# Turnout after box rest - going crazy!



## star (10 June 2010)

Is there any way to stop them going nuts?

My Welsh Cob has been out of work since the middle of March - he was fully hunting fit and had 4wks in the field to start with followed by a week at the vets, surgery on both his stifles, diagnosed with a cruciate ligament problem in his right hind and bilateral OCD and sent home on 6wks box rest.

That finished last Wed. All last week I let him out in a little fenced off area in front of his stable about twice the size of his stable - half yard and half grass, gradually increasing the time out there to a couple of hours. He had one little leap and buck, but mostly just grazed happily. So on Thur night I took him down to his proper paddock which has been fenced off to 15x15m on the vet's instructions and I let him graze on the end of a lunge line for an hour or so.

Then on Friday I had the day off work, doped him up with ACP, left him a few hours to let the ACP sink in and then took him down the field again. Let him graze for a bit on the lunge and then took the lunge line off. All was peaceful for about 10-15mins and then he had a roll, got up, leapt in the air, launched himself into canter, skidded into the fence, performed a perfect right half canter pirouette, and then trotted around the field for a bit before grazing again. Every half hour or so we had a similar leap in the air, launch a few strides forwards and then back to grazing. left him for a few hours then brought him in.

Did same on Sat but didn't stick around to watch the fireworks as figured there wasn't much I could do. Got him in a few hours later and he was sulking by the gate - as soon as I walked him off it was clear he was lame on his good leg. Couldn't find a reason for it and he seemed sound Sun morning so turned him out for a few hours again and he was fine when I fetched him in but then Mon morning I was brushing his legs as normal and noticed his left hock was really swollen. So he's been back on box rest, bute and 20mins cold hosing twice daily since then.

Today his hock is almost back to normal and he's sound in trot so this evening I tried full dose ACP again (makes him so drunk he staggered out of the stable), walked down to his field fine, grazed on the lunge line for about 10mins then just flipped out. I still had him on the lunge so he only got to do a few circles in canter before I got him under control which was at least better than skidding into the fence but I just dont know how to progress to getting him out again full time.

The vet wants him on gradually increasing turnout over the next week or two until he's out 24/7 and then he's to have 6months paddock rest - 3mths in the individual small paddock then gradually increasing the size before re-integrating him with the herd. I just dont know how we're going to get there. Any ideas I haven't thought of? (he's also on a valerian based herbal calmer for what it's worth and no hard feed to speak of (hi-fi and hay nuts and hardly any in the morning if he's going out so he goes out hungry and wants to eat grass not mess around - well that's the theory!)


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## ladyearl (11 June 2010)

According to my vet ACP makes your animal dopey in its movements but not in its head. So although he might struggle to walk etc his head is still fully switched on. I wonder if the reason he has a maddy every now and again is that he's just building up the strength to fight through the ACP. 

Total sympathy though as also trying to get a horse back into real life after 6 weeks of BR.


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## Booboos (11 June 2010)

Is it worth trying him out 24/7? Some get quite wound up by change and although he will still prat around he may settle faster if he is just left to it. 

Is there any other sedative you can use? Unfortunately oral sedatives don't work very well for all horses.

Really feel for you having been through the same thing...OCD, box rest for 5 months, explosion!


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## Amymay (11 June 2010)

I don't think there is anything you can do to stop them having a buck and a fling.

Certainly my horse was initially very excited on his turnout in a small field after a month in - but quickly got it out of his system.  He was then turned out twice a day for an hour in the same paddock and was always very quiet.

Once he'd had the all clear to go back out full time, my plan was to walk him down the field to his mates - and then step back.

Luckily the lead rope wasn't attached as he had other ideas, and simply flipped his lid (for about 5 mins) and then started stuffing his face.

I would never ACP a horse to go out (personally) - because at some point they are going to kick their heals up (once the ACP has worn off).  And I would never graze them on the end of a lunge line - for the same reasons (plus a sense of self preservation).


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## ladyearl (11 June 2010)

For what it's worth we've gone for the 24/7 option with no drugs. Started last night!! Initially kicked her heels up but settled to pacing about and eventually grazing within an hour or so. Had a call this morning to say that she's settled. Off now to see her for myself. Part of our problem is that during BR she's had so much attention from us that she needs to learn to be a horse with horses again. I think part of her being unsettled was seperation anxiety. Eventually, when we hid we saw her graze. There was one other pony in the field last night and another has been introduced, with no drama, this morning.  

Praying she doesn't come down lame today!!


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## Tillymouse (11 June 2010)

It's so stressful isn't it! 
I recently went through the same thing. My TB, Donald, was on box rest for 3 months following a collateral ligament injury then followed by another 3 months restricted paddock turn out. I could not have done it without Sedalin. I turned him out for an hour a day in a small paddock, 4mls of Sedalin, and gradually increased the time he spent out. He was good as gold. I slowly decreased the sedalin amount and increased his paddock time over about a week. I didn't have any major explosions. He is now out at night and in during the day. 
However, if he was being a prat every day when turned out I would have been tempted to leave him out 24/7 so the novelty of being turned out had worn off. 

You want to do the best for them but they just don't help themselves do they!


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## applecart14 (11 June 2010)

i wonder if Sedolin would be more effective for your horse as a sedative rather than ACP.  My horse is lame after months of treatment, bringing back into work and a costly insurance claim and is now excluded on that hock which is the one he looks like he is injured on.  This is due to new horses being put next door to him without my knowledge and him going ballistic and damaging his leg again.  Such a shame.


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## Cliqmo (11 June 2010)

In my experience (this time last year)

Sedalin is your friend  

Give him a dose and leave him out- it will undoubtedly be the restriction causing the excitement (it was with mine) so I left him to it... also I would suggest you don't bother with fencing a small area, as it just means they have to turn more often (and surely with bad stifles he's better going in straight lines?) It will be against the vets advice    but it worked for me and I would recommend to anyone who's horse gets lively on restricted turnout 

Best of luck


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## ihatework (11 June 2010)

Having just gone through this with one of mine that was operated on I opted for the following:
Barn turnout so he could increase movement without the excitement of being outside then
Straight into 24/7 turnout!
I starved him before turning out
I loaded him up with Sedalin, and kept topping up for 48 hours
I turned him out, held my breath and crossed my fingers.
I think I have been very lucky, he has had the odd little hooley but nothing awful.

From my in-hand walking experiences I have found with him that the sedalin form of acp was far more effective than the tablets. I believe there is also a long acting injectable sedative but I'm afraid I have no direct experience of it


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## star (11 June 2010)

sedalin gel doesn't work on him at all - ACP tabs are the only thing to have any effect other than IV sedation which the vet did suggest i think about as an option as he knows how flipping crazy my silly pony is.

vet has specifically said has to be small paddock on his own so not going to risk going directly against their advice.

anyway, today we had a bit more success.  he had 2hrs for the ACP tabs to work, came out of the stable looking fairly sleepy, went down the field calmly, grazed on the end of the lunge for 20mins with no reaction so let him go.  I stayed for 5hrs keeping an eye on him whilst mucking out/poo picking/spring cleaning etc and all was calm, even after a roll so I'm hoping maybe he's now got the worst out of his system.  vet doesn't want him out 24/7 yet as after nearly 8wks of no grass except a 5min nibble twice a day he doesn't want him to get colic from a sudden gorging.  today i saw him lying down and eating in a circle around him - pig!


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## cavalo branco (11 June 2010)

Welcome to the crazy horse club!!! Mine was the same - only ACP tablets work for him, he has to be in very restricted pen, has had several ballistic episodes which have nearly given me a nervous breakdown but what can you do with a TB after 4 months box rest??

I've had several friends telling me he'd be better in a larger paddock but its hard to go against your vet's instructions. I've also found that my boy has had a wierd separation anxiety when I leave him (with a friend in a nearby pen) and I often have to go back to him. 

The other problem is that a restricted pen gets eaten very quickly and on a livery yard you cannot have the flexibility to keep moving pens as you wish. Far more difficult to keep them calm when they are not stuffing their faces  So I end up only turning out for 2-3 hours.

Turning out 24/7 seems an unimagined luxury!!! So, no bright ideas really, just try not to worry too much, I guess.


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## star (11 June 2010)

i am on livery but i have fenced off an area of my field and divided it into 4 so i am going to rotate between the fields and hope they grow back a bit in between times.  he has 2 treat balls to play with as well and i'll give hay if needed, but yes, keeping quiet is much easier when he has lots of yummy grass to distract him!


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## Izzwizz (11 June 2010)

My mare went out 24/7 after 14 months box rest!  She had been ridden for 3 months prior to going out to strengthen her up and she was turned out into a bald paddock as I have to watch her weight.  She has hay to top her up and because she is a greedy horse, she spends much of her time grazing.  She had a tear in her DDFT and we decided she would be best out 24/7 (she used to come in every night before her injury) as there would be less chance of her tearing around if she wasnt stabled over night.  Her field isnt big but not so small that she can do tight turns.  Shes on her own but next door to others and is really happy.


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## tabithakat64 (12 June 2010)

Mines been out on pen turnout for five weeks following an nearly six months of box rest due to a DDFT injury.  

He had Sedalin the first couple of days and does leap around a small amount but is really very sensible (he's out for 8 hours a day).  

He's not been perfect walking to the pen (he became dangerous to walk out in hand) and has done a fair bit of leaping around and ended up cantering round me in circles the other day  luckily he doesn't seem to have done any further damage.

I don't really have any suggestions apart from putting a friend in one of the other small paddocks as this seems to have helped with mine.

I do feel your pain though.


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## Nari (12 June 2010)

I can sympathise, today I resorted to enough acp that his eyes were half closing in order to walk mine in hand. Unfortunately I can't think of a solution for you - I'm sure I'd be very rich if I had a foolproof way of quietly turning horses out after box rest!

The only thing I can think of is putting a very quiet companion out with him. Maybe another horse would settle him down a bit if it was the type that gave withering looks if he started bouncing,just make sure it won't run with him.

I had to laugh at the laying down & eating a circle around himself! My welsh cob likes to roll as soon as he's turned out, but very often he'll spot a tasty few blades mid-roll so he stops to grab them (doesn't always even move right onto his chest the lazy git) then carry on rolling as if nothing had happened! They have to be one of the most food obsessed breeds I know.


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## cavalo branco (12 June 2010)

A slight hijack but how big are everyone's turnout pens? Mine are about 20x20 foot and I'm not sure whether they should be bigger - it could stop the spinning and leaping but more space equals more potential for hooleying generally.

Hmmm....can a horse be on ACP every day for months, I wonder.....


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## star (13 June 2010)

mine is approx 15m x 15m.  not sure whether smaller is better so less running around or bigger so less sharp corners.


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## druid (13 June 2010)

What about giving him Fluphenazine and topping up with Sedalin for the inital turnout for the first few days?


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## tabithakat64 (13 June 2010)

My pen is 15 x 15 as well


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## cobwithattitude (14 June 2010)

Had a similar experience recently, where horse broncing and spinning round after patella op. after talking to vet decided to go for complete 24:7 turnout in big field.  horse settled, progressing well, sound and much calmer. Much less stressed than in tiny paddock; sometimes this turns oout ok and sometimes it doesn't. Good luck!


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## Shilasdair (15 June 2010)

I don't have any useful answers, but I feel your pain - one of mine is nearly finished the 6th week of box rest after colic surgery.
I'd like to get her out next to her old fieldmates, in a little pen (about 15ft x 15ft in the first instance) however, when she spots them they all get very overexcited and silly, and of course she's not meant to jump around.
My next pet will be a rock, I swear.
S


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