Advice please - Ridden Walking Exercise (Tendon Injury Rehab)

[Smurphy]

I have been given the go ahead to start riding my boy, 6 months from his injury (SFT).

He was on box rest for 4 ½ months, handwalked or on the horse walker daily.
He has been turned out in a small paddock for the last 8 weeks with no walking exercise (advice from my vet).

I am going to handwalk him with tack for week before I get on board.

My problem is after 5 weeks ridden walking, the clocks will go back and I wont be able to ride before or afterwork as I work full time.

My question is- after walking for 5 weeks on roads etc (a solid surface) will it be ok to carrying on my walking in the indoor school (3x week max & hacking out at weekends) after this time. The school has a nice level surface, not at all deep etc?

Or would you wait until next year to bring him back to work?? (not keen on this idea)

 

[L&M]

Don't know if this helps but my lad was in a similiar situation and had to do all his hand walking and ridden walk work in the school - we live on the hilly welsh borders and had no flat roads to walk on.
He also had 6mnths off/box rest and is now sound with a good prognosis of returning to his 'normal' life so hope that gives some encouragment.

 

[AmyMay]

I had this problem a few years ago with a horse - although a little bit later in the year. So there was no chance of me doing any ridden work on the roads because of work.

I paid someone to do it for me. The horse was ridden for 6 weeks on the road - with the work load increased up to cantering. And then continued in the school where the horse continued to be beautifully schooled (absolute bonus!!).

 

[AandK]

i would ask the vet..
i am in a similar situation.. horse has suspensory injury, nearly 2 months in to rehab now.. mid Oct will be 3 months when he is up to 30 mins walking a day, he will then have a scan to re-assess.. any work i do during the week going forard from this will have to be done in the school as i will not be able to take him on the roads before/after work due to light issue.. i will discuss with the vet to see what he thinks, luckily the school has a v good surface and we have a walker but i really don't want to put him on the walker 5 out of 7 days a week.!! 2/3 is not too bad but no more if it can be avoided..

it would be a shame to wait until next year to bring your boy back after all this time.!

good luck

 

[RachelB]

I would be asking my vet that question, personally. I am in a very similar situation with my mare, but she is no longer allowed to do anything more than hacking as her injury was so bad. It has been decided that it'll do her no harm being walked out under saddle for short periods as often as I can, probably about three times a week. If I had a school and was allowed to school, I'd keep on doing that. It's only because my vet expressly forbade me to school her again that I know I can't. Darned winter

 

[TayloredEq]

I would suggest you still ask your vet, but if it helps to ease your mind we have had a horse referred to us with a tendon injury to do his walk work on our horsewalker because it has a surface rather than rubber.

 

[RachelB]

[ QUOTE ]
I would suggest you still ask your vet, but if it helps to ease your mind we have had a horse referred to us with a tendon injury to do his walk work on our horsewalker because it has a surface rather than rubber.

[/ QUOTE ]
I would add to that, DEFINITELY ask your vet about using a walker if you want to use one - that's another thing my horse is no longer allowed to do because of the nature and severity of her injury. Walkers can be useful as long as they are used on the right types of injury!

 

[TayloredEq]

Just to add that our walker is also oval rather than round so that the horses are not always on a turn.

 

[Scribbles]

Just take a bit longer I'd say - extend the amount of time it takes. There's no need to wait until next year, just take the amount of time a bit longer.

 

[hellybelly6]

My horse split his DDFT last year and was only on box rest whilst he had stitches and then went on limited turn out. He was walked out in hand and after 6 weeks I was riding him - all this at the advice of the vet and because my horse is a calm character. I did not circle him for about 6 months post injury.

I was advised to ensure J had lots of gentle regular exercise to avoid adhesions forming in the tendon and to align the new tendon fibres straight.

My recommendation would be to check with your vet, but personally if you are riding him in the same manner in which he is walked in hand, I do not see a difference and neither did my vet.

 

[wjgfred]

Hi,

I would also suggest you check with you vet. However if it helps I am just a little bit infront of you with this.

My horse had a severe injury to his DDFT and also collateral ligament damage. He had 2 months box rest with 20 min walks in hand twice a day (to stop the adhesions etc). The original plan was for him to be turned away for 12 months as his injury was so severe.

However he was so good on his first 3 month review that the vet agreed for me to start walking him in hand for 20 mins, he then agreed after 2 months of soundness doing this that he could have the walking in hand increased at 5 mins per week. We got to 45 mins and he was reviewed and still sound. He then said (2 days ago) that I could start riding.

I was told to ride in walk for 30 mins a day and that either the road or school was okay. He said that the problems are on uneven hard ground, also that I should not do hills for sometime. I have to do 30 mins for 2 weeks then if he is still sound increase again 5 mins per week until 45 mins. Then he will re-assess (I presume we would start introducing some trot if he is okay at this stage).

All vets seem to have different opinions of this and every injury is individual, but I hope my experiences help a little. My vet (and oesteopath) were of the opinion that there is a difference between in hand and ridden work and I was told that when you go from walking in hand to ridden you should cut the time down by a third.