Caring for Your Horse on Stall Rest

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If you’ve ever had to have a horse on strict stall rest, you know it can be trying (to say the least). Your horse gets bored and everyone begins to act out. So here are some tips on making tall rest less painful for everyone from the good folks Alnorthumbria Equine Vets.

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Alnorthumbria Equine Vets have embarked on a project to improve the guidance provided to horse owners whose horses are on box or stall rest. Box rest involves confining a horse to its stable for a period to aid recovery from injury or illness. While this environment is unnatural for horses, proper management can minimize physical and mental stress.

As part of the project, equine nurses at Alnorthumbria Equine Vets are offering box rest advice to clients on discharge. Nurses then follow up with owners after around four days and after one month, to monitor each horse’s circumstances and provide further support. A follow-up survey with owners will then evaluate the improvements it has made to their horse’s welfare.

Here, the team at Alnorthumbria Equine Vets share their advice to make box rest more manageable for both horses and their owners:

Follow Your Vet’s Instructions

Always adhere to your vet’s guidance, including medication schedules and wound care. Discuss with your vet whether hand-walking your horse for grass is safe.

Provide plenty of enrichment

  • Offer different types of forage in various spots around the stable to encourage movement. Soaking hay in herbal teas or mixing grass, hay, haylage, and straw can add variety. As lots of usual choices have been removed, giving horses this element of choice over their food is important.
  • Use treat balls, hay balls, and hanging fruits or vegetables to keep your horse engaged. Carrot balls and hidden vegetables in hay nets are also great options. Some horses also enjoy the presence of soft toys.
  • Allow your horse to see other horses, yard activities, or even other animals. Mirrors can also help simulate equine company, and human interaction through grooming is beneficial.
  • Leave a radio on for comforting background noise.

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Feeding and nutrition

  • Ensure your horse has access to good quality hay or haylage, typically around 2% of their body weight daily. For weight management, this can be reduced to 1-1.5% under vet advice.
  • Always provide fresh, clean water. If your horse isn’t drinking enough, add molasses or apple juice to water and offer sloppy feeds to increase water intake and reduce the chance of impaction colic.
  • Soak or steam hay before feeding to minimise dust. To promote weight loss, soak for up to 12 hours and then rinse to remove sugars from the hay.
  • Hand pick grass, as your horse will not have access to this during box rest.
  • Feed according to workload and follow any dietary recommendations from your vet, such as limited feed for ponies with laminitis.
  • Introducing new feeds slowly is crucial to avoid colic. If your horse shows signs of colic, please get in touch with your vet.

Keep your horse comfortable

  • Keep the stable clean and well-ventilated with a comfortable warm bed and dust free bedding to prevent any respiratory issues.
  • Consider whether your horse is likely to eat the bedding substrate, such as straw.
  • Don’t deep litter as the wet can cause feet problems and the ammonia smell can cause respiratory issues.
  • Pick out feet once to twice daily to reduce the risk of thrush. Following picking out, use a wire brush to clean the feet before applying a copper sulfate cream. Don’t apply this to the skin as it is very drying.

Pharmaceutical aids to help your horse tolerate box rest:

  • Trazodone reduces horse’s steps and anxiety and is administered in feed.
  • ACP (Relaquin) is a short-acting paste given by mouth.
  • Domosedan gel is short-acting and is applied under the tongue.

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For more detailed advice and support, always consult with your vet. Proper management and care can make a significant difference in your horse’s recovery journey.

About Alnorthumbria Equine Vets
Alnorthumbria Equine Vets is part of CVS Group. CVS Group operates across small animal, farm animal, equine, laboratories and crematoria, with over 500 veterinary practices, referral centres and sites in the UK and Australia. In the last five years the company has invested nearly £80 million in its sites, facilities and equipment, in addition to industry leading training and support, to give the best possible care to animals.