Who doesn't love a little TLC? And for this young foal, the horse breakfast in bed does the trick.
She sits up for her favorite breakfast meal with her frizzy bed hair.
This foal is on stall rest because she injured her leg but is making the best of its comfort.
People tend to forget how much time and effort it takes to take care of an injured horse.
Horse injuries are a fact of life, but you can't let them stop you from caring for your horse. Here's how to make sure your horse is as safe as possible while in stall rest.
- When your horse gets hurt, keeping them from moving around too much is essential. This is especially true if they're on stall rest.
If you think about it, it's not a good idea for your horse to try and get up and walk around when injured—it could worsen the injury!
The best thing you can do for them is to keep them on stall rest until the wound heals. So some breakfast in bed would be a great idea.
- Ensure there is enough natural light and fresh air. Being cooped up all day can be distressful to anyone. It's even worse when there isn't enough light and fresh air.
- Keep them as calm and quiet as possible. This is especially important if they have injuries that make them sore from standing or moving around.
You want them to heal quickly so they can return to work as soon as possible, so try to keep them as comfortable as possible.
- Give extra attention. Be prepared for emergencies that may arise during this time, including potential injuries and illnesses. An injured horse can become aggressive because they're hurting, so call for help if necessary.
- Ensure they have access to clean bedding and a dry area to avoid infections. Couple it up with proper and extra grooming.
- Adjust your horses diet. This should be done with consultation from your vet, of course. But one vital thing is that the food should be fresh, clean and dust free.
Ensure that you feed smaller meals frequently as opposed to one huge meal. This will aid in keeping your equine friend occupied and reduce boredom.
With these few tips, your equine friend will be up and about in no time. Our little princess foal finally healed with no damage to her legs, and I bet she's somewhere running in the fields.
ALSO CHECK: Horse Eating Hay Video
Resources
- 1. Henderson AJZ. Managing the Stall rest. Published May 2013. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Antonia-Henderson/publication/270569898_Confinement_refinement_Managing_the_stall_rest_sentence/links/54ad8a820cf2213c5fe41147/Confinement-refinement-Managing-the-stall-rest-sentence.pdf
- 2. Smith F. Experiments on the Essential Diet for Horses, and the Digestibility of Hay and Oats. The Veterinary Journal and Annals of Comparative Pathology. 1886;23(11):314-318. doi:10.1016/S2543-3377(17)39123-9
So, did you offer your horse breakfast in bed? Let us know how the experience was!
