So Sid is allowed out on friday after 8 weeks box rest advice please

Dogbetty141

Dogbetty141

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 October 2006
Messages
2,157
Location
Derbyshire
Visit site
Ok he is going in a very small turnout no grass just a patch of mud really! Im just very worried that he will be daft! Im going to leave him a net up inside it as he is very food orientated at the moment so that may stop him being an idiot! I have had suggestions that putting another horse in will calm him down! A little shetland would be what i would urn him out with in there! He is not allowed to buck or do any sort of exercise! He is not a daft tb but i would expect he is ready to go daft! It was also suggested to me that i should stand with him or tie him upto his net! Not really a good idea i dont think to tie him up means no movement! help please i dont want to be going to leahurst with a burst scar this weekend!
 
If you starve him for a few hours (not days or anything!) just so he is hungry before he goes out he should hopefully put his head straight down to graze. I have never tried this but apparently it works - especially with 'greedy' horses
smile.gif
 
I've been in this situation and its scary. IMO it would be better if you could turn him out in a little patch with quite a bit of grass if thats possible. If hes been in for 8 weeks he will hopefully be more interested in eating than doing handstands!Have a word with your vet and see if he thinks its worth giving him some ACP before he goes out the first couple of times. When we turned our pony out after 3 months box rest we held onto her for 5 mins then took the rope off. Have to say though that after another 5 mins of grazing she went a bit mad, rolling bucking etc. But she was fine after that and it did no harm (she'd had a leg fracture). As I said, its scary but I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck.
 
Could he not be turned out in a small area with grass rather than just mud? He will probably put his head straight down to eat then, rather than do anything too stupid. Personally, I wouldn't turn him out with anything else after being on box rest - if he starts to bomb about, another one will only wind him up and it will be much easier to just catch him than have another one to try and sort out as well.
 
I like to walk mine around for a while to warm up the muscles and ligs a bit. Dont know if it does much good but it makes me feel better and can take the edge of a little.

I dont think I would put him out with anything else as they can stir each other up and you could end up with two injured horses.
 
Im afraid the only option i have got is the little turnout that is mainly used in winter the fields are to sparse to have a corner of one cut off from the rest and he would be worse with them in this little turnout all he can see is the other stables no horse grazing or messing about!
 
If you only have that turnout, then I wouldn't give him any breakfast - just put his feed and a haynet in the small turnout and hopefully he will just be too busy eating to realise he is actually out of his stable at first. The first time you turn out after boxrest is always nail-biting, but usually it's not as bad as you think it's going to be. A snack-a-ball is also a good distraction as it will get him walking about but focused on food as well.
 
Un fortunatkey it will be after work when he goes out! and if dont really wan to give him his tea if i think he might be stupid afterwards especially seen as it was colic surgery he had!
 
If I were you I'd give him half his tea after starving him of hay for an hour or two beforehand. Then stick him out with plenty of hay and hold on until you can unclip him without him noticing. That's what I did with mine anyway (every day, she never had complete box rest as she went out for 2 hours a day in a pen but she still threatened to go loopy!) If you can get hold of some ACP from the vet that may be an idea, so he goes out doped and wakes up slowly, or some So Kalm paste (give him the whole tube not just the measly 10ml dose though!) - So Kalm worked really well on my horse.
Most importantly, good luck!
 
I'm going to agree with the ACP. My mare had only three weeks box rest but when I turned her out after it she reared, then bronked abit and then galloped up and down the fence tarting at the geldings. Thankfully she didn't do herself too much damage but i was really scared
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top