Turning box rested horse out in one go instead of gradual build up?

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Already posted on my colic thread, but wanted a few more thoughts on this one please…

I’m thinking of making a controversial decision.
My pony is 7 weeks post colic surgery (with a big hernia, but wearing a belt) and currently being turned out in a very small area (40’ x 20’). So far he’s been settled enough.
Next week at 8 weeks, he can start going into a bigger paddock with the aim of gradually increasing until at 12 weeks he is out 24/7.

Now…..my issues with handling have all been when leading from one place to another. I can only see this getting worse once he starts anticipating turnout and once he gets that part of his brain back to life again. I will have to lead him and his friend a reasonable way down the lane to get to his paddock.

He has always been turned out, so is generally settled when out. I’m thinking of, next week, just giving him some domosedan and putting him out. Then leaving him out.

Thoughts!??

My rationale is that if he’s going in/out/in/out then he’s got a fresh opportunity every day to go out fresh and get wound up. I think he’ll be dreadful to lead too, and get worse the more he looks forward to his turnout.

If he goes out hungry and with a bit of sedative on board, then he’ll doze for a bit, then eat, maybe leap about a bit (it’s going to happen) the settle himself back into a routine of grazing and sleeping?

To me that makes perfect sense, but I’ll open up the floor now..!
 
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ihatework said:
I’m generally not aghast at that approach for lameness. But I’m not convinced I’d take the risk post colic surgery.
Talk it through with your vet to really understand the possible complications of doing that.
Click to expand...

I will do, although I think they will just take the one size fits all approach.
The main risk is getting a hernia. But he already has a hernia the size of the original wound due to escaping at 14 days post surgery and going on a mad rampage 🙄 he’s wearing a hernia belt and will be going for surgical repair in February.

He also didn’t have any resection as it turned out to not be surgical colic. So none of that to worry about.

Definitely one to think more on. The field he will be out in though is about the size of a 20x40 arena.
 
If he's more settled out and likely to get wound up and silly coming in and out then I think out out makes perfect sense.
I'd agree with the suggestion above though, of a small patch to start and increase it. When I strip graze mine and move the fence back 3ft they're all far more interested in eating than hooleying around.
 
When I first turned Lari out after he injured his SDF and DDFT, I turned him out in a very small area gradually increasing the size whilst decreasing the sedalin.

As you can see from the diagram I have drawn I configured a 'path' so he could graze but couldn't build up any speed. So I had a perimeter of electric fencing with lengths of electric fencing coming off the side to form a chicane.

It was great, it had the desired affect. Vet said paddock had to be small enough so the horse could not build up any speed and this configuration worked really well!

It really helped that I was using the back half of my friends paddock which hadn't been grazed for 2 years, it was long and kept him quiet, whilst also not being very nutritious.
 

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I would want to know why he has to come in at night. Like, is there an actual medical reason for that? If not, I would be tempted to leave out longer and longer now and then start gradually increasing the pen until it is full size.

But I say that having once totally failed small pen turnout due to trying to keep a jumping pony in (she jumped out, however high we made the fences!) so I think you’re winning already with the turnout schedule!
 
Just to update this - after he got more and more explosive, I gave him domosedan today and turned him out in a small paddock. That was over 3 hours ago and he’s just grazing and calm. So I think that, barring any more disasters, I will just leave him out now.

Really hope this works out! It’s amazing to see him happy and grazing in company.
 
After colic surgery I had my mare in 24/7 for 4 weeks then she went into a 20x20 pen in the field for a few weeks, followed by 20x40 and then just out as normal from week 10 or so.

She did all kinds of acrobatics in her pens. Took to jumping over her water buckets too...

Was a nightmare/stress inducing to watch but on balance she was way happier and more settled out than she would have been had I been constantly moving her.
 
Well we’ve made it to the morning and all ok!
I woke up a lot in the night and checked the camera, they were mainly just grazing or sleeping. Then this morning their haylage had run out and they were having a great time playing bitey face and trotting round 🙄🙈 but I need to accept that that is going to happen.

I took their feeds and haylage up straight away after that, I’ll give them more tonight. They weren’t sweaty, the belt hadn’t slipped and the hernia looks the same as it did. So all in all, so far it’s been a success and I’m very glad I just left him out.

I can’t explain how nice it is to see him just totally relaxed, outside grazing or eating loose haylage off the ground, rather than in a solitary pen, pulling at a haynet, tense and unhappy. His whole demeanour has changed, I hadn’t realised just how tense and unhappy he was really.
 
both of mine went straight to fully out, i’d been hand grazing so wasn’t concerned about them readjusting to grass etc, and me and my vet both agreed that building it up was just encouraging the explosions everytime they got out! i used sedalin, put them out, and by the time they came around they were already chilled out again.
 
Little update on this one - it went really well, and the improvement in his hernia after being out is just astounding. I think it must be the increased movement?

However!

The very small paddock I was using is no longer available, so I’ve had to bring them back in. They are miserable, I am miserable, the person who owns the barn is being difficult, and I want them out.

None of my rented land is suitable. It is either out of camera signal, too wet in winter or fencing too bad. I have been offered another field to use but it is half an acre. I could cut it in two though?

Tbh after seeing the difference in the hernia with more movement, I’m tempted to build it up so they have it all in a few weeks.

Thoughts?
 
The one I’ve been offered is fairly dry and on high land, with long ungrazed grass. The area they’ve been on is about the size of a big lunging pen pen, 20x20? So it’s much bigger.

I think I will just go for it. He is a young pony but fairly sensible. His companion is also coughing now and I think it’s just being in.
 
Right he is back out and I’ve been hyperventilating for about 2 hours!

They had an enforced 5 days in which was not ideal. I gave him domosedan this morning but it didn’t seem to have as much effect as last time.

I’ve fenced off a bit of field the size of a 20m circle or v v slightly bigger. They were quiet for half an hour, then a bike went past and they just exploded. Galloping and skidding, bucking, rearing, rolling then leaping up. Nothing I could do!

They eventually settled a bit but still kept having the odd explosion. I’m hoping they will just settle soon, it’s a small area so they can’t get up too much speed. He is nearly 10 weeks post op now and has the belt on tight, and just can’t stay in any longer.

On the other hand, it is so amazing to see them out naked, covered in mud and eating real grass.
 
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