Stall Rest

As far as treatment recommendations go for an injury or illness, stall rest can be a dreaded part of any horse’s care plan. Andy Ligon, DVM, of Gallatin, Tennessee, shares his thoughts on why stall rest may be indicated for your horse, why it can be a challenging practice for owners and horses, tips and best practices for making the experience as painless as possible, and recommended methods for transitioning off stall rest once your horse has healed. Customary reasons

According to Dr. Ligon, injuries are one of the most common reasons for a horse to be prescribed stall rest.  He lists lacerations, bowed tendons, tweaking joints, sprains and popping a splint as the usual culprits.

“The second most common reason is [recovery] from an elective-type surgery,” Ligon says.

One example of an elective surgery requiring stall rest is healing from a procedure to cut the check ligament to correct a club foot. In this case, he says, stall rest prevents overexertion and helps to ensure proper healing. A final common reason for stall rest is to aid in treating an impaction colic. Ligon says that being restricted to a stall can aid in withholding feed to “clear the horse out.”

Challenges

Whether your horse has been prescribed stall rest for one of the above reasons or something else, both horses and owners can find it challenging, particularly if the horse’s prescribed stay is a lengthy one.

“Stall rest can be a challenge if you’ve got a horse that won’t tolerate it,” Ligon says.

Some horses, he explains, can be very high-strung and will pace back and forth.

“They’ll do more damage to themselves in a stall than they would with restricted exercise or confinement,” Ligon explains.

Another challenge is housing. Sometimes, he elaborates, owners simply do not have a stall.

“Not everybody has a barn,” Ligon says.

In this case, he advises creating a temporary stall by erecting corral panels and using trees and tarps for shade.

Other times, it’s the horse owner’s schedule that creates obstacles. Some of Ligon’s clients have had jobs requiring long hours or long distances away from home, limiting their ability to manage the increased care required of a stall-bound horse. A final challenge he lists is cleanliness. For various reasons, it can be difficult to access the stall for cleaning. If the stall cannot be cleaned two to three times daily, ammonia from urine and feces can start to build up. If not addressed, this can create health conditions of its own.

Horses who have been prescribed stall rest benefit from having a companion for socialization. Added health concerns

Outside of the usual anticipated challenges of being on stall rest while working to heal one condition, stall rest can create others. Being on stall rest can cause horses to be stressed, stop drinking and go off their feed. In addition, the very nature of stall rest restricts the horse’s natural movement, the benefit of which is aiding in keeping food passing through the digestive system. While impossible to completely work around, owners prescribed stall rest for their horses should consider how outside stressors, such as celebratory holiday fireworks, might add to the stress levels of a stall-bound horse. Plans to help ease their anxiety should be made ahead of time, for example, moving the horse to an area of confinement with more space. To stay ahead of colic, Ligon advises closely monitoring fecal and urine output, water consumption and appetite.

Stereotypical behaviors

Weaving, pacing and cribbing are just a few of the concerning behaviors that can develop if a horse goes on stall rest.

“The horses are looking for something to do,” Ligon explains of these behaviors.

Ligon explains that High-strung horses and those from high-intensity careers are more likely to develop these behaviors while on stall rest. When that high-intensity job is taken away, they should be provided with some type of enrichment.

“That can be anything from a jolly ball to treat balls with grain hidden inside,” Ligon says. Splash toys, salt licks, companion animals, whether in the stall with them or at least visible, or even slow hay feeders, can make stall life tolerable. For some horses, over-the-counter calming supplements may be required. In extreme cases, he says, your veterinarian may provide your horse with a prescription for a tranquilizer.

If your veterinarian advises it, hand walking can be beneficial for stall-bound horses. Tips and best practices

Despite the challenges involved, there are some strategies you can undertake to improve the stall rest experience for your horse. One of these is stall size. Ligon says that recommendations for stall size will vary not only by the size of the horse but also by the reason that your horse has been prescribed stall rest. Some reasons require more restrictions on movement than others. At a minimum, he says the horse should be able to turn around and lay down, then easily get back up.

Another practice that Ligon recommends is hand walking. If prescribed by your veterinarian, a combination of hand walking and grazing for five to 10 minutes three times a day can be extremely beneficial for horses on stall rest. He says walking and bacteria found in the grass can work to keep the intestines moving and, therefore, help to ward off a case of colic.

In addition to being an enjoyable practice for you both, talking with your horse and grooming him can help alleviate boredom. Ligon also says, playing classical music on the radio can be calming for horses. During the summer months, fans, if practical, are another way to improve your horse’s comfort level by helping to alleviate the heat and keep flies at bay. Finally, you should talk with your veterinarian about any changes in the nutritional needs of your horse as a result of its decreased activity level.

Concluding the treatment

With everything that goes into it, whether your horse’s prescribed stall rest has been quick or lengthy, you’ll no doubt be looking forward to its conclusion. But even this requires careful preparation.

Ligon says that for extended stays, your veterinarian will likely provide a rehabilitation schedule that you should carefully follow to ensure a full recovery. For shorter stays, he recommends controlled exercise. He advises against turning horses out into an open field immediately after coming off stall rest, as doing so increases the likelihood of re-injury. Finally, Ligon says that just as when the horse is on stall rest, calming supplements and tranquilizers prescribed by your veterinarian can help fractious horses to make a smoother return to their normal lifestyle.

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