Looking for some advice from any others who have dealt with this. My mare is coming off 6 months of stall rest after tearing the lateral collateral ligament of her coffin joint.
She has been an angel on stall rest, no drugs, no issues at all. Honestly, I think she’s been loving being an indoor horse. Spending her days eating hay/alfalfa and taking naps in fresh shavings, daily walks….living the dream.
Now we’re working on re-joining the outside world and she is not here for it. We’ve done 3 days of turnout so far - 1st 2 days with Ace and the 3rd day with no drugs. She’s done virtually zero running/bucking/playing BUT she won’t venture more than 20 ft from the gate. She’s either standing at the gate or pacing at the gate. When the pacing started getting more and more frantic I’ve brought her in because I don’t want her re-injuring herself but I know I’m just rewarding the behavior. So she’s been out for a max of 3 hrs so far and that was a stretch.
I expected an adjustment period but I’ve been surprised that she has zero interest in grazing with her friends or being outside. Prior to her injury she was out 8+ hrs a day.
What would you do or have you done for a horse that doesn’t want to rejoin the outside world?
We’re going to try a different pasture (one she is more familiar with and further away from the barn) and a different pasture buddy tomorrow.
Wondering if I need to move her to a stable where she can be out 24/7 or should I just let her pace until she eventually hopefully gets over it?
She needs that adjustment period you’re talking about. Personally, I would do your hand/tack walking outside first. The more she’s outside the better. The different pasture/buddy might help too. See if you can watch her somewhere that she can’t see you, and try to catch her BEFORE the pacing starts. Even if it’s only 10 minutes. You have to find a starting point. That way you’re rewarding her for quiet/normal behavior, not the pacing. 
I wouldn’t let her pace or force her hand with 24/7 turnout due to the nature of her injury, the risk for re-injury is too great.
Swap the ace for twice daily trazadone for a while.
And I agree on some quite hand walking as many times a week as you can. Maybe turn her out for the time you know, based on this recent history, she’ll stay quiet, then take her for a 10-15 minute walk, and see if you can get that turnout time increased over days and weeks
Have you tried sitting in a chair with her outside in the pasture or feeding her a little alfalfa outside away from the gate? Start lunch feeding outside?
She had the cushy life and now you are sending her out of her safe place and she feels all alone.
Anxiety meds would be helpful here. If she starts pacing, I’d put a lead rope, hand graze and turn back out once calmed down. Rinse repeat… now she thinks… pacing =indoors.
She’s been hand walked twice a day every day since she started stall rest and for longer periods the month leading up to turnout so I don’t think it’s an issue with being outside. We started the outside transition last week and have been doing Ace and Trazadone. She starts pacing the minute you turn her loose so there isn’t really a chance to bring her in before it starts. I’ve tried hand grazing her in the pasture and slipping the halter off but she immediately heads to the gate and starts pacing. I work full time and have taken time off to try to re-acclimate her but I board her 30 min from my house so there’s only so much I can do. I’m just feeling a little lost and unsure what else we can do besides let her wear herself out and hope she doesn’t reinjure herself.
We’ve started Trazadone with the Ace and it’s maybe slowed down her pacing but she still starts pacing the minute she’s turned loose. She’s been hand walked outside twice a day from day one of stall rest and more in the month leading up to turnout. I’m just feeling at a loss of what else we can do.
but, hand walking/in-hand work either before, or after (and maybe before, since she starts pacing as soon as she’s turned loose) is different from doing them separately. It’s worth a try
How much traz? Twice a day?
Is there a quiet old horse that she can be turned out with as a buddy? Mine was always nervous being turned out alone, even with other horses in the paddock next door. But one friend in the same paddock makes a world of difference.
My gelding was on 3 mos strict stall rest and adjusted easily, like your girl. I imagined he would be thrilled to go back out w his bestie. But all he wanted was to stay in his stall. It was weeks before he happily went out. I did walk him out to his pasture, near his buddy, and tried to leave him there. Sometimes it worked. It’s a bigger adjustment than we expect, I guess.
no advice but going through the same thing 
