well she got in a pretty bad accident and her back leg is showing bone. my vet said that she has to stay in the stall for 3-5 months straight. no turnout or nothing. do you have any ideas of things i can do or get to keep her from getting painfully bord. or developing bad habits. she really doesn't have any now. shes very sweet and smart and loving but being in the stall all day just kills her.: (i already bought her a jolly ball to hang in her stall. and im going to get some JB no chew so she doesn't start cribbing. ive been giving her a bunch of hay so she has something to do for a little longer and the barn doors always open so she can look out. is there anything else i can do to entertain her? maybe some small trick training whiles she standing there.? what do you think?
also since winter is approaching how should i blanket her? i have a head to shoulders sleazy and a heavy winter blanket. should i get a llighter sheet too? should i start by putting on the sleazy at night and a light blanket and take it off during the day? then when it gets colder and snowy keep the heavy blanket on? how would you blanket her?
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com if you have any other suggestions that would be great! thanks!
I'll answer your last question first: Don't give her anything additional to keep weight on while she's stalled except HAY. Give her lots of hay, to keep her occupied and to keep the weight on.
Otherwise it sounds like you are doing pretty well with it. I think that the thing she'd appreciate more than trick training is good groomings. My horses love their itchy spots to be scratched, and your horse won't even have the opportunity to itch herself on trees or by rolling.
I have a horse who's in the same boat, except he has a pelvic fracture.
Make sure she has a salt and mineral block available. Maybe make a rope toy for her to play with, likits are entertaining too.
As long as she has food, she should be fine.
As far as blanketing, you could get her a light weight stable blanket.
Can your horse be handwalked? If so, try to handwalk her at least 2-3x a day (only if your vet suggests it, of course). The more time you can spend with her the better (whether it's grooming, letting her graze in hand, or just reading a book outside her stall). The jolly ball was a good idea, as was the no chew. Does she have a dutch door where she can stick her head out? If not, maybe you could move to her a stall that does ... or a stall with a high activity level (horses go back and forth, lots of people, etc) to keep her distracted . Good luck! I had to stall my guy for a month and a half when he tore his cornea. The good thing that came out of it was we had a much closer bond then before.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
55 degrees and above: no blanket
40 - 45 degrees: light blanket (I have never used a sleazy to blanket a horse, only as a shoulder guard)
39 and below: heavy blanket
Just curious, how did she get her injury?
Don't up her grain while she is stall bound. That will only make her more energetic and wanting to move. Do free feed her all the hay she wants while she is there . Hay will give her something to do and will keep her warm in the winter, better then any blanket. if its horribly terribly cold use a light sheet in the day and a thicker rug at night. But by horribly cold I mean teens or less temp wise.
to keep her mind occupied. Play a radio in the barn for sound. Drop an apple or pear into her water bucket to encourage her to drink and play to get it. Play with her or brush her daily to keep her stimulated
Also, You might want to get a second opinion from a different vet. I've never had a vet say to restrict movement to that extent unless he thought the bone was broken. Horses who stand too long without enough movement risk founder in the other feet and a host of other problems. A quarter mare I had ran a board threw her stifle. It left a open gaping hole that I could put my fist inside and see the patella head in. It could not be surgically closed due to its size and possible contamination. The vet wanted her stalled but also wanted her hand walked 2-3 times a day slowly for 5-10 minutes at first building to 15 -30 minutes as she tolerated it over 3 weeks. He said the movement would encourage blood flow to the area and help speed healing.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Its just a thought, since no vet should be worried about a second opinion, and not every vet knows everything
Well, I'd get her racehorse haylage - it keeps their weight up over the winter. Also in her feed I ' d add apple cider vinegar - its full of vitamins and minerals what she'll be missing out on.
Its good you got her a no chew and a jolly ball. Get her a salt lick, also get her a ball that she has to roll on the floor to get treats/nuts out, i know she has to do minimum movement, but it keeps her back and neck muscles moving.
Fuss her alot and groom her.
Try moving her to a more active yard where there is lots to see if she's not already on one.
