Suggestions for entertaining whilst on box rest

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SOB

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My lad, who does not like to be stabled at the best of times, has been sentenced to 3 months box rest due to tendon injury
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He is not too bad if he has a buddy in the stables that he can see but on his own he is going a little crazy and with it being summer everyone else is out.

He has a snack a ball and a small hole hay net but what other boredom breakers can I get him. He does not like likits and cannot handle the sugar any how, he also does not like swede apparently!

He is in a half wall stable which will make a stable mirror very tricky...

Any thoughts?
 
Oh dear!

Mine was fine, and then had a rough patch where she was really stressed, and I'm afraid a few days ACP got her back into the habit of just chilling out and managing. I just made sure she always had hay, after all, what else is there for the poor sods!
 
No fun for either them or us is it! We are only on day 4 and it is not going well
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I am hoping he will give in and accept it in a week or so but have already borrowed a chiffney off someone for the twice daily lead out and been crushed against the stable wall in his fit of rage when another livery turned the only other horse that was in out
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I am hoping this is just a tempory glitch, he is never normally like this.
 
If possible break food down into as many small feeds as possible. A friends horse is currently on box rest was for a tendon injury and was box walking constantly. Fortunately he is very food orientated so he now gets fed by whoever gets to the yard first, his owner them gives him his hay at 7ish and then another friend puts him in a bucket of speedibeet and hi-fi lite at 11ish. He then gets a small feed and another haynet at 3 and the owner gets back at about 6 when he get a final haynet and feed and more speedibeet and hi-fi. He is on Global Herbs boxrest as well which really helps him. He did stress off a lot of weight at the start but all he is getting is lots of fibre and a vary low sugar diet
 
Can he have a small outside area (electric fenced pen the size of a stable for instance) so he can get some fresh air, see other horses and feel he isn't missing out?

If not then maybe try:

- hiding carrots around his stable
- two haynets in different places
- apples in a water bucket for him to 'bob'
- a stable with a good view
- a bucket of ready grass to vary his roughage
- alternative companion like a goat/sheep? Will one of the other liveries leave their horse in for a few hours to keep him company?

I really sympathise, it must be tough. Good luck.
 
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Can he have a small outside area (electric fenced pen the size of a stable for instance) so he can get some fresh air, see other horses and feel he isn't missing out?

If not then maybe try:

- hiding carrots around his stable
- two haynets in different places
- apples in a water bucket for him to 'bob'
- a stable with a good view
- a bucket of ready grass to vary his roughage
- alternative companion like a goat/sheep? Will one of the other liveries leave their horse in for a few hours to keep him company?

I really sympathise, it must be tough. Good luck.

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Well this is my questions for the vet...maybe people on here could give me an indicator?

YO has offered exactly that. A fenced off area same size as his stable, which is 40ft by 18ft. Would it hinder is recovery at all? Obviously I do not want that at all but is it any different to being inside?

he loves apple bobbing too.

There is a small pony on seriously restricted grazing that is in a lot but in a different block. I may ask YO if I can use their stable next to Bert's and ask her owner if she could go in their when she is in.... bit of an imposition for everybody thoug.
 
Hi we've hung up small branches that are safe for horses to eat, they eat the leaves and then strip the bark, keeps ours amused for a while and just pick fresh everyday.
 
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Hi we've hung up small branches that are safe for horses to eat, they eat the leaves and then strip the bark, keeps ours amused for a while and just pick fresh everyday.

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Oooh he loves eating branches.....I will investigate which ones he can have, great idea
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