Southern Horse Magazine June / July 2016 | Page 40

Laura Oldroyd BVetMed MRCVS from Peter Fenton Equine Vets Ltd Gives us some valuable advice on Stable Rest Unfortunately horses tend to suffer from a high number of injuries to their musculoskeletal system that often result in a period of box rest. This might fill a number of horse owners with dread, however most horses will adjust to their new routine in due time. This withstanding it is important to manage these horses differently from those that are still able to be exercised and it is often necessary to adjust their feed intake to reduce excessive calorie consumption. It is important to make the transition from their old to new routine as smooth as possible to avoid any gastrointestinal upset. The most important aspect to consider when managing a horse on stable rest is their diet. Due to a reduction in exercise levels there is normally no need for most horses on box rest to be receiving a hard feed if they are still receiving adequate forage. At the very least the hard feed should be reduced by 50% as otherwise they will be receiving far too many calories. This in turn can lead to weight gain, excitability and bad behaviour. Foods high in sugar should be avoided and replaced with [email protected] those that have lower levels such as grass based chops. If you are making any changes it is often advisable to make them gradually over at least four days if not more. For example on the first day 75% of the old feed and 25% of the new feed, on the second day 50% of each, on the third day 25% of the old feed and 75% of the new feed and finally on the fourth day 100% of the new feed. However it is important not to feed a hard feed purely for your own satisfaction as most horses will not require it and gaining weight can have dramatic consequences such as laminitis. Forage such as hay or haylage is normally more than enough to meet your horse’s maintenance energy requirements. It is still important to monitor this as well as too much can also negatively impact upon the rested horse. Usually providing 2.5% of a horses weight in forage will allow them to stay at the same weight. For example a 500kg horse should be fed 12kg of hay a day if they are not being fed any other hard feed. In addition to this it is always important to check the quality of the forage you are providing as some poor types of hay/haylage can cause gastrointestinal problems (e.g. colic). If you are worried that your horse will eat their hay too quickly and be left bored for the rest of the day you can place it within two hay nets or one with smaller holes, hopefully slowing them down. Boredom can also be reduced by providing stable toys, just avoid filling them with a lot of sugary treats and undo all the previous good work. Sometimes a worrying consequence of stable rest is a horse developing swollen legs. This is normally purely due a lack of movement and of very little consequence to health. However, if you have any concerns it is always best to get them checked out by your own veterinarian as in some cases it might be an indication of disease. Furthermore it is important that the stable your horse is in is well ventilated as otherwise it could possibly lead to the development of allergic airway disease. Another health aspect to consider is the fact that a horse stabled all the time will need their bedding changed more frequently. Wet bedding can lead to superficial skin infections as well as issues with hoof quality. When it is time to reintroduce walking exercise sometimes it might be necessary to use a mild sedative for safety reasons. It is best to discuss this with own veterinarian if this is something that you wish to consider. Page 40