Maintaining The Injury Prone Horse

[tempest_eventer]

I have recently bought a eventing prospect, an OTTB mare who is VERY injury prone. Yet only in the paddock, not when ridden. After ten years of easy to maintain horses I am looking for ideas on how to wrap her in cotton wool and bubble wrap:winkgrin:!

She is kept in a paddock of about 3 acres with my dressage/broodmare with good fences and no ‘hazards’. We know it is not the other horse as she was only put in a few days ago. Stabling is not an option.

I was thinking paddock boots but am not sure on brands and am worried about them getting too hot in the Australian summer heat, any recommendations? Is there anything else I can do?
TIA

[JB]

What exactly are her injuries? is she just a spaz? How old is she, how long OT, and what is her diet?

Being out full time, boots are really not an option - too hot, trap debris, etc.

[tempest_eventer]

[QUOTE=JB;9021228]
What exactly are her injuries? is she just a spaz? How old is she, how long OT, and what is her diet?

Being out full time, boots are really not an option - too hot, trap debris, etc.[/QUOTE]

She gets a lot of knocks and cuts but she’s not clumsy, she is definitely not a ‘spaz’ she is actually pretty calm. She is six and has been ot since October 2015. She gets Seedhouse glow, chaff and magnesium.

That is why I was worried about boots…

[joiedevie99]

I know plenty of horses that have been fine in boots 8-10 hours per day, but none that have been out 24/7 in boots.

I’d suggest you meet with the farrier. The best line of defense is to make sure the horse is perfectly balanced and able to move straight with a proper breakover.

If that is going to take some time, many horses do fine in bell boots 24/7 provided someone flips them up and cleans under them daily. It also helps to buy two different brands and switch them daily - so they don’t hit in exactly the same place all the time.

[mountainhorse]

Bell boots are easy, like joie said.
If you think she is ‘hitting’ herself in the field and creating nicks and cuts, perhaps working on her proprioception in hand and then under saddle would be helpful.

[clarity]

Bubble wrapping the environment is easier than bubble wrapping the horse! The ones with no self preservation always find a way to turn the bubble wrap into a weapon. My advice would be to be hyper vigilent about maintaining the turnout area and keep the feed as low sugar as possible. And definitely rotate bell boots so they can be worn all the time.