Thoughts on this situation please...

Halfpass

Halfpass

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A new horse came to our yard about 3 months ago that was on box rest due to an injury occuring about a year ago now. The box rest was only for a couple more weeks than the horse could be turned out. So 3 months later and the horse still hasn't been turned out and just gets 1 walk in hand a day for 5 mins or so.
I have been told by the owner that the horse can now be ridden as is 100% sound.
She is in her box 24/7 and gets fed huge feeds but quite obviously hates it and spends most of her time kicking the walls and sqeeling.
One years box rest does seem quite extreme if all of a sudden the horse is now sound and rideable.
Our YM has had words but nothing seems to change. I am not going to interfere but feel that there is a level of cruelty going on here.
 
It sounds to me like the person is afraid of turning out incase the horse goes mad and does itself another injury. But is equally afraid of getting on??
It seems odd that the horse is now 100% sound if it's had to have 12 months box rest. The work should still be started slowly in order for the muscles to gain strength again.
 
Ah, the problem of box resting is the turning back out part. Perhaps she has been advised by her vet to keep the horse in until it is fitter and stronger on the injured leg?
Or maybe, as you suggest, she is frightened to turn it back out in case it hurts itself very badly.
Could you suggest that she turns out into a stable sized electric fenced paddock to minimise stupidity....then gradually increase the size?
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or wack some sedalin in to it and turn out whilstt sedated.

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That's meant to be quite dangerous....but that's another debate!
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I'd probably not be so keen on sedating it...but it depends on the horse...
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or wack some sedalin in to it and turn out whilstt sedated.

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That's meant to be quite dangerous....but that's another debate!
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I'd probably not be so keen on sedating it...but it depends on the horse...
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I agree it depends on the situation
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In that case though, when it's not been out for so long and would be pretty weak anyway, I'd go with the tiny paddock option.
 
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or wack some sedalin in to it and turn out whilstt sedated.

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That's meant to be quite dangerous....but that's another debate!
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I'd probably not be so keen on sedating it...but it depends on the horse...
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I agree it depends on the situation
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In that case though, when it's not been out for so long and would be pretty weak anyway, I'd go with the tiny paddock option.

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Tiny paddock option works well...and is easy to do...you can even make it higher for a jumper outer, if you buy four or so of the tall polyposts. And you can just move it a little each day so there is some fresh grass, gradually leave horsey out for longer...and gradually extend the size....keeps the horse mentally sane too.
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What is in theses huge feeds? Surely if it is all chaff/alfalfa/readygrass/etc then a huge bucket of that will keep a horse occupied for a long time which is a good idea on Box rest. I agree a year Box rest is a long time and how do they know they horse is sound if it has only walked in hand?
 
I have to say, Grace is on HUGE feeds twice a day! She gets around 5 Stubbs scoops a day of Healthy Hoof which is the recommended
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But to the naked eye it looks a massive amount of feed for a horse on box rest!

As for being on box rest for a year, I know a horse who had to be on box rest for this long with a hole in its tendon. It was allowed to be walked out after around 4 months, but only for 10 minutes and gradually increased. It was not until a full 12 months after the injury that the horse was turned out in a paddock! And a further month before it was ridden.
 
I agree absolutely that the feed should be reduced to a minimum, with a vitamin and mineral supplement added. I would provide a horse with lots of forage in this situation.

With regard to whether you assert your opinion and ask why the horse is not out - I guess this is not your horse so it's up to the owner. I'd be inclined to ask some nice chatty questions and see if you can more subtly make some suggestions......unless you think the horse is really suffering, in which case you may wish to do more.
 
I think keeping a horse on br for a year is cruel anyway. If my vet told me Bruce had to be on a years box rest I would seriously consider having him PTS *ducks and hides*

I dont think it is natural. If the horse could walk and stand up, I would put it in a field for a year, depemding on his chances of recovery.

I think prolonged boxrest is like keeping a small caged animal in a zoo - which people cry out about, yet think nothing of leaving a horse in a stable and walking it out for 5 mins a day.
 
I too think that box rest is cruel. Unless it was absolutely essential, my horse would go in the paddock every time. He would truly go beserk in the stable.
 
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I too think that box rest is cruel. Unless it was absolutely essential, my horse would go in the paddock every time. He would truly go beserk in the stable.

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Phew! I am not the only one!
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I too think that box rest is cruel. Unless it was absolutely essential, my horse would go in the paddock every time. He would truly go beserk in the stable.

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Phew! I am not the only one!
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I'm not keen on box rest...if it can be avoided. But I wouldn't call it cruel per se. Sometimes even those of us who keep our animals out 24/7 have to box rest them. I had to box rest one of my youngsters after colic surgery this spring (if they buck and fart around, they can herniate the wound and have to go back into surgery).
I managed to keep her sane by splitting up her day into different activities...walking her for 10 mins...grazing her in hand for half an hour morning and night...and gradually putting her into an electric fenced mini-paddock....so she was actually fine with it. I think it's how you manage them that's important - balancing their physical and mental needs.
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Shils you managed this...but if your mare had to be in for a year with a 5 min walk out a day would you not think it is cruel?

We had a 26yr old mare who had colic surgery this summer and she was in for 3 weeks with 20min walks...then she was on 1/2 day turnout. I am not saying 3 weeks is cruel - I am saying prolonged BR is though.
 
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Shils you managed this...but if your mare had to be in for a year with a 5 min walk out a day would you not think it is cruel?


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That depends on the situation. If it was my 3yo and she potentially had decades of useful and happy working life ahead of her...and wasn't too stressed, then I'd box rest for a year if I had to...but I can't imagine that my vets wouldn't permit me to put her in a small outdoor pen...or let me barn her...with friends.
If it was my older horse...and/or she wouldn't make a full recovery...I'd think twice...but every situation and every horse is different.
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HP has anyone offered this owner a bit of support or help? It may be that she just needs a bit of moral support for the first few turnouts?
 
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I too think that box rest is cruel. Unless it was absolutely essential, my horse would go in the paddock every time. He would truly go beserk in the stable.

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IMO it depends a lot on the horse as well. A horse I used to have would go nuts confined to a stable - he had to be out whenever possible. However, my horses now are quite happy in a stable. My TB prefers being in the stable to being out - she weaves in the field, and my WB had to be on br for 4 months - I walked him in hand twice a day to try to keep his legs down/graze in hand, but he coped fine with it. I also spent a lot of time at the yard and grooming him etc.

If they can go out in the field, then thats always better, but there is no way I would consider pts just because they had to be on br (it would have to depend on individual circumstances).
 
I am at the same yard and this horse kicks the s**t out of its stable all day, its massively overrugged and YO had to go in there the other day and take 2 rugs off her (she was wearing 3) and the horse was dripping in sweat.
Their answer to her kicking the stable was to block the window up so she can't see out, and we have since heard that the horse is nasty and attacks other horses while its out in the field, so we imagine why its still stabled 24/7 a year after the initial injury.

Poor horse
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I do know of an owner in the East Sussex area who has travelled around many yards, who always says that her horse needs box rest when she arrives at a new premises - and then goes through the routine of walking it out in hand...

in her case I firmly believe that she is afraid of her horses and will do anything to avoid ever having to get on the beast- including, I have always thought, aggravating an existing injury to justify further box rest.

There are some odd people about - maybe you could pm me a name for this lady...
 
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He has spoken to them about it several times but they won't take any advice

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But this sounds as if it has gone beyond the 'advice' stage, as the mental health of the horse sounds as if it is being seriously compromised - they are there therefore guilty therefore of cruetly - surely????

Can't he put his foot down - and ask to speak to their vet so that he has got the full picture (he has the right as horse is on his property) and then go from there?
 
I'm not surprised this horse is kicking at the walls, poor thing is living in a black box, nothing to see or do all day and night. Is the top door kept shut as well as the window boarded up? If it is kicking endlessly at the walls, then it is going to suffer more injuries.
It does sound rather as if the owner is scared of this horse. I really don't know the answer, unless the owner can be encouraged to sell.
 
So YO now has the weight of the new Animal Welfare Act in his favour. If I was him I would be telling these people they either treat the horse as a horse or leave.

In the end he is responsible for this animals health and wellbeing as much as the owners are.
 
i dont think box rest is cruel if it is truly needed.
my horse spent 9 months on COMPLETE box rest then for the next three weeks he was allowed walks in hand then gradually back into work.
anyone that knows my horse will know that he was a nightmare for the first month but then he just accepted it. he had treat balls at lunch time to break the boredom and me constantly grooming him to keep him company.
i kept him on box rest as he was only 5 at the time and had a future ahead of him if the injury completly healed, which luckily it did and we went on to jump young riders classes when he was 7.
my point is that maybe this person is just scared of her horse but if she can justify it then its up to her how long her horse is kept in.
sorry if that sounds harsh but it is her horse afterall.
 
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So YO now has the weight of the new Animal Welfare Act in his favour. If I was him I would be telling these people they either treat the horse as a horse or leave.

In the end he is responsible for this animals health and wellbeing as much as the owners are.

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Yey Spaniel - that's what I meant. As ever, you do it so much more eloquently
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