedated and turned out with 2 quiet ponies on fresh grass and left, being mid winter we decided to miss out the turnout in a restricted paddock as the risk of injury in the mud with little grass was not worth it, my good field was a fair walk and to go in and out each day with a fresh horse was further risk to humans and he was likely to run around every day rather than just the initial turning out, so out he went and was left, with just daily checks for several months, coming in about 2 months later to have feet trimmed. I think the fact that he had constant company that never came out of the field, that it was a decent size so he moved around, there was plenty to eat so no need to give unnecessary heating food all contributed to the way the injury healed. He started work in June, from the field after 6 months total rest, went back into training half fit in October and is due to run in the next few weeks, about 18 months post injury, fingers crossed all goes well.
 
http://www.duncrahillstud.co.uk/ dont know if this allowed but this looks like a nice place but no personal experience of it as I live in England.
When I rehabbed my mare she was turned out in a small herd with the rest of my ponies and was soon fully recovered She had annular ligament desmotomy and after was intermiitently lame she made a full recovery being tuned away for 18 months
 
My mare was diagnosed with severe medial collateral ligament damage in her right fore in September (injured in July).

I left her front shoes off (she was barefoot behind previously anyway) started turning her out for a couple of hours and built it up until she was out the whole day. She is still out during the day and stabled overnight but looking to have her at grass 24/7 at current yard (hopefully!). I was told she'd always be lame and I probably would never ride her again but she appears to be proving the vets wrong so far so I'm crossing my fingers she might be a light hack after it all. I was told that there was no point in me trying various therapies as it would be a waste of money. I've tried a few simple things though (walking on tarmac, supplements, barefoot, magnetic boots etc) but she did really start improving after turnout.

I'm not entirely sure on yards as I had a look round the Renfrewshire area for grass livery for mine but couldn't find many suitable places with space. If you are fairly flexible with area though you might find something. If you are on facebook there is a facebook page called "Grazing/Stables/Livery/Fields for Rent Scotland" (hopefully link will work.... https://www.facebook.com/groups/461543237277569/) so it might be worth posting on there and also try the local horsey facebook pages too.
 
Thanks for your posts - it's good to hear this has worked for other people as I need a little positivity just now!

Wind and rain - the yard in your link sounds lovely, I'm going to give them a call to chat through options/prices.
 
starry23 said:
My mare was diagnosed with severe medial collateral ligament damage in her right fore in September (injured in July).

I left her front shoes off (she was barefoot behind previously anyway) started turning her out for a couple of hours and built it up until she was out the whole day. She is still out during the day and stabled overnight but looking to have her at grass 24/7 at current yard (hopefully!). I was told she'd always be lame and I probably would never ride her again but she appears to be proving the vets wrong so far so I'm crossing my fingers she might be a light hack after it all. I was told that there was no point in me trying various therapies as it would be a waste of money. I've tried a few simple things though (walking on tarmac, supplements, barefoot, magnetic boots etc) but she did really start improving after turnout.

I'm not entirely sure on yards as I had a look round the Renfrewshire area for grass livery for mine but couldn't find many suitable places with space. If you are fairly flexible with area though you might find something. If you are on facebook there is a facebook page called "Grazing/Stables/Livery/Fields for Rent Scotland" (hopefully link will work.... https://www.facebook.com/groups/461543237277569/) so it might be worth posting on there and also try the local horsey facebook pages too.
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Starry23 - good to hear the turnout has helped your mare - I really hope it'll do the same for my boy. He was my BS show jumper but if I can get him to be sound enough to hack that would be amazing and he is a wonderful horse.
 
turnout helped one of mine that cut into his joint casual, after it was sufficently healed we turned him out, he lost a little condition to start with but we did leave him out in all last years snow, and i think the cold and teh snow actually helped the injury heal better. 3 months later he was fine and started to come back into gentle work
 
Years ago, we used to cut their tails off! lol... the idea was that people were always in a hurry to bring a horse back in to work before they were ready, so cut the tail off at the end of the dock, turn it away, and when the tail had grown back and its sound you could bring it back in to work!
 
The horse I have now was rested for over a year after he was overworked and made lame. He is now doing great and I ride him 3-4 times a week. So far so good and I've been told to start pushing him a bit more. He has had a good canter with no probs and hoping to do more over the summer months.
 
Thanks everyone. Have decided it's definitely the right route for my boy and have been in touch with a few places about livery and just waiting to hear back.

Love the story about cutting their tails but I couldn't bring myself to do it, my boy has a lovely full wavy tail!
 
RachelBristol said:
Years ago, we used to cut their tails off! lol... the idea was that people were always in a hurry to bring a horse back in to work before they were ready, so cut the tail off at the end of the dock, turn it away, and when the tail had grown back and its sound you could bring it back in to work!
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How unpleasant for them if they where going to be out in summer.
 
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