Turnout after prolonged box rest for lami

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dolly2005

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Hi everyone

I'm looking for some information/advice on how any of you introduced turnout following prolonged box rest for laminitis?

Bit of history, my girl developed peritonitis, took a turn for the worse (nearly lost her) and then also developed laminitis. She has been on box rest for 11 weeks now, and is about to start the count down for turnout lol! (She will not be coming out just yet, as I need to consult with farrier and vet but am thinking ahead)

Would like to know how any of you introduced turnout gradually?

Did you do restricted turnout?

Gentle walking out in hand?

All info appreciated :)
 
After a months box rest for lami, 2 weeks in stable, 2 weeks able to mooch in yard, I turned out into small bare field the size of a tennis court (no bigger!) for a month before moving to a bare half acre paddock - she now has two paddocks of half an acre and 3/4 acre to rotate between, the bigger one she only gets in winter as I let the grass grow there so she has it when it's dry and dead. NB the tennis court patch I actually mowed with a garden mower, we had builders in and they thought I was nuts but it had a grass collector so I could get all the stuff away, unlike with a field topper/mower!

The lami was acute but mild, no rotation but drastic change in diet and quite a change in trimming technique required, it was 18 months ago and she has had no recurrence tho I watch her like a hawk. A little bit feeling the sharp stones at the moment, because of the peak grass richness so have made adjustments.

Edited to add I preferred turnout to walking in hand as all our tracks are sharp stones and we live up a track! Turf more forgiving and comfy. Also very excited to be out and safer doing handstands in the field! But we were lucky that we could control the turnout.
 
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I don't have the same starting point as you, but I am trying to reintroduce grazing to a horse who has been off the grass for several months. On a tennis court sized paddock which had been cropped short by sheep she started with 15-20 mins then up to 1 hour with a grazing muzzle; that has gradually been extended in 10-15 minute increments to 2 hours, she's now OK for 3. I am trying to extend that now but instead of adding to the 3 hour block I'm taking her off the grass then putting her back on later in the day - started at 10 minutes and now at around 30. She'll have no more access than that later in the day as I understand that sugars are higher later in the daytime than first thing in the morning. She is worked daily and walks across stones too so I can see whether she is at all footy. My priorities are: short grass (not higher than the foot of my boot), increasing time in small time increments not in hours, and building time out by having several (shorter) times out grazing interspersed by time in. It's labour intensive but so far no issues have arisen and that makes it worth the effort for me. If it were a little later in the year, I'd maybe be more relaxed but not when the grass is still technically in spring flush.
Best of luck with your horse :)
 
8 months boxrest last year for fractured splint and tumour removal. I started riding her well before i turned out. Basically a month riding daily frm the stable, came back one day and threw her in field. No messing, no hassle, made sure she was tired from the ride and turned my back on her as soon as i turned her out. Went inside for a cuppa, came out and she was munching happily. :)
 
Thanks for the replies!

I've got a small paddock fenced off around the stable so may start by turning her out into that for a short period of time as it has no grass and would mean she could get used to being outside again

Definitely going to have to get a muzzle etc and gradually increase turnout time

Obviously, I'm concerned about the lami, but as she has not been out grazing etc for 11 weeks and after the peritonitis I am concerned about the amount of grass to give her, and not causing any other digestive problems

Again, will be speaking to the farrier (coming wednesday) and also my vet before doing anything :)
 
After coming sound after a bad bout of laminitis my mare was turned out at first into a small turnout paddock with no grass (woodchip surface), allowing movement on a supportive surface but without any grass. I then made a tiny (stable sized) grass paddock for her to go into, just for a few minutes, then gradually extended the time and the size of the paddock.

She now lives out 24/7 on poor grazing. We manage her weight very carefully through diet and exercise and she has been sound for several years.
 
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