Riding a horse while on box rest

[wellsat]

G is on his fifth week of box rest for PSD and is doing forty minutes in walk and trot twice a day to help strengthen his legs again. Unfortunately box rest has turned him into an incredibly nappy and spooky beast and we are having some rather serious rearing tantrums where before he was a nice calm, sedate horse to ride. I do have sedalin but not enough to knock him out enough twice a day to make him rideable. Any tips on calmers that people have used successfully in a similar situation?

 

[joeanne]

Oxyshot is fairly good. A local pony to us is given it about an hour before going into the ring to help her concentrate on the job in hand, rather than the crowds.

 

[wellsat]

Thanks joeanne.

Only problem is I need something that I can afford to give him twice a day, every day for weeks to come. Feeding that much Oxyshot would break the bank.

 

[debsflo]

ours is on top spec calmer and sedalin once a day. how much longer do you have to box rest. for safety reasons i would prefer to sedate if acting up but can appreciate the cost.how much sedalin does he have at a time.?

 

[Booboos]

For safety reasons most horses usually need to be sedated. I had to sedate my boy every day for 6 weeks and he was still a loony to ride! I don't think the commercial calmers will do much for you, but perhaps talk to your vet about options.

 

[dressagecrazy]

It got to the point with mine that I had so many complications going on that we could not longer use sedation without causing other problems. He can't have Magnesium so that rules out a lot.

I then found V-kalm it's valerian so not for comp use but it's fab stuff, he had it 2x's daily top dressed on feed. I'm hacking out now so still using it as like yours mins lost the plot a bit, he's now gone very strong in the contact which is a new one.

 

[Cazzah]

I had my very fit TB on box rest/controlled exercise for 3 months a couple of years ago and he would literally explode at times. I didn't want/couldn't afford sedalin every day and put him on Global Herbs Supercalm Plus which I definitely think took the edge off. Might be a bit of trial and error to find a calmer that works. Good luck.

 

[Izzwizz]

I had to ride whilst my mare was on box rest a couple of years ago. I used the NAF Magic calmer and I do think it took the edge off her. I also found that if I hacked out with another calm horse to babysit her she was ok, the problems came along if we saw any horses out in the fields and they happened to run around. She could then become a bit of a handful. I had to plan my routes very carefully.

 

[Holly Hocks]

What about Xylkene? It is expensive, but it's worth having a look at it and having a look how long it will last you.....i've not used it, but I've heard good things about it.

 

[Nic]

Nupafeed is v good.

 

[cptrayes]

Can you find a French vet ?? I understand that the French do not agree with box rest in the way that it is used by we Brits, and that your horse would be turned out by now in a limited area so that he would stretch his legs gently all day. My question was put tongue in cheek, but there may be other vets in this country who would feel the same. The risk of him damaging both himself and you as things stand is far too high

What worries me also about your description of his previous and current behaviour is that even though he is out of his box twice a day, the confinement is doing his head in, isn't it?

 

[touchstone]

Can you find a French vet ?? I understand that the French do not agree with box rest in the way that it is used by we Brits, and that your horse would be turned out by now in a limited area so that he would stretch his legs gently all day. My question was put tongue in cheek, but there may be other vets in this country who would feel the same. The risk of him damaging both himself and you as things stand is far too high

What worries me also about your description of his previous and current behaviour is that even though he is out of his box twice a day, the confinement is doing his head in, isn't it?

My vet prefers gentle movement on the damaged tendon, and after my horse was rearing on a damaged hind deep digital tendon he recommended turning out. The tendon healed perfectly.

 

[maxapple]

My horse (TB) is currently recovering from a fractured leg. We did 5 months of box rest - and 6 weeks ago were supposed to start walking out in hand for 5 mins a day. We managed 3 days before he exploded (think karate kid) and scared the hell out of me. He was so bad I refused to do it again. It was far too dangerous for both him shattering the leg, and for me!

He is now in a turnout pen the size of 2 stables. He has had a couple of bucking episodes but in a space that small can't do much damage I hope (He used to buck in his stable also when he got upset!) The only time he has a silly turn is when other horses are brought through his field - the rest of the time he is nice and chilled and enjoying being out in the sunshine. He is also fine to lead to and from his field too.

Could you ask your vet about turning out in a small pen instead. We have created ours with electric fencing and wooden posts and guy ropes with super charged fencing that he doesn't go near so that it is very secure - and if you make it the same size as a large stable it is the same as being in but better for them.

Riding straight from the box has to be pretty dangerous for you. I think it just blows their mind.

Just to add - my horses last x-rays showed his fractures are healing, but also signs of osteoporosis type bone. I reckon it has to be through lack of use and am very confident that turnout will help him to heal.

 

[wellsat]

Thanks everyone. At the moment he's being walked in hand once a day and then ridden once a day and I give him 2.5ml of sedalin an hour before I ride (not a huge amount bearing in mind he's a mw 17.2). In that I'm off at the moment I think I may ask the vet if he can have an hour or two turned out in a very small pen to see some of the outside world. I think boxrest has just turned him a bit agoraphobic, he's happy as larry in his stable, he just doesn't seem to cope that well with the outside world anymore.

 

[dianeholmes]

I had my large forward going boy on three weeks box rest after a muscle biopsy - he also had to have large quantities of linseed to treat his PSSM - he was a complete nightmare. He had to be worked quietly for half to an hour a day, lunging was forbidden so hacking out was the only option really. I thought I was going to die on several occasions!!

Good luck - I cannot imagine having to do it for an extended period of time!!

 

[wellsat]

I've just heard back from the vet, he can have an hour or two outside in a small pen to get some fresh air!

 

[maxapple]

I've just heard back from the vet, he can have an hour or two outside in a small pen to get some fresh air!

Great news!! Dope him up before you turn him out the 1st few times - we gave my 15.1 4ml of sedaline for the 1st 4 days. x

 

[AMH]

Don't mean to teach you to suck eggs, but I'm assuming that his hard feed is all non-heating?

 

[moody_mare]

naf instant magic worked wonders for me & you can buy it in a big tub so works out quite reasonable!
good luck!

 

[wellsat]

Don't mean to teach you to suck eggs, but I'm assuming that his hard feed is all non-heating?

Lol, hard feed, poor boy has probably forgotten that it exists! He just gets a handful of hi fibre pony nuts to mix everything in with.