Have you ever just thrown an injured/rehab horse out to pasture?

[CanteringCarrot]

I’m considering putting my 9 year old out on pasture (24/7 or with smaller paddock at night…depends on the stable) due to a string of ailments.

He has allergies that are currently under control with no medication, and being outside is always beneficial for that it seems.

He has a potential suspensory injury on a hind leg (awaiting vet/diagnosis) and his stifles aren’t so great…but we cannot find anything actually wrong with them and when in proper work, they really don’t bother him or pose much of a problem.

He has corrective shoes on the front (had sheared heels and some other issues) I’m hesitant to pull his current shoe job. He is barefoot behind.

Work helps his breathing and stifle, but could be a detriment to the crack and suspensory…so it’s kind of a crap shoot.

He’s a calm guy out in the pasture, but anything could happen…but being in a box is depressing and not so good for his other issues.

I’m considering moving him to a different stable with less amenities because I don’t really need much given his limitations and he’s already bleeding my wallet dry with his vet bills.

I don’t know if I should try a stall bound based rehab first, or just toss him out to pasture.

Anyone ever been in a similar situation? Or have any results/input?

[goodmorning]

Dr. Green is a good option but get the suspensory checked. He may need a combo of stall + then chuck him out to pasture. Shoes behind may help the stifles, have you considered that?

Once you get the tendon sorted out I would see what the vet says. If he is sensible turnout right away may be fine, sometimes a vet will say no rest, walking to prevent scar tissue/adhesions right away. It totally depends on the type of injury & extent.

I have one sort of out to pasture, I’m giving her two years (she’s a broodmare in the meantime) to recover from a pasture injury that ruined her fetlock. I had the bone fragments removed but she went suddenly lame, could find nothing, so she’s getting two years off and I’ll reevaluate then. Of course she is sound and has been for months, looks fantastic…tempting to pull her out now but tincture of time.

[walkinthewalk]

1. I have yet to have my lameness vet recommend 24/7 turnout but maybe that’s because he knows I am against it:). My horses are home and I have my land cross-fenced to where even the 3/4 acre barnyard can be used as a sick bay if I need to really confine a horse’s outdoor activity.

2. “Pasture” is by whose definition. Is it over-crowded and your horse stands a chance of exacerbating his injuries tryingto defend himself, or is there plenty of room for everyone to get healthy exercise?

2.1. Ideally, your horse could come in at night, out in the daytime, IMHO. However, if 24/7 or put in stall the better part of 24 hours are your only options — I would leave him out 24/7 and assume he at least has a shelter when the weather is bad:)

[Foxglove]

Not on purpose, but yes. Grand daughter had a 4-H horse who was her one-and-only 4-H horse for 10 years. He was 8 when we got him. Over the next 10 years the 4-H horse life took it’s toll and by the end of his 4-H career, he had lots of things wrong with him —mainly arthritis based issues. Grand kid left for college. We decided that Osphos, Tilldren, Adeqine, Joint injections, etc. etc. etc were just too costly, although we’d done all of them the last few years for him. We did keep up the special shoes for his comfort. Turned hi out on 20 acres with a buddy. Feb 20, 2019 my second-string archery horse got a hoof abscess --need a practice horse so I don’t burn out my competition horse. Pull the 4-H horse out of the pasture. Start him back with gentle riding --and he’s sound. SOUND. Shoer suggests because of his age get him an injection of Legend since I’ll be using him this summer for practice. Do so. Horse is off to a clinic with me shortly. I doubt he’d hold up to hard work --but archery is a 90 meter canter then stand around for an hour . . .he can be back up to the competition horse. Meanwhile, that hoof abscess is resolving, slowly, so slowly —and yes, there is a vet and farrier working with this horse --please don’t tell me “the” cure for a hoof abscess . . . we’ve tried it. It’s just a slow process for this particular horse.

[scrbear11]

@walkinthewalk

1. I have yet to have my lameness vet recommend 24/7 turnout but maybe that’s because he knows I am against it:). My horses are home and I have my land cross-fenced to where even the 3/4 acre barnyard can be used as a sick bay if I need to really confine a horse’s outdoor activity.

Interesting. My normal vet, and the lameness vet in our area (very well known) both do not like or encourage 24/7 turnout. Obviously, there are instances where 24/7 turnout is necessary. Both preach, the field is for eating, the box is for resting.

[B_and_B]

Yes. Last spring, my draft horse managed to tear nearly completely a hind deep digital flexor tendon. And strain something in two other legs. He could not turn on less than a 20 meter circle or back up (being able to take a single step backwards was almost six months) so a stall or tight paddock was out of the option. He also hates confinement with a passion. We simply put him out in the field making sure he could get at water without having to turn or back. The vet said he might be sound in 9 to 12 months, and it seems he is though I have yet to put him into real work.
But: pasture was three plus acres of good grass, companion was a calm pony with no interest in playing. AND the draft was smart about not even trying to do more than hobble at a walk for months.

[streamline]

I had a 3 year OTTB that came to me super lame. Horrible stifles I don’t think I’ve ever seen a horse so hitchy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a hind suspensory either.

Then he banged his front leg and his fetlock/tendon area swelled up to the size of a balloon. I boarded at a place that only had pasture board.

I dont get along with the only sports medicine/lameness vet around here so I didn’t even bother.

When we pulled this horses shoes he couldn’t walk for about a week, we put him in those cloud boots and he got around okay.

He basically sat for a year. Then got strangles. Once that healed up I started some really light riding with him. His lameness got better, the more I worked him the better he got.

Hes still a little funky but he would rather work than not. I think it depends on the horse.

If I can find some video of how messed up his front and stifle was I’ll post it.

IME for rehabbing back suspensorys its almost better to turn them out

[Guilherme]

I have never “thrown” a horse needing some R&R onto a pasture. I have designed a turn out regime that gave an injured or ill horse the best opportunity for a recovery. This is just following the Golden Rule of Equine Husbandry: Give the horse what it needs, when it needs it, and in appropriate quantity and quality.

As with many things, the Devil is in the details. Be thoughtful and follow the Rule.

G.

[Palm_Beach]

I’d find out what the vet recommends. Some injuries need activity restriction or they won’t heal. Once they can handle light activity, I am fine with them out in a small paddock. It’s always the vet’s call, though.

[Xanthoria]

Yep. Just finished 6 months in pasture for collateral cartilage injury. 3 months off, 3 months rehab - we are at 30 mins walk, 20 trot. I was a bit uneasy about horse just staying out 24/7 in the herd (vs the usual stall rest) but he appears to be sound now…:eek:

[Saskatoonian]

I have, though not with a suspensory, and only after trying literally everything else, including over a year of stall rest / hadwalking / carefully introduced and managed partial turnout. Had my sports medicine / lameness vet’s blessing. It didn’t fix the problem.

[Madison]

You need to know more about the suspensory before you can make a plan. I had a gelding who strained his suspensory, no tears or lesions, and he did not cope well with stall rest at all, so we gradually introduced very restricted turnout so long as he behaved. He was ready to start rehabbing just as winter was setting in and we had no indoor, so my vet said turn him out for the winter (he came in overnight, out all day), and wait and do his rehab in the spring. It worked wonders, he came back 110% sound, looked great, and is now happily jumping around, doing his job. So, turnout can be beneficial, but I do think it still has to be managed carefully and with a plan with your vet. Mine was turned out solo, so he was limited to socializing over the fence line, and we kept him in a smaller space as long as we could.

[findeight]

Depends on your definition of " throw him out". I, personally, wouldn’t abandon him to natures whims. But you know, until about 50 years ago, Dr Green was all we had, vets did not have portable imaging equipment on the truck and clinics were few and far between outside of vet schools and even they didn’t have what’s available today. We didn’t know what was wrong.

Dr Green does not really mean return to the feral state, but it means lots of time outside to move a little constantly as horses are built to do naturally. Unforced low stress, repetitive motion possibly including terrain for hours daily. like 8-12 if they don’t just live out.

The snag here is a possible suspensory that typically does need full rest to heal. IIWY, would get that imaging done and be sure what’s going on. But Dr. Green is definately a great option for horse and wallet healing.

At my long time barn, there was a field on a hillside that became home for a number of pricey horses that blew up the bank on diagnostics and treatments with no answers. There was grass, shade trees, varied terrain and fairly steep climb to where the hay and water were, Nothing was head bobbing when it moved out there and they stayed out 24/7 9 months of the year. All of them improved in overall health and attitude, most went back to work. They weren’t mine, no idea how they did long term but other trainers sent a few of their walking vet bills over and were pleased.

You need to modify the details to suit your needs and what is available but be sure you don’t risk further suspensory damage before you proceed. Some of these do need stall rest to fully heal. But after that a long stint with Dr Green is probably better then all the whiz bang, fancy. bill padding treatments to get them back to work ASAP. Often to reinjure because they were rushed back before fully ready. Two different vets told me that, lamenting the fact owners didn’t want to really rest the injuries, including one vets wife’s horse.

[midkniggit]

I did, with a suspensory injury. Horse was in his late 20s, and the vet suggested just retiring him. I kept him up in a stall and small paddock for a couple weeks, then turned him back out. He became pasture sound again very quickly, and about a year later I tried him under saddle again, and he was completely sound. I fully retired him about a year and a half after that, but not for lameness reasons. Granted, I was not trying to bring him back for competitive purposes, but trails can be pretty tough on the legs and he was fine with them.

[beowulf]

In my experience, time off in movement is beneficial provided the injury does not need controlled management for the first duration of healing. Time off in a stall… not always beneficial. So if you mean “thrown out” to 24/7 pasture with a run-in and buddy, I say it may be worth a try depending on what you’re dealing with. If you mean “throw out” as in, stalled 1/2 the time (so, like a normal horse in a normal boarding barn 8 hrs turnout, 16 hrs of stall…) I’d say don’t waste your money/time.

I do not believe that “time off” in a stalled environment is beneficial to horses when they are in the rehabilitation phase of their rehab. I firmly believe that this, plus impatience in returning to work, are the two major reasons so many horses get re-injured. However… stalling is beneficial when they are in the healing phase and is necessary when you are managing the early stages of healing from most injuries. My experience has been time off, stalled, makes horses overall more body sore and doesn’t help in any way to condition the limb once the injury is healed and ready for rehabilitation.

I threw out a TB that had a pretty severe RF suspensory injury, IIRC something like 70% tear. It was over a decade ago. He was so awful in the stall (rearing, weaving, spinning) that after a few days of no change, I figured he’d be quieter if he was out. He was. He lived out 24/7 for about 2 years before I brought him back into work - that time frame was more because we were really conservative, and also, didn’t need to rush. He then went back to his prior level of work (BN) and then surpassed it, training up to Training level and carrying a Pony Clubber up through the levels for the next 10+ years.

Another TB we had, returned from lease dead lame and if I can speak frankly, was not in the best of care on his lease, which I was not aware of as I was out of state being someone’s working student. He had sustained a stifle injury (meniscus tear) and after speaking to some boarders at the barn, I learned he was lunged for an hour every day prior to being ridden… Anyway, in his case we stall-rested until rads showed stifle was healed enough, and then threw him in a herd on a hill in 24/7 turnout. Injected his stifle, kept him on hacking only for the first six months he returned to work, and then and he returned to being a BN horse for a friend. No issues.

I have also turned out a horse that had an absolutely gnarly 100% medial/lateral collateral ligament rupture in his hind leg. After 2 months of stall rest and a few re-imaging checks, vet and I agreed he’d be fine in full turnout because he was quiet, and naturally a horse that protected himself. He had another 5 months of no work at all, and then a very conservative rehabilitation plan where he hacked daily (walking only) for about 5 months. He returned to full work, no problems.

With all horses, these were very conservative plans. As a non-boarder, I have the luxury of taking my time… not an option that all people who pay premiums for boarding can afford.

My two cents, know the horse and their turnout habits, and know the injury. There are some injuries and/or issues that really benefit from the low impact, constant movement that 24/7 turnout requires. Stifle injuries, suspensory injuries, and some other soft tissue injuries, in my experience, can really benefit – once they have been proven to be partially healed by ultrasound and/or under vet’s guidance. My opinion and experience is the full turnout conditions the limbs way better than a controlled management regime could, and reduces risk of reaggravation in the future. YMMV.

Something to consider… my horses have been in full turnout (24/7, with run ins) for the last 15 years. Barring the suspensory, which was caused very poor shoeing that at the time I was not educated enough to recognize, we have been very lucky when it comes to soft tissue/work related injuries. The collateral ligament rupture horse came to me with the injury, and the stifle horse returned on lease with his injury as well. I hate to possibly tempt fate by saying this, but I really firmly believe the reason we have not been sidelined like peers in my barns have with random soft tissue injuries, is because our horses are constantly out, moving around, and the lack of stalling them has made their bodies stronger, healthier, and more resilient in work. We are eventers, if that matters…

[CanteringCarrot]

Thanks for the input everyone.

The vet will be out within the next few days and the horse is cold hosed, poulticed, and wrapped. He’s in his stall with a small paddock at the moment. Once we see what we are dealing with via imaging, then a better plan can be made. It’s just that some of his “ailments” benefit from movement and some from being rested but depending on the status of the injury, turnout looks to be better for him. Turnout is calm in a large field with shelter and a few other horses, or a field alone but near other horses, or in a smaller field alone and in his paddock at night so there are a few options. He’s calm and relaxed in all of them so I can be flexible.

He won’t turn feral as I will still be there everyday to groom him, look him over, and feed him his vit/min supplement. It will still be a monitored situation.

Another horse had a suspensory issue within the last year or so here, and it’s ironic because our horses are very well tended to and exercised appropriately in comparison to some others. But you know, the more you care…

If I am lucky (I’m not very good at that) it will be something minor.

[Scribbler]

My coach leases a pasture off site that is freakishly productive year round. It’s big enough for a small herd and big enough to gallop around in. Except in heavy snow the horses usually manage on grass year round.

She doesn’t turn out horses that have an acute injury and need nursing. But she does turn out horses that are NQR or not thriving in a barn situation for whatever reason. And it really does fix them.

There is water and a shed and a neighbor to keep an eye on them, but otherwise it is just natures whims. And they thrive. This includes WB and OTTB on down time. The OTTB come off a couple of years on pasture mellow and trainable.

I don’t think sending a horse out there with an acute suspensory injury would work. But in the healing phase or the NQR phase, maybe.

[Abbie.S]

Count me as another that feels that stall rest in many cases can actually be more problematic than helpful. For specific circumstances, it might just be necessary for a certain period of time, but given what we know about how much the horse’s entire system - gut, joint, circulatory, etc as well as their mental well-being - depends on constant access to movement of some kind…logic prevails that even limited movement, in a small paddock, is better than a stall in many cases.

Like beowulf, I also had a horse with a severe hind suspensory tear who was already bad to stall to begin with. Within a week he was so miserable and becoming dangerous to handle that I decided I didn’t care what the outcome would be - there was no way he was going to heal worth a damn if he was that unhappy. He got a walk-out stall with a 20x30 ft pea-gravel paddock in full view of barn activity. He stayed content like that for about a year until I had another ultrasound done, which showed far more healing than they had expected. He was 19 at the time, so no spring chicken, but with a full 18mo of controlled movement/rest and then a very slow re-introduction to work,he stayed sound for riding well through his twenties.

I will say - having had a taste of both sides of the coin, I have found in my own travels, conversations and experiences that “carefully kept” horses (think large show barns, horses stalled the majority of the time or with limited turnout) experience far more soft tissue injuries than those horses that are kept “like horses” (out 24/7 in all weather with access to shelter if desired, the larger the space the better). The folks who keep their horses more like the latter still experience injuries, but at a far lower rate and they are usually catastrophic accidents, which is the risk we all take by owning horses regardless of how you keep them. There is certainly something to be said for working with Mother Nature instead of working against her.

So if you have the space and the situation is right, I’d not think twice about putting a horse out for some length of time and letting nature do its thing.

[skyy]

I have done the stall rest thing with a suspensory horse and almost died handwalking him when it was time. He had stem cell, IRAP, etc. He was a bit nippy going in and came out a confirmed biter and could never jump again. My heart horse had a really bad check ligament tear 4 years ago. Vet said stall rest, stem cell, blah blah. This is the sweetest horse on the planet so I asked " What about significant turnout and benign neglect?" as I didn’t want his personality to change and vet said “If that’s what you want to do, go for it.” (Keep in mind that this is an FEI vet so he sees all kinds of sports injuires). It took a good 9 months to heal but he came back completely sound with the same sweet personality. Bear in mind that I do realize that suspensory injuries and check ligament injuries are 2 totally different creatures.

[walkinthewalk]

@scrbear11

Interesting. My normal vet, and the lameness vet in our area (very well known) both do not like or encourage 24/7 turnout. Obviously, there are instances where 24/7 turnout is necessary. Both preach, the field is for eating, the box is for resting.

What my vet has recommended in the past is “sick bay” ( the barnyard) during the day, which gives a horse free access to the barn and an open stall if they want to come in. In myinstances, the vet wanted the horse moving around BUT moving as it wanted to move – not another horse making it move. The injured horse could also see the other horses in the main pasture, which also helped:)

My horses come in at night anyway, which was fine with the vet as it gives the injured horse private and “safe” time to rest and lay down all he wanted to::). Which that horse did – I would hear him get up and down several times in the night:)