Advice on bringing a horse back into work.....please

[pocket]

The last five months have been a kind of living hell for Ralph and I......more so Ralph, bless him.

He developed a tendon sheath injury in October and was box rested for two weeks, I was just bringing him back to work at the walk, when some lovely do as you likies decided to steel approx £20,000 of tack from our yard! Which happened to include my saddles.

I went away for New Year with the intention of starting a little light work when I returned in mid January. With excitement I turned on my phone as I got off the plane to be given a text message to ring the girl who had been looking after Ralph whilst I was away......please call asap....my heart was in my mouth.

Ralph had been diagnosed with Strangles! Its now six weeks since he was diagnosed and to air on caution, I have left him in for 6 weeks. He's doing a few Spanish riding school tricks now so I'm sure he is fine and was swabbed today.

My question is, how should I bring him back into work, can anyone offer a sensible and safe (taking into consideration the tendon) way to bring him back into work.

We will be borrowing a saddle at present as he is such a strange shape (fat) he requires a hoop tree! We would be very grateful for any suggestions, also, should I boot or bandage him?

 

[dozzie]

<u>IMO</u> Loads (months)of walking!!!! The slower you take it the more chance of recovery. Start with 5 minutes working up to 10 in two weeks. Slowly increase by about five minutes per week. No hill work initially. Also, I was always told that road work is best for strengthening tendons but not sure if this is still considered the case. I used to walk my mare up and down yard two or three times a day and increase the number of times until she was walking for ten minutes. It must be done daily. I had to pay someone to ride for ten minutes every day when I couldnt do it due to work.

Id also try to walk in hand a bit before you turn out so that tendons have a chance to warm up- not sure if it makes a difference but if I was warming up for excercise myself I would start with low impact before I really started working to avoid injury- so I apply this rule to horses too!!! Then if they hoolie at least the legs and muscles are a bit warm!

If I were you though Id definitely talk to the vet as it depends on the injury.
Cant help with strangles so would definitely speak to vet re infecting others.
Hope this helps a bit but def talk to vet first.

 

[lexiedhb]

My old horse actually severed his tendon, but made a full recovery, (he could of been ridden but I chose to retire him), it was MONTHS of walk as dozzies mummy says. In hand first round the stables, then fields, then on the roads in hand until I was walking him for up to two hours everyday in hand, also if you can turn out in a really small paddock and if your horse is a bit of a nutter dope him slightly all the better, so he can just gently wander around on it, slowly slowly catchy monkey!! Your horses isnt as sever so you might get away with doing things fractionately faster As for strangles, not a clue sorry!!