Sedation as last resort... Box rest help!!

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Arniebear

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Ok i know this has been done to death but im out of bright ideas!!!

I have a 5 yr old on a minimum of 3 months box rest we are currently on day 2 and so far he has made himself a nice little (its big actually!) window in the back of his stable with his handy back feet! He is also throwing his full weight on the door frame... I dont think its guna hold for much longer!!!!

He currently has:

A snack ball 3 times a day breakfast, lunch and dinner
3 haynets a day
2 swinging licks
A jolly ball.
Radio on at all times

He has had:
A mirror- decided he didnt like the look of himself and smashed that!

I dont want to add apples or anything to his water as im trying to stop him playing with it cuz he thinks its a great game to flood the joint and i cant afford the bedding!!

Hes is weaving so much he is already getting a bald patch on his chest and hes standing on his hooves as they have scratch marks all over the inside of both of them!

Unfortunatly hes in an inclosed yard so cant see the others who are out i cant leave anything else in as theres only 2 others so the one left in the field would go skits and as they arent injured its hardly fair to leave them in too!!

Im trying to leave sedation as a final resort but i cant see what else i can do?? I will be phoning my vet as soon as i get home in 20 mins!!!!

Any ideas?? I know hes just bored and i feel awful at having to put him through this but hes not guna fix any other way ohhh and i cant turn him out in a small pen cuz hes a serial fence trasher and yes even if the electrics are turned on!!!

HELP!!!!!
 
Is it possible that you can send him to a rehab yard? They have the set up that's needed for this sort of thing and company for him!
I tried the sedation route with my mare a few years ago- didn't work. She just trashed her box daily and the YO locked her into the stable (internal with bars) to stop her weaving- v stressfull, in the end put her on a rehab yard!
 
I had one recently that box walked constantly when box rested in a stable even when we kept someone in with him but will happily stand in a pen no bigger than a large box in the field next to his friends. He had plenty of hay and we moved the pen every couple of days to give him access to fresh grass.

Sorry just saw your comment that he trashes electric. I had it set up so it was post and rail separating him from the others and the electric just made the area smaller.
 
Recuperating, Resting, Holiday Livery in a Barn Large barn available for injured or resting horses/ponies, short or long term. Injuries looked after if necessary and 5* experienced care given in small family yard. Tel: Dot Clowes, Illston on the Hill 07730 956235 / 0116 259 6799 OG
don't know where you are in the country but found this
 
Mine was like this, I gave up on box rest and managed to get him into a small foal pen we had a work, which was the size of a large stable, he had no company but just feeling like he was 'outside' settled him. I was lucky to have this facility. I used to put over reach boots on him to minimise the damage when he was in.
 
I did this too sent my pony to a rehab yard, it was ££££ but they had horses in all the time on box rest so he had company and people around all day to help keep him occupied, groom him etc. He had the full bars up to prevent him jumping out but he settled in well and did three months of box rest without being too unhappy.

dianchi said:
Is it possible that you can send him to a rehab yard? They have the set up that's needed for this sort of thing and company for him!
I tried the sedation route with my mare a few years ago- didn't work. She just trashed her box daily and the YO locked her into the stable (internal with bars) to stop her weaving- v stressfull, in the end put her on a rehab yard!
Click to expand...
 
There is a lot to be said for a dedicated rehab yard, particularly for one that won't settle and has a containment vice like weaving. It's pretty hard going having him alone on the yard. Some horses will settle to a situation like that but not all.

You could try him on valerian. Feed it daily and that still gives you leeway to use a small dose of Sedalin for "extra" when doing particularly stressful things like vet exams, first hand walking etc. If that doesn't work you could speak to your vet about Zylkene - pricey but lots of good reviews.
 
Amymay, I'd usually agree, however I have had the same situation where I left a companion pony in for three months- not a pick of difference, the mare came in with ligament damage, had a chipped hock within a week.

I'd go with a big post and rail pen outdoors if you can manage it. Good luck.
 
we had 2 horses at work and one needed box rest we now have a shetland from ada cole who had lived on his own for a few years before coming to us-he goes wherever he is needed and is happy to stay at home when the others go out competing.

I think it is unreasonable to expect a horse to stay in on box rest alone especially if it cannot even see the others. I would sedate whilst sorting a companion or move of yards.

I have also found that if there is always enough forage and you stop giving treat balls and hard feed (if no meds needed) the the horses tend to switch off a bit more because they don't expect to be given something every time someone arrives at the yard.

swinging licks are probably full of sugar which is the last thing the horse needs if you want it to be calm
 
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Sorry to here your horse is not well and has to be box rested.. The thought makes me shudder.

Mine had to be on box rest initially for 3 months after fracturing his pedal bone and damaging his collateral ligaments in both front feet he doesn't like to be stabled longer than a few days so know he would struggle and this was during winter in a American type barn with 1 hour turnout a day so he always had company but the fact he couldn't move out of his stable sent him up the wall and I knew it would.

i had to sedate for mine and his own safety as he was rearing and kicking his stable walls daily and running around his box. He was on 2ml of sedaline 3 times a day and although it didn't 'sedate' him as such it just took the edge off him and made him manageable although he got very depressed and almost dependent to it. It was the worst 3 months of my life and I would never box rest him again but don't regret it as if I didn't then he wouldn't be here today.
 
twiggy2 said:
I think it is unreasonable to expect a horse to stay in on box rest alone especially if it cannot even see the others. I would sedate whilst sorting a companion or move of yards.

I have also found that if there is always enough forage and you stop giving treat balls and hard feed (if no meds needed) the the horses tend to switch off a bit more because they don't expect to be given something every time someone arrives at the yard.

swinging licks are probably full of sugar which is the last thing the horse needs if you want it to be calm
Click to expand...

^^^ this.

I would say horse needs company and would be looking again at its feed. Hope the horses injury is all ok in the end :)
 
Thanks for the comments guys, as for his injury hes torn his SDFT, hes settling better today im well aware how horrible it is to leave him in alone, i sat and watched my TB change when he was on box rest last yr, he was never the same horse again after that.

Hes on 2x 10 min walk outs next week so my plan is to walk him out and then see if he will settle in a mini paddock as i can encorporate walking to the field in his 10 min walks its just whether the fencing will hold him!
 
alex2601 said:
Ok i know this has been done to death but im out of bright ideas!!!

I have a 5 yr old on a minimum of 3 months box rest we are currently on day 2 and so far he has made himself a nice little (its big actually!) window in the back of his stable with his handy back feet! He is also throwing his full weight on the door frame... I dont think its guna hold for much longer!!!!

He currently has:

A snack ball 3 times a day breakfast, lunch and dinner
3 haynets a day
2 swinging licks
A jolly ball.
Radio on at all times

He has had:
A mirror- decided he didnt like the look of himself and smashed that!

I dont want to add apples or anything to his water as im trying to stop him playing with it cuz he thinks its a great game to flood the joint and i cant afford the bedding!!

Hes is weaving so much he is already getting a bald patch on his chest and hes standing on his hooves as they have scratch marks all over the inside of both of them!

Unfortunatly hes in an inclosed yard so cant see the others who are out i cant leave anything else in as theres only 2 others so the one left in the field would go skits and as they arent injured its hardly fair to leave them in too!!

Im trying to leave sedation as a final resort but i cant see what else i can do?? I will be phoning my vet as soon as i get home in 20 mins!!!!

Any ideas?? I know hes just bored and i feel awful at having to put him through this but hes not guna fix any other way ohhh and i cant turn him out in a small pen cuz hes a serial fence trasher and yes even if the electrics are turned on!!!

HELP!!!!!
Click to expand...


my website is there for anyone to use here is a direct link, of things for box rest.

http://horse-care-and-advice.weebly.com/horses-on-box-rest.html
 
Thanks leviathan :) will deffo take a look :)

I forgot to say hes fed on pony nuts and alpha a and the 2 swinging licks are the himalyan rock salt ones as he loves these!!!
 
Pony nuts and alpha a has high protein and sugars which he wont be needing. So would change that asap. Also jolly balls, 99% syrup.

Mine box rested without company but he wasnt at all bothered and due to being led by stomach as long as he had a varied diet, two diff hays and a small net of haylege as afternoon treat.

Various high fibre sugar free chaffs, Swede which he loved (hang it up or on the floor).

Routine, I came and went 4 x a day, fitting in with his antibiotics. And it was set times, I would skip out, feed, quick groom, meds, whatever was needed and go.

There is a lot to be said for leaving them alone to switch off, if you constantly engage them they never have a chance to slip into that kind of stupor that is needed for them to be relaxed.

Its horrible and the worst part of box rest is always the walks!!!!! Yes Mr vet great you try 'walking' 850kg of pent up cob up and down a drive for 10 mins, I am sure it'll go REALLY WELL!!!!

I had to long line mine in the end, had no control otherwise and he liked getting all togged up in his bridle, saddle ect as I am sure it felt like work and he switched into work mode.
 
I have heard people having success making a pen in field with Haras type fencing panels - much more secure than tape and posts, but allows horse to be outside in sight of others.
It sounds like a really difficult situation for you, I hope you manage to find something that works for your horse and that he heals well.
 
How about hiring a small round pen and putting it in your field? Then he can stay in there with ad lib hay surrounded by his mates.
 
OP your horse is not bored - he is showing signs of stress / anxiety probably down to being in on his own. What is he usually like in the stable when others are in?

First option for me is company - I see what kat is saying and I'm sure in some cases the horse just cannot cope at all with being in but in a lot of cases having company will make things 100x better

the rehab yard is also a good suggestion
 
What about hiring enough 6 foot high round pen fencing to make a small round one area where he can't jump out but can see all around him.

Oops just saw someone else said same..
 
The first few days are always the most difficult. I had a horse in for 11 months recently and it is certainly not easy for horse or owner.

Your vet is able to help you. Vetplus Calmex was very useful for my horse. Bromide is another option.

Company is a must. An equine charity will have a tiny pony wanting a new home or a few pounds will buy something out of an auction. If you have access to a small barn you can section a corner off for the pony. That is how I kept my horse and when he was able to go out into a tiny rehab paddock the pony went with him and was fenced in a small area with electric tape.

Good luck with it all, time will pass.
 
I sympathise with you, I hate having horses on box rest. Hopefully he will settle after a few days when he realises what the new routine is.

If possible I would look into a rehab yard, my big grey went yesterday to a yard for a month so that he can have hydrotherapy for a sacroiliac injury it's a lovely set up, huge stables, lots of company and lots going on for the horses to see plus they will be experts at dealing with horses who get stressed on box rest. Don't know where you are in the country but mine has gone to Bennett Equine in Burton on Trent. The livery is not expensive and my insurance will pay for 50% of the livery plus all of the hydrotherapy up to the maximum on my policy.
 
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