One of our senior geldings had a slight accident in which he tore his lower eye lid. It is healing well and we are keeping him stalled rather than in the paddock where he usually stays. We noticed yesterday when we got him out he was like a totally different horse, standing taller, more alert, walked twice as fast as he usually does (so he actually keeps up with us walking now), and isn't falling asleep in the cross ties. Also he has eye swelling problems and his eyes look half closed most of the time but yesterday they were both fully open and lively looking. I know a lot of people are against fully stalling a horse but do you think it is good for him?
Btw he is in a large foaling stall that does have access to a small paddock which is currently closed off from the stall due to his eye injury. The mare who was there before wasn't to happy about being moved but he seems to like it (though he does miss his old paddock buddy).
He's just acting more forward than normal 'cause he thinks you're going to put him back out when you take him for walks. He can't wait to go see his bud and play in his pasture, get back to the grass and out of that boring four walled stall! Horses kept on pasture move around a remarkable amount in a day-playing with a friend, browsing for the yummiest grass, etc. I'm sure your guy has an enormous amount of pent up energy after being kept in a stall for a few days.
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I wouldn't keep a horse in a stall 24/7 "just because" for a lot of reasons-cost of bedding and hay, health of joints, hooves, digestive and respiratory, boredom, loneliness, etc. If you think he 'd be more peppy after being stalled overnight and turned out during the day, you could do that if you want. I think he's probably happier and therefore more laid back being out with his friend all the time.
Of course, when a horse is injured as yours is, it's best to keep him in while he heals. Having him inside will help keep his eye free of dirt and debris, protect his eye from bugs and sun, keep him from rough housing with his friend (or running into a branch) and injuring it more, as well as make cleaning and caring for the wound that much easier (and therefore more likely to get done). It's fine to keep him in while he heals, provided you hand walk him a few times a day to let him stretch and move around.
I would keep him in the stable until he is healed then, if possible, leave his door open into the paddock so he can decide when he stops in or goes out. Once you have seen the pattern he goes out and stalls himself, you can let him in and out close to his natural rhythm (so the mare can have her foaling box back!). This means he will get to see his turnout buddy, but spend some time inside so you can check up on his eye and monitor his eating, droppings etc If you need to.
Can injuries can get bad quickly. Having him in the stall instead of out in the field is a great way to control what he can get into adn to possibly prevent him from making it worse. I would keep him in the stall until the wound is healed, as in the swelling is gone, the wound is no longer open, and he is no longer on any medication for infection or pain. Just to be on the safe side.
Some horses go stir crazy in a stall, so should not be stalled, but sounds like this guy perks up from being kept in a stall. Keep him stalled until he changes.
always stalled when injured until well enough to turn out
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out horse don't come in unless really bad weather or injuries
The more old horses can move around, the better. Eye injuries can be very serious and can get infected quickly - am assuming you had the vet look at the eyelid and are treating it with meds.
Your horse is more alert because he has more energy from being stalled. This is not necessarily a good thing. We have a mare who often gets a prolapsed eyelid. When this occurs we treat with meds, put on a flymask, and keep her on her regular schedule.
In my opinion, you should never stall any horse 24/7, especially one who is used to being outside. You are just inviting more complications.
He is perked up because he isn't getting enough exercise and is excited to be out of the stall, and no, he should not be kept stalled any more than is absolutely necessary. Being out moving around benefits a horse in a multitude of ways, and it is never better to be kept stalled, although in some situations it may be necessary.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com I would want a veterinary exam asap of the horse's eyes to determine why the lids are chronically swollen.
In the meantime, a good fly mask like the Cashel Crusader should be kept on him to protect his eyes when he goes out during the day. I would want to get him back out moving around as soon as possible which is best for his digestion, immune functions, kidney function, overall joint health, blood and lymph circulation to all of his body organs, and so forth.
Are you asking if he should be stalled once he's healed up, because he's so much more alert and his usually swelled eyes look so much better?
