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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
  
Location: PNW | So, some of you know that my big gelding has been ordered to stall rest for the next month. He's hating life. He is losing weight, and just plain unhappy.
We've done everything possible to make him happy. We took down a wall to double his stall area, he is on daily omeprazole, grass hay ALL THE TIME in a feeder, stall is immaculate and cleaned 2x or more daily...
Today he got his meds (long term sedative) so I'm hoping that helps to decrease his stress and stave off the weight loss. He's a hard keeper to begin with and after only a week on rest he's starting to look like hell.
What are some things you guys do for your stall confined horses to just generally relax them and perk their moods? |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
  
Location: In the Hills of Texas | What long term sedative is he on? Fluphenazine? |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | Nevertooold - 2015-01-23 9:21 PM
What long term sedative is he on? Fluphenazine?
Reserpine (spelling?) |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I really don't know what else you can do.
Can you hand walk him some and let him graze? |
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 Banjo and Baby
Posts: 7259
Location: South of Canada and North of Mexico | put a horse with him? Mine made it a month and a half. Triple Crown feed helped put weight back on mine after he dropped weight. I used their complete feed. |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | Can you maybe make him a temp stall all out of panels? That way he can see anything and everything?? That's how my set up was when my gelding was on stall rest for three months. He didn't give a darn about the hanging lick/toy I bought him, but when I say just the lick part down he ate that right up. Maybe set him a salt block/mineral block incase he wants to lick on that? My gelding licked all the dust that had built up on his panels... I think it was just a boredom cure, but he still does it. My gelding also had a companion horse with him and my lab barely ever leaves the "barn", so my gelding was never alone in his stall.... Even if he wanted to be! lol. He survived, but would up coming out of it looking like crap. I would suggest getting a round bale for him just to make it easier on yourself! Good luck!! |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Looks like you've already covered the sedative I was getting ready to call out. Can you borrow a pony for him? Somebody who can live in the stall with him or right next to him? A friend of mine is fostering a mini horse to help the mini and give her stall rester plenty of company. Just a thought. |
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 Regular
Posts: 52
Location: North Dakota | We have a mare that's been on stall rest since the beginning to September due to a bowed tendon! She did ok the first month or two but the last four she's becoming restless! We move her all the time to try and change the scenery and that seems to help! She has however adopted a barn cat that turned out to be her bestie! |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | classicpotatochip - 2015-01-24 8:11 AM
Looks like you've already covered the sedative I was getting ready to call out. Can you borrow a pony for him? Somebody who can live in the stall with him or right next to him? A friend of mine is fostering a mini horse to help the mini and give her stall rester plenty of company. Just a thought.
He's really high strung and goofy anyways. Stall rest is NOT helping. Although he's loving being stoned on Reserpine! Lol. He's in a 12x24 stall right now, we also have a 16x24ish pen outside, but it's muddy and he acts like an idiot and he definitely gives his pastern no rest. Would you put a little buddy IN the stall with him (12x24) or just next door? Ive never had to stall rest this long before :( |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Those jolly balls, a equipride tub lick, or milk jugs hang up for him to play with can help entertain them. Make you a slow hay feeder for the stall so he can constantly graze will help prevent ulcers from being stalled and control boredom. I like the sedative NTO recommended better than the one your using...we've had better results with it for certain horses on stall rest.
A sheet of the reflective plastic mirror from a hard ware store installed in his stall can help too...
Edited by astreakinchic 2015-01-24 2:05 PM
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I've known some long hauling rodeo horses that need their little friend with them in the stall. My friend has hers together in the stall, but she let them live next to each other first. The little guy got kicked out of his stall due to big horses needing out of the weather, so he bunked with the rester, and hasn't moved out again. She just went slow and judged the reaction of her big horse to make sure he didn't want to bust up his little friend at feeding time.
Sometimes the nervous goofy horses are nervous and goofy because they're scared, insecure, and anxious. Sometimes it helps to put them in with a steadier animal that can make decisions for them, lol. |
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 Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Posts: 2411
Location: Wisconsin | Mine was on complete stall rest in a 12x12 stall only for 7 months! we fed him alfalfa in between his grass hay, had to dig for it in a slow eat bag. I put that equi something ring that hangs on a rope, and goofy as it sounds we hung about 10 pair of bell boots on his bars, and he would work all day trying to and getting some ripped off. BUT the most comforting thing for him was to have someone else in next stall to visit with. Didnt have to be same horse. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 146
| A big concern is how they will act after the stall rest, easy to reinjure once they are let out again and go thru that phase of acting like idiots running and bucking. I haven't had much success with stall rest, in the end I allowed my horse access from stall into a small paddock and lots of hand walking; he too had bowed a tendon. Keep support bandages on. |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| nettieb3 - 2015-01-24 11:51 PM
Mine was on complete stall rest in a 12x12 stall only for 7 months! we fed him alfalfa in between his grass hay, had to dig for it in a slow eat bag. I put that equi something ring that hangs on a rope, and goofy as it sounds we hung about 10 pair of bell boots on his bars, and he would work all day trying to and getting some ripped off. BUT the most comforting thing for him was to have someone else in next stall to visit with. Didnt have to be same horse.
Neat idea with the bell boots! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | Reserpine really helped one of mine! When we moved him he turned my
Fence line to dirt in less than 3 hours! Thought he was kill himself! Other tips for stalling, allow him to be able to see out if you can,always having a buddy in the next stall, hay hay hay in a slow feeder has kept one of mine on 3 months rest occupied.
Edited by imturnin3 2015-01-25 9:02 AM
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | Do u have any small critters he is familiar with? Mini, goat, donkey? You could put with him? |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | Raspberry leaf! the normal dose is 1 scoop twice a day. You can double it, even triple it if necessary without any problem. I have a very hot gelding that tore a suspensory and was on 60 days stall rest no turn out and he went from getting 1 scoop twice a day to 3 scoops twice a day. It helped tremendously! |
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 Go For It!
Location: Texas |
Here is what I have done in the past... No grain, tied milk buckets from the rafters, DAILY PROBIOTICS, DAILY PROBIOTICS, not too much cushion on the floor, Coastal and Alfalfa mix. Trust me, if he loses some weight, it's okay. You don't want him sitting in a stall eating and getting fat. He doesn't need the extra calories, he will gain it back later. Mine was stalled for 8 weeks with a cut that severed the ligament that holds the hoof together. It cut into the bone and entered the joint. The joint was flushed 7 times, the ligament was sewn together and he was put in a cast (right rear). He could NOT have any movement to the joint or it would tear the stitches and there would be nothing connecting the hoof to the pastern. I brought him home after 4 weeks and did home care. I never gave him any drugs, but did keep a horse next to him. I gave him plenty of probiotics, alfalfa and some coastal hay. I let him get a little thin so that he wouldn't feel too good and want to run around. He got Adequan every 4 days for three months. He is as sound as a whistle today! Thank you Jesus!
Good luck! |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | dream_chaser - 2015-01-25 2:30 PM
Do u have any small critters he is familiar with? Mini, goat, donkey? You could put with him?
He's terrified of all our other critters. Lol |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | He didn't tear anything (thank goodness), he traumatized the joint capsule of his pastern and he just needs to TLC it until the swelling gets out. He's doing AWESOME on the reserpine. I put him in an outdoor pen (24x24 or so) today and he was MUCH calmer. The first time I put him out, I had to put him right back in because he was a total nutcase. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 383
| mine is on 6 months stall rest- I have him in his stall overnight- then I made a pen on his run in shelter about 15x20 with a round bale in it- and then a made another pen that is same size but no shelter to it- and I switch him back and forth between those at least once a day sometimes 2x just to change the scenery for him- I have an old rescue mare that doesn't move around fast at all- so I put her in the pens next to him -and I put him on platinum tranquil -so far he seems to be pretty happy-considering he is use to 12-14 hours of 2 acres of turnout- and rodeos and barrel races ( the tranquil is making him kind of nap a little more) but not drugged so I think its helping |
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| Maybe a stall ball or something that you can hang that will maybe help entertain him? |
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Keeping horse healthy/sane/happy on stall rest.