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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
 
Location: Durango CO | Long story short, my horse that had the SI/Whorl Bone issues has been on stall rest for a month and last night I had the farrier out to trim him, and when my horse saw the farrier truck open up he had a melt down and ran backwards and got very scared. He would not let the farrier come near him for like 5 minutes. He just freaked out. After a few minutes he calmed down and I had absolutely no problems with him after that. This horse is a tad spooky by nature but I never ever have him confined.
The horse is confined to a pen with a lean to in the middle of a 70 acre pasture and there are 10 other horses on the pasture so he can see his friends and the other horses come up to visit him a few times a day because the mineral bucket is hung by the pen where my horse is confined.
My horse is on day 4 of 10 days stall rest and is allowed minimal exercise so I turn him out into the arena for about 30 minutes every day.
Does this weird and spooky behavior happen to be from being confined?
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
 
Location: N Texas | My gelding was the same way. He had to be stalled with ZERO turn out/exercise for 8 weeks, then after that I bumped him up to a VERY SMALL pen that was basically the same size as his stall. When in his stall, he was spooky and jumpy, but calmed back down when I would bring him out. I guess he was a little claustrophobic or something. When I could finally take him out of his pen and walk him around, he would still occasionally spook at things that never bothered him before. It's like he forgot about everything in the "outside" world.
I think part of his issues were from being at the vet when he initially got hurt. He was stalled there for about 10 days, and they had to give him shots twice a day. So he started to associate people coming in his stall with being poked and messed with.
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | Mine doesn't get spooky, he just turns into a raging grizzly bear. He kicks his back legs and grinds his teeth anytime somebody goes in to feed, or water, or anything. He knows better than to be aggressive or naughty though, and generally parks himself in the corner to let out his frustrations. He is a bit of a grouch to begin with though, so stall rest just really brings out his personality. Lol |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Durango CO | I think my gelding is having the same issue. I think he remembers the farrier working on him before he was treated and in pain, then the vet lifted up the same leg to manipulate him to find out where he was hurting and then the same farrier came out to work on him and I think he remembers more than I give him credit for remembering.
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Mine develop ulcers.
I have had a few that are spooky, and hard to catch after a month of stall rest, then all get over it. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Durango CO | I hope he isin't. He has hay 24/7 in a slow feed net and gets FORCO. |
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Expert
Posts: 1280
Location: Texas | I would EXPECT ulcers & treat to prevent. |
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 Pork Fat is my Favorite
Posts: 3791
Location: The Oklahoma plains. | I too would absolutley expect ulcers just due to the change in environment even though you are providing hay in a slow feed manner.
Anyhow, stall confinement can very well make a horse BONKERS. They are all affected differently but for the most part, the ones I have had on stall rest built steam and were very reactive. But you have to do what you have to do.
Did I overlook why your horse is on stall rest?? I only wonder because I saw that you turn him out in an arena for 30 min which was never allowed under any of my vet directions for the horses we had on stall rest. |
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Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | TurnLane - 2014-07-08 2:04 PM I too would absolutley expect ulcers just due to the change in environment even though you are providing hay in a slow feed manner.
Anyhow, stall confinement can very well make a horse BONKERS. They are all affected differently but for the most part, the ones I have had on stall rest built steam and were very reactive. But you have to do what you have to do.
Did I overlook why your horse is on stall rest?? I only wonder because I saw that you turn him out in an arena for 30 min which was never allowed under any of my vet directions for the horses we had on stall rest.
I'm curious about this as well. If your vet approved minimum exercise, I take that as hand walking/trotting. My understanding is that being turned out is the equivalent of maximum exercise since a horse won't regulate their activity on their own and can end up doing more damage by running and bucking. My vet has always been very specific about what I can and can't do, and stressed no turnout, only controlled exercise (riding or hand walking). |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Durango CO | When my horse had his SI adjusted he was under stall rest with only hand walking, now that that part is over and he is on stall rest for his whorl bone injections he is on stall rest with monitored exercise. Sorry I did not clarify. If he is calm on his turn out and just walks around and chooses to roll that is ok, playing, bucking, loping around is not allowed and the horse is carefully monitored and basically all he does is walk around and nibble some grass that he can snag under the fence. If he acts like he is getting too excited he has to go back to his stall or walked by hand. He seems to being acting responsibly lol. |
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Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | Lil_Pony35 - 2014-07-08 5:49 PM
When my horse had his SI adjusted he was under stall rest with only hand walking, now that that part is over and he is on stall rest for his whorl bone injections he is on stall rest with monitored exercise. Sorry I did not clarify. If he is calm on his turn out and just walks around and chooses to roll that is ok, playing, bucking, loping around is not allowed and the horse is carefully monitored and basically all he does is walk around and nibble some grass that he can snag under the fence. If he acts like he is getting too excited he has to go back to his stall or walked by hand. He seems to being acting responsibly lol.
I wish mine would act responsibly! He would act a fool if I turned him out :) |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Durango CO | My guy is pretty low key by nature, thankfully!!! I'm sorry yours would I've you grief lol! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| As others have mentioned, I would be giving him something to prevent ulcers in addition to the free choice hay.
Mine would NEVER be on stall rest without a preventative. Either UlcerGard or ranitidine, whatever I have on hand.
Heck, my mare turns into a mess after 1 night in a stall during bad weather...I can't imagine what her gut would look like after several days or weeks.
Edited by SuckerForHorses 2014-07-09 8:53 AM
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