Scotts of Thrapston

Beating box rest blues

Posted on 13. Oct, 2011 by Julia Berrie in Let's talk stables

Horses love to be outdoors, so when the vet utters the words ‘box rest’ to you it is easy to become immediately disheartened, and worries such as appropriate feeding and beating boredom will naturally be on your mind.

Veterinary Surgeon at Rossdales of Newmarket, Sarah Boys Smith MA VetMB CertES(Orth) DipECVS MRCVS commented;

“As vets we do appreciate that recommending ‘box rest’ is easier said than done. But to the surprise of many owners, a lot of horses adapt to box rest better than they might imagine and thus it is always worth persevering if your horse is a little difficult in the first instance.”

In partnership, Scotts of Thrapston and Rossdales are offering these tips to help you make an action plan to beat the box rest blues, making you and your horse calmer, happier and on the road to recovery!

The tips described in this article are tried and tested but it is important to remember that every horse is different and not everything will work for yours.

• Soaking hay for 30 minutes can reduce the dust and mould spores. Haylage is generally less dusty but has a higher energy content compared with hay and may result in excess weight gain in good doers.
• Double up hay nets to make it harder for the horse to ‘scoff’ his hay. Provide a ‘café system’ of small doubled up hay nets around the box to encourage breaks in his eating. Hiding carrots among the hay in the net makes grazing fun, although laminitic horses and ponies should avoid carrots as they contain high sugar content.
• Divide feeds into several small portions to be given throughout the day. More chaff and less concentrated feed will provide additional fibre, though a feed balancing supplement can help to provide the essential minerals and vitamins that are found in the hard feed. Feeding little and often will help to reduce the risk of colic.
• Encourage drinking by placing apple halves in the water bucket.
• For horses needing daily medication such as painkillers, try mixing apple juice, molasses or oil to the feed to mask some of the taste and encourage eating. Alternatively, hollow out a carrot and pack the medicine inside topped off with a blob of molasses.
• A rear top door gives an additional view for the horse as well as improving the circulation of fresh air for the box rested horse. Features such as this are available from Scotts of Thrapston and should be considered with new stable builds in preparation for long-term rest, but can also be supplied for existing equestrian buildings.

• Placing a bucket of chopped carrots and apples in the stable will make your horse’s eyes light up when he sees you coming! Watch him excitedly rummage around with his nose.
• Leaving a radio on and playing music from a classical station can settle a lonely horse and help relax him.
• Look into purchasing one of the many toys available on the market to combat the horse’s boredom, such as plastic balls to fill with treats that he can roll around the floor, or a hanging toy with an integrated salt lick. Or make a DIY boredom buster- thread some rope through a swede or turnip and hang from a beam, bar or tie ring.
• Some horses benefit from having a mirror installed in the stable, as it makes the confined space seem larger and beats loneliness, all reducing stress. Look for a safe, non-glass mirror.
• Alternatively, in dry weather use a web stable door guard to reduce the ‘confined’ feeling he may have, and allow fresh air to circulate around the stable. He will also experience natural temperature changes as he would if he were out in the field.
• Similar to a rear top door, internal grilles between loose boxes not only provide extra ventilation, but also easy social contact between horses. Scotts of Thrapston can supply the grilles for existing timber stables, ideal for horses on box rest.

• Spend a good amount of time grooming your horse every day. The interaction will keep him happy and calm and brushing him will relax him, massage him, and make him feel clean and cared for!
• Turn out into a stable sized paddock or a small ‘playpen’ can be options for difficult horses and should be discussed with your vet. Unfortunately, a significant change in the convalescence programme (such as turnout into a normal sized paddock) may compromise the ultimate success of a full recovery and you should therefore weigh up this risk/benefit ratio carefully with your vet before proceeding.
• Hand grazing horses on box rest is unlikely to have a negative effect on the majority of conditions but can significantly affect the horse’s temperament.
• Walking horses that are on box rest can be difficult and dangerous and it is often safer to do this under saddle rather than in hand. Mild tranquillisers can be prescribed depending upon the situation and, contrary to what many believe, do not commonly have long-term side effects.
• It is also important to remember the effect on other horses. Whilst some horses are better on their own, the vast majority are calmer if they can at least see other horses. Keeping a second horse on box rest is, unfortunately, sometimes required.

Tags: bespoke timber stables, equestrian buildings, loose box, Loose Boxes, rear top doors, Rossdales, Scotts timber stables