Restricted turnout - help!!

[LouiseG]

My horse had an arthroscopy of both stifles in December, we are now 9 weeks post surgery, of which 7 were box rest with in hand walking 3 x per day. He's been out in a 12x12 paddock for the last 2 weeks and has been really well behaved and hasn't been silly at all other than a few bucks and bronks here and there. My dilemma is that the yard manager now wants to move him out of this paddock because it's getting completed poached and is turning into a bit of a bog with all the horrid weather and my horse is starting to go under the fencing looking for better grass and is getting into mischief and sliding around.

The proposal is to move him into a HUGE field for the next 3 weeks for 2 hours per day with his very quiet 25 year old pony friend. The field is probably 6-8 times the size he should be in, but it's only had one horse on it all winter and wasn't grazed on in the summer as they took haylage from it so the ground is perfect, not saturated, or muddy and there is loads of grass. My horse is a real piglet and completely food orientated. I sedated him today and turned him out and all he was interested in was stuffing his face and I don't think lifted his head all afternoon!

I'm worried that by turning him out on this I am going against my vets advice of a tiny 12x12 paddock, it's not an option to fence off the large field (I've begged and pleaded and it's a firm no from the yard manager). I wondered what others might do in this situation and if I'm being stupid turning him out into a large area? If I thought he'd bomb around there's no way i would contemplate it, but he's been so good and well behaved so far, and it's only the 2 of them with no other horses or distractions in sight. Trying to choose between the lesser of 2 evils is very hard as we have been through so much, I don't want anything to mess up his recovery.

What would you guys do/suggest? Any thoughts gratefully received!

 

[LadyRascasse]

Perhaps the first time you take him out, take him on a lunge line so that if he tries to have a hooley you could (try) and stop him. I would imagine after first day he wouldn't bother going mad in there.

 

[mummymole]

Can you not get your own fence posts and bit of electric and section it yourself at your own expense just for peace of mind .I had a similar issue after mine had metabolic laminitis .Yard owners diidnt understand ..there theory was that if he was well enough to have some turn out he was better,they blankly refused to give him a small field but i was allowed at my own cost to do it .

 

[LouiseG]

I wish! They point blank have refused to let me pen off a section as it's new grass and if he churns up the field then that will cause problems... What problems I'm not sure! He's the only horse on the yard going through rehab and is only out for a couple of hours, I just don't get why everything is so difficult when we only have one shot at this! The field he was in he was coping with fine, he wasn't being silly and although not much food he still settled, however today in the big field he got a few spooks and galloped the length of the field a good few times! Exactly the opposite to what he's meant to be doing! So he's going back in the small area. The argument is with the small paddock that he keeps trying to go under the tape... But there is no electric on!! Why should he respect it! Arrgghh I'm at my wits end! I wish I had more options!!

 

[chocolategirl]

I wish! They point blank have refused to let me pen off a section as it's new grass and if he churns up the field then that will cause problems... What problems I'm not sure! He's the only horse on the yard going through rehab and is only out for a couple of hours, I just don't get why everything is so difficult when we only have one shot at this! The field he was in he was coping with fine, he wasn't being silly and although not much food he still settled, however today in the big field he got a few spooks and galloped the length of the field a good few times! Exactly the opposite to what he's meant to be doing! So he's going back in the small area. The argument is with the small paddock that he keeps trying to go under the tape... But there is no electric on!! Why should he respect it! Arrgghh I'm at my wits end! I wish I had more options!!

A being a yard owner myself, I fully understand the reason for this, however, if you were on my yard, if you offered to pay for the resowing and any other work involved in restoring the small paddock you have been using, I would allow you to stay where you were. Maybe offer to do this? It's worth a try though a word of warning, it won't be cheap, which is probably the exact reason why your yard owner is trying to minimise the damage caused. Good luck and hope your horse makes a full recovery!