Frustrated and Upset - not sure what I can try?

[Ace87]

So as you know Quitus is on field rest for damage to Suspensory ligament and splint bone. During this time he has had additional minor injuries occuring fortnightly/monthly..

I have tried solo turn out, he still managed to slice his hock open.

I have tried small group turn out (ie 3 horses, both the other two are on rest) - he managed to jump two fences and cut his fore leg open

I have tried ACP - normally seems fine but other day managed to get his over reach boots off and now has some serious over reach injuries.

So at the moment he has one nice slice down the middle of his fore leg, and two nasty looking over reach cuts on his heel. The slice down his hock has healed and scab has fallen off most of it now.

This is costing me an extra £70ish a month/fortnight for vets.. and then the assited DIY for keeping him in. Okay money is not a huge issue but it's a bit of a stinger after the car trauma and my rubbish wage and lack of sick or holiday pay...

The real problem is I have no idea what to do with him?! Do I give him so much ACP he can't move? Do I put him back on individual turnout? Do I request he's fieldmates are changed?

I'm struggling to know what to do with these cuts but am going to phone vets this afternoon and ask for antibiotics etc. Have been putting silver cream (flamazine something) on them and cold hosing twice a day with him in. Am wondering if box rest is the way forward?!

Help! I don't know what I want you guys to suggest but it's so SO utterly eating me up. It's just proved that if he doesn't come sound he CAN'T be a field ornament :(

Anyone have any suggestions other than shooting the silly sod now? He seems very happy in himself being a field ornamament but he's supposed to be on rest and tearing about and jumping fences isn't the sort of rest we had planned!!

A xx

[duchy]

I would put him on individual turnout in a small area, maybe just an acre but so he can see other horses so he doesnt stress

[HJ]

What about Equicalm? However if he is on ACP and this is working, I'd be inclined to keep him on it.

Could you not have him out at night and in during the day

Say turn him out at around 3pm he will have a slight tear arse I'm sure but will hopefully soon settle for the night, then bring him in at around 8am (or before work), hopefully it should be a nice balance for him.

Individual TO in my opinion doesn't work, he will just get stressed, small group certainly but not individual, also try and turn him out in a group where he is boss and doesn't have to fight other horses off

I don't think Box Rest is a good idea as it will stress him out to much, wont it?

You know your horse better than anybody but I just think B.R isn't always the best solution.

You are having trying times at the moment aren't you

[Ace87]

He was on individual for a month and a half with horses either side, still sliced his hock open!? He's an idiot of the highest order.. He's 17hh and supposed to be moving around atm so tiny paddock was not recommended by vet.. but am going to have to re-assess with the vet today.


HJ, I'm not sure what difference there would be in having him in at night and out in the day like he currently is (though has been in box since Thursday now)??

[HJ]

I just thought with horses being awake in the day it would be sensible to keep him in, hopefully preventing as much damage and then out during the night so that he can have his freedom but will hopefully sleep for most of it, again trying to prevent accidents?

Hope that makes sense

[eml]

I don't know how possible it is but I would go for shoes off and a larger group in a big field.

Our TBs are immensely self harming as well, but fare much better in their herd of 5 in a 7 acre field with senior mare keeping control. If overreaching is an issue either shoes off or ask farrier to really set back the hinds.

[Soot]

larger group in a big field.

That's what I was thinking to.
After her very serious hock injury the only way I managed to keep Libby healthy & sane was in 40 acres! We tried the small paddock thing, we tried the boxrest thing ... in the end it was decided that she needed a horse life and goobye. If it hadn't worked for her, well ... the answer is fairly obvious - but luckily it did work so the issue didn't come up. She actually played up LESS on the 40 acres than in her small paddock. She did more sedate moving - roaming to graze, etc, and less hoony-ing. I also stopped feeing her entirely so she was more motivated to roam for grass.
I know it might not be an option with Q, but it is definitely worth thinking outside the box when it comes to big & silly warmbloods!

[m22]

Totally agree with EML. You need a proper herd with a leader (3 isn't enough) and enough land for them to have their own space but not for them to go crazy. I would much rather they run about in a bigger than smaller field. I would also consider having him out 24/7 and just bring in for a check/groom otherwise have him out overnight then in during the day for a couple of hours. Which overreach boots is he wearing? A friend of mine swears by eskradon and hers are out 24/7 in them with no rubs etc and her horse is a maniac in the field.

[Ace87]

He already has his shoes off and backs set back!! That's why I'm dispairing, daft creature, farrier couldn't believe how much damage he's done to his own feet!

He has cashel over reach boots with the pebble at the back to keep them on, http://www.stockleyonline.co.uk/catalog/cashel-over-reach-boots-p-1906.html, but obviously these are no use once they're off! I have regular neoprene ones for emergencies when he loses the others.

We don't have a 'large group' in a large field other than the youngsters, who vary in age from 2-4. YO segregates liveries male/female and the biggest group is of 5 geldings but Q can't go in with them as one of the owners is an idiot who took offence to Q biting her rug once when her horse previously shreded two of mine into bits... Anyway....

Argh! Maybe I need to think about moving - but honestly I don't want to i love my yard and my YO is brilliant..

[annareeves0]

I wonder if the hock injury he caused himself wasnt just a bad luck incident and actually that was the way to go, you were just blooming unlucky that he happened to do that now, with everything esle going on????

Sometimes, **** happens! Its not that the circumstances werent right - just bad luck. Perhaps solo is the way to go, if he isnt stressed out about it - it worked for 6 weeks???? Do you know what happened?

Either way, sympathies for a tricky situation and hope he's better soon :)

[Palomino Mare]

My horse is the same and takes very careful management. The only time he didnt get injured for a longer period (i think the longest he's gone un-injured is 6weeks but this was 8months!) was when he lived on a hillside which provided lots of natural shelter, a river, various things to graze on. There were only 3 of them on this hill and so there was plenty of acerage (i think 10:confused:).

Now he's back in his usual field there's about 17 on 8acres - big problem!

Is there anyway to get your horse/acre count any better?

[Kit]

I would find a large herd he could be turned out with, in a large area as I suspect he's bored currently!

[Harlequin32]

Could you move temporarily to somewhere with a larger established heard- just til he's well again?
Sounds like a nightmare xx

[angelfben]

This is exactly why Alps ended up having the op for his suspensory injury, he just wouldn't settle as a field ornament and I gave up after 3 months! :rolleyes:

[Skye08]

Have you tried Oxyshot? Its a really good calmer if you want instant results... however if you wanted long term Relax me by Horse first is equally as good. My mare was on it for a while as box rest wasnt an option and it worked wonders x

[angelfben]

Although on a slightly more helpful note... I have always struggled with managing Alps. He was a nightmare on his own (used to fence walk and go ballistik as soon as any of the other horses came in), he was a nightmare in a small group (used to barge through the gate when anyone tried to bring another horse in), he was a nightmare in a pair (used to become aggressive and dominant over the other horse and wouldn't let the owner catch him)... I'd tried every combination and pretty much given up! :rolleyes:

Then I moved to the yard we're at now.. he's out with 3 other geldings in a big field 24/7 and he's a different horse! They have an established herd order, enough room to keep out of each others way, they know that each other leave the field from time to time and it's nothing to panic about. My life has never been so easy and for the first time I have a happy, settled horse! :)

[Ace87]

Angelofben, you're my beacon in this suspensory drama!!

I've texted my vet to ask about the option of surgery sooner.. He's been on rest since April now.. 5 months out of 6 isn't bad... But before I moved yards he was in with two other geldings, and was never once injured and he was there 6 months.. So it's all since we moved yards. Though he is very settled in himself..

I think part of the problem may be availablity of other horses for him to go out with. One he's in with now is a 17.2hh 6yo warmblood who is out of work becuase he's too much for his owners. He is bored to tears and chases Q for fun. The other horse is a 21 yo retired ex dressage horse. He's perfect in with the oldie, but the youngster is a pain, 4 days out of 7 when I go to get Q in Rocky will come tearing down the field at a mad gallop and I'll have to let Q go and attempt to catch him again..

The other gelding group Q isn't allowed out with as one owner is an idiot. Then the only other geldings are YO's 2-4yos. He can't go out with the oldies as he's too energetic.. I'd hate if something happened to them!

Am awaiting a call back from the vet and have texted YO about this and shes said come up for a cuppa tonight. I'm beyond depressed, I'm being offered lots of horses to ride but I just don't want to ride anymore. If I can't ride him I'm not interested any longer. I feel like I'm on the verge of giving up!

[Lucy_Angel]

Ohhh its a tricky one! Wrap him up in cotton wool? He is a funny boy isn't he! :) You know him better then any of us hun - just go with your gut instinct - if it means moving then move him for a while. xx

[angelfben]

It is difficult, how big is your yard? I always kept Alps on smaller yards but our new yard is much bigger and it has been a blessing in disguise. With a bigger yard we have more options of mixing and matching the herds to find groups which settle and there's a lot more land to play with... I don't miss the days of postage sized individual paddocks!

On the other hand though it is worth thinking that if you do go for the op, you will have about 6 weeks box rest ahead of you, followed by restricted 'quiet' turnout for a few months. My current yard is brilliant for Alps now he is well, but it wouldn't have suited him when he had to be on box rest and individual turnout. How would Q settled at your current yard? I found with Alps that he settled on box rest in a stable overlooking the fields so that he could see other horses 24/7. He also settled on turnout in a small field which was near the yard so that he had plenty to keep him occupied and stop him being silly.

You will also have a LOT of hacking ahead of you when he comes back in work to strengthen the tendons, so good hacking is a must :)

To be honest I'm not overly convinced about rest as a treatment for suspensory damage, my vet advised that more often than not once the horse comes back into work the injury flares up again :(

[Ace87]

We have 320 acres of offroad hacking :D so that's not a problem, we also have 'retard' paddocks (ie postage stamp size, then another the size of a 20 x 40 school) individual turnout isn't a problem, neither is box rest, he's been on box rest since Thursday and he's fine (but on ACP too!) so for post-op recovery I'm very lucky where I am.. It's just this field rest lark! We were on a huge yard with 62 livery horses but with the recession people have left to rent a field or grass livery so now we're down to about 30 stud horses and 25 liveries.


BREAKING NEWS...... Vet is coming out tomorrow to re-assess Q... if he trots up sound I can BRING HIM BACK INTO WORK! (though I'm not holding out much hope tbh!) if not we will discuss surgery....