Turning out after box rest.

Allykat

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 March 2005
Messages
989
Location
Kent
Visit site
To sedate or not to sedate?

My TB has been on box rest pretty much since the end of January. He's been a fabulous patient until now. The summer field is now open and my horse is now distressed that he's not out with the others. I feel he will do more damage staying in than going out. There is a small paddock he can go in and time out will have to be short to start with and built up but would you sedate first or just see how it goes? Ideally I'm wanting to turn him away for as long as it takes. I've damaged myself in the meantime and in no hurry to get back on.... a right pair we are!

I will be talking to vets but just wanted to see what the general feeling is.

Thank you
 
I've just done exactly this. My TB has been stuck in (not quite box rest, but the winter paddocks have been too muddy to risk turning her out on while the came sound).
She has been good to handle but I knew she would go off like the clappers when I turned out for the first time. I spoke to my vet and he agreed sedation would be a good idea. He gave me a tube of Relaquine and suggested giving half a tube 30 minutes before turnout.
It was spot on, she looked a little spaced out but calmly mooched around the field and grazed, no hooning at all.
My plan was to turn out and leave out so there isn't any excitement of "ooh I'm being turned out!" each day.
 
Last edited:
It partly depends on why she’s been on box rest I think? At work we sedate if they have done a leg for example, then they come round slowly outside and are more interested in grass than tearing round and possibly re-damaging themselves!
 
Thank you. I know he's going to go off like a rocket and just be an idiot. It's just so hard knowing what to do for the best isn't it? Unfortunately I think our grass is too good for him to go out and stay out although I do feel that is the better option... the parched winter paddock is on a slope so not ideal either.. I think sedation is the way forward.
 
Yes personally I would (and have) sedate. Be aware that whilst small paddock turnout is a fantastic option to have, it may not work out for you - my WB mare was turned out in a small paddock after several months of boxrest, under strict instructions not to hoon around or do anything that might tire her out. She was so desperate to get back to her friends that she took to jumping the fence either into the bigger field the paddock backed on to, or onto the yard.
 
My friends horse has been on 7 months box rest with a DDFT injury. She brought him back into work first and it wasnt until she was cantering that he was allowed to go out. The reason being if he is strong enough to canter he is strong enough to hoon about? I think thats why they did it that way anyway.
 
oh to add - I did 2 weeks rehab before turning out (to take some of the twinkle out of her toes). Vet also suggested keeping her a bit hungry before I turn out so she only thinks of eating.
 
We don't sedate. We turn out in a small paddock with a quiet old companion so the hooning is kept to a minimum if the friend doesn't join in.
 
Thanks all for the replies. It's a collateral ligament in the hock that he's been on box rest for. He's currently perfecting figure of eights in his stable which I'm sure is doing him no good at all. He's been walked in hand for 10 mins at a time but even that is becoming a trying experience and even more so that I've had to hand that part over to my yard to manage as I can't walk! It will be easier all round if he can go out and he will be happier.
 
To sedate or not to sedate?

My TB has been on box rest pretty much since the end of January. He's been a fabulous patient until now. The summer field is now open and my horse is now distressed that he's not out with the others. I feel he will do more damage staying in than going out. There is a small paddock he can go in and time out will have to be short to start with and built up but would you sedate first or just see how it goes? Ideally I'm wanting to turn him away for as long as it takes. I've damaged myself in the meantime and in no hurry to get back on.... a right pair we are!

I will be talking to vets but just wanted to see what the general feeling is.

Thank you

Can you put him on the lunge first? no roller just cavasson and lunge line so you can let him explode without the others joining in winding him up.
 
Mine was in from start of Jan to mid March. She went out without anything as I can't get anything syringe-like near her and she's not food orientated enough to eat from a cored apple/ carrot etc.

She's had a moment and then settled. I'd see if you've an old companion for him to go out with. I'm hesitant with small paddock as I think can be more jarring.
 
Good thoughts. I think he'll go bonkers anyway even after being on the lunge but definitely worth a thought.

Hungry is good but I can't afford for him to eat too much and give himself colic. He's only had the odd mouthful of grass since January
 
Good thoughts. I think he'll go bonkers anyway even after being on the lunge but definitely worth a thought.

Hungry is good but I can't afford for him to eat too much and give himself colic. He's only had the odd mouthful of grass since January

Then try day one keep him hungry, turn him out with a quiet horse that won't go mental with him and bring him in an hour later. Day 2 same again. Day 3 say sod it and turf him out and leave him out!
 
I'd sedate (IV, not paste), turn out and leave out - it's the safest way to get box resters back out without any craziness (I do rehabs). Better safe than sorry.

I know you said that you don't have a suitable paddock, but if at all possible, you need to make one.

I wouldn't lunge a horse that has been on box rest with a ligament injury - circles are not your friend
 
I gave mine ACP, bandaged him up to his eyeballs and turned him out in a v small lush green paddock. Needless to say, he just tucked straight into the grass. Not sure if ACP is given to horses much these days so now id prob use a tiny amount of Sedalin.
 
Hi I have just turned out my horse after box rest, it wasn't as long as yours but I started by taking him for a few walks up and down our quiet lane in is headcollar, he is very sensible but a bridle would do too, letting him hand graze, did that for a couple of days, then took him in the field on headcollar and he was desperate for grass so just let him graze with his field companion, then when he was settled I let him go, he did buck and canter off but wasn't as stupid as I thought he would be, I had made the paddock a fair bit smaller with electric fencing so he couldn't gallop about, and he was fine, was thinking of using sedalin but glad I didn't. you could also use a lunge line when turning out so you have better control, just till they settle to eat the grass, I had saved him a nice lush area which also helped.
 
Mine was utterly bonkers at the end of 4 months on box rest. He was inhand 'walking' around the large carpark and was supposed to be 40 mins. I could never get him to be not dangerous once we hit 20 mins or so. In hand grazing was a no go, feet hit grass he exploded. And this was on 20 tablets of ACP.

I got some brilliant injectable sedation from the vet. She had also seen him 'in action' so suggested more not less so no one got injured! It was fantastic stuff and after the 3rd day not needed. He went out in the day and in at night like a lamb for the next month. I then moved him back from the rehab yard to the herd and sedated him again and gave a light dose to the rest of them (all my horses!!!) to prevent hooning like morons.

So in my experience, if in doubt it doesnt hurt. Good luck.
 
Then try day one keep him hungry, turn him out with a quiet horse that won't go mental with him and bring him in an hour later. Day 2 same again. Day 3 say sod it and turf him out and leave him out!

I'm quite liking this plan... Yard is planning to start leaving them out overnight this weekend so I have a few days to play with then he can just go with the gang.

I know he will prefer to be with the herd and will settle quicker that way. Hopefully he will just want to eat...

Thanks all for suggestions. This is the first lengthy box rest and pretty severe injury I've had to deal with so while I count myself lucky it certainly doesn't make those decisions any easier to make.

Now if only you could tell them to just take it easy...
 
I had my pony in for a month. Then, I built a corral (about 8m each side) in long lush grass, right beside a sandschool-sized paddock for his 2 mares: kept their paddock about sandschool-sized so that they couldn't really get up to full speed and set him off. Once I realised that the Ballerina Mare could get up to full speed anyway, except with alarmingly sharp turns thrown in, I just let them into their normal paddocks, and kept the pony corrals on one edge. I moved the corral every few days, as he ate it down. He put up with this for two months; then he hopped over the electric fence and rejoined the mares without further drama. To clarify, the vet had said that 3 months' box rest would be ideal, but that given his temperament, he would be happier in a corral, and less likely to do himself further injury.
 
Last edited:
**update**

After a lengthy chat with YO this morning we agreed that he should definitely go out. Horse is quite a routine lover and likes things just right so we thought sedation would not help. We decided that he would canter about at some point it would either be straight away or once the sedative had worn off so we thought better get it out the way.

YO said she would wait until the right time when all the horses were quiet and there would be no extra upset. She rang me just before 6 this evening to say he has been out for an hour! He ate, rolled, had a buck and a canter round then carried on eating. All the other horses had come in bar an oldie and the yard was quiet of people so she felt it was the right time. It couldn't have gone any better. Yard are now going to increase his time out and integrate him back in the herd gradually but it's a massive weight off of my shoulders for now.
 
Top