Stable rest vs small pen in field

Gemmaa

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Looking for advice. My horse fell in the field and injured his left hock. He was weight barring but lame at trot with a huge amount of swelling. We’ve done 115 days on box rest with 10 mins twice daily walking in hand or ridden at walk, he’s had 2 lots of xrays.. all clear, he’s had his hock scanned.. both large lateral collateral ligaments are fine however he has started to misbehave under saddle and walking in hand.. resulting in rearing or tiger jumps around the arena. The slightest sound sets him off. He’s 17.3 and each time he explodes he hinders his recovery. The vets have assured me that he will make a full recovery but he’s becoming too much to handle. So debating turning him out in a 12ft x 12ft pen in the field and cutting out the walking exercise??? Or I keep him confined for another few weeks and try again once allowed more healing time?? He’s been on boxrest for 4 months, he’s still lame at trot but there has been an improvement since last check. He’s has a steroid injection and fluid drained. When he relaxes in walk, he’s over tracking by one/one and a half hooves. Has anyone went through similar? Any advice??
He’s on a good quality joint supplement, a calmer and only on a small scoop of grass pellets (so he will eat his supplements) fed haylage (1 large net twice daily) he coughs on hay even when soaked.
 

Goldenstar

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Very difficult situation .
you need a frank discussion with the vet and decide what’s the best way forward .
Do you hack alone he might be better in company .
I had one who was an angel when led from another horse .
You might try tincture of Valerian which has a powerful calming effect on some horses .
Will he be sensible in a small area ?
I don’t think you can keep a horse in a 12by 12 pen all the time once the flys get going .
 

alibali

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I've had a quick search and can't find the post however there is a small field pen layout you can make, bigger than a stable but with electric tape within, possibly across the diagonals but not right to the edges to prevent the horse getting up any speed but allowing them more movement in walk...... Try searching old threads. I remember seeing it and thinking how useful it was and that I should make a note of it in case I ever needed something similar.... Edited to add the internal fencing created dog legs to prevent the horse running about but it could walk freely. Just doing the diagonals wouldn't work because nothing to prevent horse doing laps..... So regret not recording the layout now!
 

Gemmaa

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Very difficult situation .
you need a frank discussion with the vet and decide what’s the best way forward .
Do you hack alone he might be better in company .
I had one who was an angel when led from another horse .
You might try tincture of Valerian which has a powerful calming effect on some horses .
Will he be sensible in a small area ?
I don’t think you can keep a horse in a 12by 12 pen all the time once the flys get going .

Thanks for replying goldenstar, sorry I should have said when doing the walking work we have been doing it in the indoor school. Haven’t attempted hacking along a track as if he got away he could run for a good bit. He is better hacking in company. We also have an outdoor school but I can’t lead him in hand there as he has broken free each time. I have ridden him round it and he had been good however he recently started bronking at least once during each ride and a) it’s a long way done and b) each time he does it he’s putting more pressure on the hock. He’s just turned 11. Trained to medium level dressage and as a combination have just dipped our toe into elementary. So I want to ensure a full recovery while doing the best for him mentally. Our stables are within a barn so he doesn’t have a view either. There are no outdoor stables :(
 

Red-1

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In your situation I would send to a rehab yard. They will likely have a stable for the daytime and a different space for the day so the horse has a change of scene. Walking a box rest horse always (with very few exceptions) needs 2 experienced handlers, one each sides with long ropes, so the horse can be kept at arm's length between the two. This would be with a bit/headstall.

I don't generally like walkers, but sometimes for this type of situation they can be a godsend. A rehab yard will likely have a treadmill, so the walking can be in straight lines.

Having the two people take for some grass for an hour each end of the day helps too. Again, with a bit and 1 person each side paying attention.

Ride and lead is also good as GS says.

We had one here on box rest and managed it by walking in hand on the arena, but 2 of us, for an hour each end of the day (or 1 hour one end and 1/2 hour the other if work got in the way) where we had a haylage station on the arena, or in to places on the arena, and we would have a mooch and a munch, so a bite to eat then a stroll to the next feed station. It took the energy out of the situation. I would remove hay for an hour or so prior to the mooch and a munch, if I thought the haylage would not be interesting enough. But, we did that from the start so she never did wind herself up too much, despite being a hot horse.

You could decide on a regime that would work, then does with a sedative for the first few times until the horse has eased into the situation.
 

L&M

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We are currently in the same situation with my partners horse, who is recovering form bone chip removal.

He was becoming increasingly agitated in the stable, bucking and kicking out (despite being on 3 legs!), if he saw other horses coming and going.

After consulting our vet we chucked him out - 3 stranded electric fence pen, with an area of 2 small stable's, so he could move about but not gain any speed. Big mistake as he then started fence walking instead and would ruin a stable sized patch in a few hours, and was possibly causing more damage than box rest.

Therfore we have had to compromise and given him a larger strip, approx. 10 x 40 m's. But he is a lot happier, feels less confined, so is actually resting more as allowing him access to a larger area has eliminated the frustration, pacing and bucking. And getting sounder by the day.......

As with a lot of these things, treat your horse as an individual, and try to find what works for him/her, not what the manual says!!!

Good luck and wishing a speedy recovery.
 

Goldenstar

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Might you walk him in the indoor school with another horse beside him
I put a draw rein on mine in this situation .
I do tend always to use company in this situation of course it depends on having sane company on hand .
It’s worth trying a whacking dose of Valerian
 

Pinkvboots

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I wouldn't turn out just yet he sounds like he will find it highly exciting and could do himself damage, I would speak to your vet about giving him some sedalin everyday, my mare was lethal after box rest the in hand walking was dangerous, she had 2 or 3mls in the morning then another few in the evening it took a few days for her to settle but it did really help, I did this for about 3 weeks then gave her half a tube the first time she was turned out, and just put her out for an hour while I could watch her, then just slowly increased the time and weaned her off the sedalin.

I only started ridden work after I did this I felt it was too dangerous to try without the initial in hand stuff, and after a week of being turned out she was much calmer so I started the walking under saddle.
 
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Sussexbythesea

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I found my gelding was better walking out somewhere having a graze on some nice grass or cow parsley etc. and then walking back in-hand than walking around and around the school where he would do two circuits then explode. However he’s actually pretty low-key compared to some horses in his reactions.
 
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