Stuck between a rock and a hard place... struggling with injury re-hab

RachelFerd

RachelFerd

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Please excuse what is probably about to become quite a long post, and a bit of a whinge... but any input or alternative thoughts would really be appreciated.

As some of you know, Tia has been off work since November last year - and on box rest for the duration of that time. She was on box rest for 5 weeks before realising that the kick had actually caused bone chips (which then caused infection) and she was emergency admitted to liphook and had a hock arthroscopy and joint flushed. She has now been in for 12 weeks post surgery - she is looking sound, and the wound is nearly totally healed, but still not 101%.

Having now been on box rest for 17 weeks she is completely losing the plot. I am trying to bring her back into work with the best damage limitation plans, but I cannot find any safe options.

I tried in hand work - with sedalin sedation, but she has pulled away so hard on several occasions that she has broken lunge lines and ripped my gloves giving me rope burns - plus she was a hazard to other livery yard users.

I tried restricted exercise under saddle, with acp sedation, but she was snapping out of the ACP and completely losing the plot, snorting like a dragon, rearing, bucking and spinning on the spot - If I were to come off, she would undoubtedly do a lot of damage to herself running back home.. so shelved this plan until she was saner.

I am now working restricted turnout, the most successful so far - I just about manage to get her into a pen, she freaks out for a few minutes (often throwing herself on the floor) but then settles and grazes nicely. I have been extending the size of the pen, and the leg is holding up well to all the leaping and the bucking. But she is not getting any BETTER about it - today, again, she threw herself on the floor whilst leaping around. She is getting about 3hrs in the paddock every day, so you would have thought it would be enough to help keep her sane.

I now don't really know what to do - part of me thinks I should bite the bullet and chuck her back out 24/7 in the field with 2 others and let her go and be a horse and calm down - thinking she may run around for a day, but then might just relax and let go.

Or do I keep putting her in the pens and wait another month or so to give the wound more of a chance to knit together (but her probably continue to get more insane...)

Ridden exercise just isn't an option with her... I am not a wimp - work in racing at the moment and am rehabbing a 4yr old colt from 6 months box rest doing a tendon - and although he is 'bad', he is a hell of a lot safer than Tia is to sit on.
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And of course the other consideration is that I have already maxed out my insurance limits for this incident... so any further complications will be a nasty knock to my wallet
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What can I do? I had said I wanted her cantering under saddle before turning out with others... but just don't feel like that is going to be possible.
 
Oh dear, you have my sympathies!

I tried fluphenazine on my TB who'd be in for 14 weeks with no turnout - didn't work for him, but my vet has used it on many other horses with success, so could be an option to discuss with your vet?
 
Turn out 24/7!

It will be better for her as she'll only do the crazy bit once, instead of every day. Once she's out and settled she ought to stay that way which has to be better for the wound than mega leaping around every day.
 
It might be worth considering sending her somewhere with one for a while.

If it is really out of the question I would consider starving her and doping her (before initial turnout) before putting out in big field and leave out 24/7 with a very sane companion that won't razz her up
 
Fluephenazine was used on some of the horses at work, and have to say my horse at work was WORSE with the fluephenazine than without
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Knowing that Tia is much worse than he is, I am loathe to bother the expense of trying it
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I have had very simlar probs with my horse after a tendon injury, i know exactly how you feel, my horse is now out 24/7 in a small ish woodchip paddock, he is is a lot saner, ive just started riding him and havent needed to use sedelin yet. but a few weeks ago when he was just out during the day I wouldnt have dared got on him as he was nuts and the smallest thing would set him off.
 
I do appreciate the input - but don't think a horsewalker would be the answer as wouldn't address her psychotic behaviour. Plus sending away not an option at all financially I am afraid.
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Half the problem with putting her out 24/7 will actually be getting her to the grass livery fields - maybe moderate IV-sedation from the vets to get her out there would be best. There are two other mares out - one is a fab quiet companion cob, the other is a loopy warmblood who I wouldn't trust as far as I can throw
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Mine nearly got me off over the A3- a week later his shoes were off and he was doped up to the eyeballs and turned out..you have my sympathies. At least in a larger field with plenty of food she can run, mine was broncing, rearing and tore his stable down and that was worse to watch TBH than the initial 'whee Im free!!'
 
Gamebird, that was essentially my logic - it's just the fear of 'something' happening and me not being able to pay for another operation to fix it.

But then, as you say, is there that much less chance of something going wrong whilst she is pratting about on restricted turnout?
 
prittstick - that sounds horrible. At least, as you have seen, she is quiet and easy to handle in the stable - it is literally just when she gets a sniff of freedom that she turns into a raving lunatic. I wear a hat and gloves to handle her at all times outside of the box, as she is much to agressive with her front legs not to. It's hard to remember the quiet sane horse that could be handled by a total novice with no problems.
 
Have you thought of hydrotherapy? This may be worth a try but I suppose it depends on accessibility.

I was like you, my boy had to have an op and was on box rest but it was in may and I used to take him out in hand for grass, he was good as gold with me but got rather excited when mum took him out once, he bucked and caught her in the leg, it left a huge bruise but thank god that was all, he had no shoes on.
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sounds exactly the same as scoobs- he went from being a lamb to me ducking him...
just be careful with her
also 24/7 T/O really put weight back on him and muscle tone
 
I think I would let her go out, make sure she is hungry, try to persuade cob owner to put them together and warmblood to have a few hours in and dont watch, she is probably going to do less damage in a large field than a restricted area. Its a hard one, but once she is out and having to eat grass she will calm down, wont she?
Best of luck there is no easy solution, maybe its better to get it over and done with in one go?
Oh I dont know, be careful!!!!!, boots and over reach etc
 
[ QUOTE ]
Fluephenazine was used on some of the horses at work, and have to say my horse at work was WORSE with the fluephenazine than without
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Knowing that Tia is much worse than he is, I am loathe to bother the expense of trying it
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[/ QUOTE ]

Well my only option after the fluphenazine didn't work was to chuck it in a field with another horse (and keep letting Bossanova have the delight of riding him
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) and that helped him, although he was still an occassional tw*t to ride. His issue was that he had completely forgotten what 'normal life' was about, and only knew had to stand in his stable, and it does sound like Tia has forgotten how to be a horse, graze and mooch around.

I have to say, what was worse for me than watching him arse around was realising that he didn't know how to graze or interact with other horses, and it broke my heart - if she does this too, don't worry because the gut and brain will kick in soon enough
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im not sure if its an option but could she stay out 24/7 where she is now (with lots of hay as theres not much grass there)?
 
hi jo - don't think it's an option as the starvation paddock is used for other horses, and there is no equine company there overnights - not that she is that fussed about company, but wouldn't want to leave her unattended overnight like that.
 
So sorry to hear about your problems, but I agree with the idea of turning her out 24/7 (as doped up as possible to start, I would think!)

Best of luck!

Isabelle
 
When she is in does she have company that she can see? Reason I ask is that I keep my horse on a rehab hydrotherapy yard - some of the box rest horses that find it hard to settle go into the boxes with dividing bars instead of solid partitions and they are often quieter with a friend next door. The other thing we have used with some success is a stable mirror. You have my sympathies though as it is not easy. There is one horse in at the moment that has just started walk work, he is quite good on the walker but he has started restricted turnout this week and today he jumped out
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He is a nightmare in hand and very handy with his back legs - luckily though the walker takes the edge off him and he settles ok in his box. Would your insurers not part-fund a short stay of rehab? A lot of the horses at our yard are 'funded' as the owners simply do not have the facilities to rehab the horse at home. Just a thought.....
 
thanks for the input ISZ... unfortunately my insurance limit is already well crossed (costs up to £6500 now!) so moving to a rehab yard is just not a possibility financially or practically (wish it was, but hey ho!)

The one thing I am lucky with, is that she doesn't actually try and jump out of her pens. The other thing is that since it is not a soft tissue injury, I do not have the same concerns about strengthening the tendons and ligaments that I would have otherwise.

Her stable is isolated at the moment, but she has actually moved there from a barn stable, where she was agitated by horses being too close to her - so overall she seems happier in isolation (she can see horses in the distance though). She is very settled in the stable, only loses the plot once out of it.

My yard has been very good - I am only a grass livery, and they have provided me with a box for all this time for no extra charges, so I really am not in a position to moan... however moving the warmblood will not be an option, as she does not have a stable and will not tie up on the yard. The one thing I may investigate, is using an alleyway next door to the mare grass liveries before I move her in with the other girls. Not sure if that would be better than just chucking her out.
 
Put her out 24/7. Even if you ride her before you do this and manage to sit tight and stay safe, you will eventually have to bite the bullet and turn her out. Do it sooner rather than later. She will go bonkers for 10 minutes, then get tired and hopefully be hungry so put a little feed out and hope for the best. I would say turn out for the first 2 days on her own, so she doesn't wind herself and the other up and there's less risk of an accidental buck which turns into a kick.
 
I'd turn her out too - i think a lot of the time its the twisting and concussion from throwing themselves around in such a restricted area causes more stress and damage than just going out. And she's throwing herself around now for a while everyday, whereas hopefully if she goes out 'properly' then she'll only have a mad first few minutes and then settle down.
I'd def make sure she is hungry and seriously consider sedation before turnout tho- is there any chance of you having her in a pen living out(ie restricted but still out 24/7)? If you could start turning her out in her pen but in the grass livery field that would be great, but sometimes it can make them more hyper. Failing that could it be the lack of company thats winding her up? Could you borrow the quiet companion to turn out with - either the other side of her restricted area or inside if they are both trustworthy?
 
How many ACP are you giving? what about 4/5 ACP? Then just turn her out, and leave her out 24/7. Would just bite the bullet. She has had doubly more than enough time to heal from her op. Scar tissue is very strong I turned out my last horse only 12 weeks post op and that was after he had had his whole back cut open and excess vertebrate cut out! He went mad initially yes, but the back was fine, horses are made of very strong stuff.
 
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