17/02/2025
*** BOX REST; HOW LONG IS TOO LONG?
I’ve posted this before, but it’s as relevant today as it was when I last posted it, and something I was asked about last week.
My clients will all be very aware that I very rarely recommend complete box rest. If a horse is comfy in walk, then any box rest I recommend will involve in hand walking and grazing from day one. I also very quickly get them out into pens in the field.
When is strict box rest, with absolutely no leaving the stable, ever warranted? In my opinion, the only time that a horse or pony should be trapped in a stable 24/7, is if they are severely lame in walk. And if severely lame in walk, then a decision must be made quickly as to whether box rest is even an option. If the severe lameness in walk is due to something that will almost definitely resolve, then in my opinion, that is acceptable. Other than that, they should be in hand walked, or grazed in hand, at least twice a day. Horses aren’t designed to be shut in a tiny crate (yes, that’s what most stables equate to) 24/7. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for stabling horses for routine management (mine are in overnight all year round), or even them staying in for the odd 24hrs here and there, but not for any prolonged length of time.
I have heard of horses kept shut in a stable for months with tendon injuries. In my opinion, this is cruel, and will likely lead to poor healing of the tendon anyway. We don’t want tendons to heal with lots of scar tissue, and this is exactly what will happen if the injured leg isn’t being regularly loaded.
Laminitis is my exception to the rule, but after a couple of months, I start to question whether persevering with box rest with little or no improvement, is in the horse’s best interests. If a laminitic can walk reasonably comfortably, then I get them into a sand or wood chip pen a couple of times a day, as early on as possible. Of course, if it is painful for a pony with laminitis to walk, then I wouldn’t be asking them to leave their deep bed. But I have a time limit on this before we start talking about whether it’s fair to carry on.
If a pony has to be managed due to being a high laminitis risk, then we must also question as to whether shutting a pony in a stable 22 hours a day, 365 days a year, amounts to a welfare concern. In my opinion, it does, by removing one of the five freedoms (freedom to express normal behaviour).
This post is more aimed at tendon and ligament injures, and I never put these on complete box rest, unless they are very lame in walk.
Temperament wise, some horses are better suited to box rest than others, and this really has to be considered and discussed for each individual case. Some horses would cause themselves further injury if put on box rest, and some may become dangerous to handle if on box rest. These horses I try to get out in a small pen in their field as quickly as possible.
Putting a horse on box rest when all other horses around them are turned out at a set time every day, is extremely difficult, and this is when I’d get the horse on box rest out for some in hand grazing, or an in hand walk. I advise my clients to take that horse out first, so that he doesn’t see the others being turned out. DIY Livery yards can be extremely tricky places to have a horse on box rest, as horses are often turned out at various times.
My (late) own horse, Harry, was a prime example. 85% rupture of his SDFT (tendon) in his front leg whilst competing for GB at the 3* European Championships in 2011. One week of box rest and then had a cast put on for one week. In hand grazing for hours every day by week three. Completely turned away by two months to allow him to move constantly. Completely sound after six months in the field. Turned away for a further year in the field. Came back to qualify for and compete at, the National Dressage Championships at Advanced Medium. His recovery was a lot to do with his temperament, as he has always been a fighter, and never one to give up easily. If I had felt at any point that he was depressed, or if he hadn’t been able to in hand walk by 3-4 weeks, I would have made the very difficult decision. He actually burst out of his stable with his huge cast on, during week two, and made a run/limp for it to his field!!
Harry then ruptured his hind tendon (SDFT) back in March 2023. Thanks to the fabulous Duracorral pen from FS animal health UK, he was out of his stable from day three.
To summarise, I don’t believe complete box rest (ie with no in hand grazing or in hand walking) is ethical for any horse for any long period of time. They don’t know why they’re shut in a tiny space, and we can’t explain to them. If you have the time and situation to box rest a horse whilst being able to get him out several times a day to mooch about/graze in hand, then that is the only way, in MY OPINION, to box rest a horse. If the horse is too lame to be able to go out to in hand graze after a few weeks, then a decision must be made. Box rest with in hand grazing and in hand exercise, requires a lot of time and effort, and if the horse has a suitable tendon or ligament injury and is sound in walk, then turning away is not the wrong option, especially if your only aim is to have the horse paddock sound.
Photo of my beautiful Harold, who ruptured his tendon out on the XC course when we were pathfinders for the GB team at the 3* European Championships back in 2011. This was on his return to competition in 2015, when he won consistently, again, at Advanced Medium level dressage, including the Petplan Area Festival!
Feel free to share without asking, but not to copy and paste.
When only a horse girl’s help will do 🐴 
