What should i do with my fixed horse?

[piaffe]

The Poor V man has been on box rest since Tuesday (vets advice) due to unknown, slight lameness. He's still on bute, but now only 1 a day and I trotted him up the yard tonight and he seemed fine (yippee).

My question is, what do i do with him tomorrow? Do Let him stretch his legs in hand, gently lunge him, keep him on box rest for a day or 2 more, to be sure, or turn him out?

Im thinking, lunge him, so i can get a good look at his way of going, and be 100% sure that hes ok, ie both reins etc and am a little worried about chucking him out incase he goes mental (not sure he would though tbh).

What shall i do?

 

[Weezy]

Personally I would turnout and take a look how he is after his out time

 

[Bess]

Me too, I would think that lunging puts more strain on legs than just turning out.

 

[LauraBR]

I'd prob take him for nice walk in hand to warm him up a tiny bit then turn him out.

 

[piaffe]

Hmmm, i see your point. Im just terrified that we are not out of the woods and im going to [****] it all up and be back to sqaure one.

The thing about turning him out (forgot to mention it). is that the field is currently really churned up, boggy and deep in places.

 

[piaffe]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd prob take him for nice walk in hand to warm him up a tiny bit then turn him out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, thats a good idea! Didnt think of that.

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Would you be able to let him loose in the arena for a short while?.....that way you can see how he moves on a relatively level surface and he gets to stretch his legs

 

[henryhorn]

I would walk him in hand in straight lines, lungeing puts too much strain on any healing injury. Then trot him in straight lines to assess he is sound then a gentle hack is best. I would hold off turning him out if he is likely to tazz round and make any injury worse.

 

[piaffe]

Thats a good idea too!

 

[piaffe]

LMAO at the idea of going for a gentle hack!!!!

We dont do gentle hacks, we only do hacks after work so we are too tired to rear, spin, piaffe, [****] off etc!

 

[Weezy]

AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh if the field is boggy then no, prob not a good idea - will he raz around ? Does he usually? If you are permitted to turn out in the arena I would do that - but i would hold off lunging until you are 100% that he is sound

 

[piaffe]

Oh yeh, i can turn out in the school, thats no prob.

The only reason i suggested lunging was because he is soooo good on the lunge and really listens so i can get a nice steady trot from the minute i start lunging him. whereas, if i let him loose, he'll [****] about.

As for causing more stress to the injury by being on a circle, It is very very rare that i lunge on a circle anyway. was brought up to (rightly or wrongly) to avoid and "walk the school" so the horse is using as much of the school as poss and the lunger does a LOT of walking/running. Im not sure ive made sense there.

As for turn out, im not sure what he'd do, hes never been in that long with no form of release so wouldn't like to say.

 

[Weezy]

OK well if you walk the school when lunging then go for it - have you ever long reined him? I walk the school too, I never leave a circle imprint when I am lunging so yes I understand what you are saying! THe hardest bit is you have no idea what he did to cause the heat so its hard to "avoid" anything that might set it off!

You know what you are doing chick, if you think working him on a line is the best thing then go for it

 

[piaffe]

Thing is, i dreamt, the other night, that When i started working him after he'd been on box rest, he broke his leg.

Yes, I know, it was a dream, But it was awful, i was put in prison for animal abuse and when i woke up, the first thing i thought was "its a sign" (!!!!

) But i guess i cant just keep him in a stable and admire his prettiness for the rest of his life, but.....






I dont want to go to prison!

 

[Weezy]

Oh let me give you a HUG!!!!!!!!!!!!

He wont break his leg, it was a silly dream end of

And ALL horses are capable of breaking their legs at any time - Debs you need to remember you are a VERY accomplised horse owner and a seriously accomplished rider - stop with the doubting head and put that other head on immediately! You know really you dont need to ask for reassurance as to what to do, whatever you do do will be the right thing!

 

[eohippus]

I agree with Henryhorn. I think it best to start him off by just walking out and then gentle walk work in straight lines. because you do not know the exact reason for the injury it is better to take things in total control.
Glad he seems better though.
Regards
Dawn

 

[piaffe]

Now you've made me blush!

Could do with a hug though, so wont turn it down, or some happy pills!

Yeh, i know it was a dream, but it really was like a nightmare and it haunted me all day. I also dreamt that my son turned into Sponge Bob Square Pants the other day. There must be some f***** up S*** going on in my head right now!

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I'd only walk him gently in hand, maybe take him grazing, to get him out of the stable. I wouldn't do much until the course of bute has ended. Bute, as you will know, is an anti-inflammatory drug & it also has analgesic (pain relief) qualities. Trotting him up while the bute is still in his system will tell you little. Best to wait till the course is over then trot him up & see how he is.
I hope all goes well

 

[0]

even if you walk the school though, he is still *sort of* doing half circles at every short side - if that makes sense!!!!
Basically what i mean is that by lunging if you are in the middle and he at the end, even if you walk the length of the school he still has to spend half the time working on the bend in order to get round...........i.m going to stop now because i can't explain what i understand in my head!!!!!!!!

ETA: glad he seems sound!!!!!