Another how would you bring this horse back into work question.

spider

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Sorry I have searched previous posts but nothing is covering quite the same situation. My horse has had a hoof abcess. He has been off work for four and a half weeks and on box rest for the last two and a half of those. Was thinking of reintroducing turnout first, then a week of walking, the next week adding in some trotting, and if all going well a little canter the week after that. Does that sound like a reasonable plan? Thanks in advance.
 

Polos Mum

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I am old fashioned but I work on the principle that they take as long to get back into work as the time they have had off.

Yours has had say 6 weeks off after getting him back out in the field so I would plan to build back up to his previous level of work over 6 weeks. So a little depends on how fit / how much work he was doing before.


More in the lower gears - 2-3 weeks walking, 15 mins building up to an hour, flat to start then more hills. then 2 weeks trot work again a few minutes building to longer session then canter in the last week - assuming he wasn't doing 4* events before he went off.
 

Sleipnir

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Turnout is best for horses with abscessed hooves! Of course, poulticing and care is essential, but regular turnout stimulates the natural pumping mechanisms of the hoof and helps in clearing out the infection. Definitely let him move. A good way how to introduce more movement to a horse who needs returning into work is long walks in-hand or in long reins. It's usually my first step, and only after some walking and trotting in hand I move on to riding at the walk and small moments of trot.
 

spider

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I am old fashioned but I work on the principle that they take as long to get back into work as the time they have had off.

Yours has had say 6 weeks off after getting him back out in the field so I would plan to build back up to his previous level of work over 6 weeks. So a little depends on how fit / how much work he was doing before.


More in the lower gears - 2-3 weeks walking, 15 mins building up to an hour, flat to start then more hills. then 2 weeks trot work again a few minutes building to longer session then canter in the last week - assuming he wasn't doing 4* events before he went off.

Thank you, I will do more slow work then. Unfortunately no hills at all round here! No definitely not 4* events, more like a prelim dressage test!
 

spider

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Turnout is best for horses with abscessed hooves! Of course, poulticing and care is essential, but regular turnout stimulates the natural pumping mechanisms of the hoof and helps in clearing out the infection. Definitely let him move. A good way how to introduce more movement to a horse who needs returning into work is long walks in-hand or in long reins. It's usually my first step, and only after some walking and trotting in hand I move on to riding at the walk and small moments of trot.

Thank you can definitely do some walks in hand. He was kept in on vet's advice as he was basically too lame to walk to the field and also piled on weight the moment I stopped riding so we were worried about lami. Planning to reintroduce turnout gradually after checking with vet today. Much less grass now.
 

be positive

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He only had 2 weeks on box rest so as he was not injured as such or unwell as in running a temperature in that time I would get on with the exercise with very little concession to his time off, I tend to take things slowly normally but in this instance I would be more inclined to crack on as you first suggested which will help get the weight down.
I think walking in hand or 15 mins hacking is ideal if they have had longer off or been pulled down physically but in this situation I feel it is too cautious, he is more at risk of laminitis than injury from doing too much from the sound of things so the sooner he is getting some sensible exercise the better.
 

eggs

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I always try and keep mine turned out with the hoof wrapped up if they have an abscess. If your horse was in work before the couple of weeks of box rest I would be tempted to turn out and then just crack on as normal when he is sound
 

spider

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He only had 2 weeks on box rest so as he was not injured as such or unwell as in running a temperature in that time I would get on with the exercise with very little concession to his time off, I tend to take things slowly normally but in this instance I would be more inclined to crack on as you first suggested which will help get the weight down.
I think walking in hand or 15 mins hacking is ideal if they have had longer off or been pulled down physically but in this situation I feel it is too cautious, he is more at risk of laminitis than injury from doing too much from the sound of things so the sooner he is getting some sensible exercise the better.

Thank you. That is what I was wondering and I couldn't find an example, as most horses on box rest have an injury that one has to be careful with for a while and most abscesses seem to sort themselves out within a couple of weeks. Obviously I would go on how he seemed once ridden but I am keen to get the weight down.
 

be positive

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Thank you. That is what I was wondering and I couldn't find an example, as most horses on box rest have an injury that one has to be careful with for a while and most abscesses seem to sort themselves out within a couple of weeks. Obviously I would go on how he seemed once ridden but I am keen to get the weight down.

I have never found they take much to get back after an abscess even when they have been on some box rest, once they are totally sound and back on normal turnout I just forget about the abscess and get back to where they were within a week or so, it is very different to how I would treat one that had been injured or ill when I probably go slower than many people might do.

I have one here that has been off for some time with an abscess that took ages to come out fully and he is going slowly because he was not very fit to start with and has now missed 2 months on and off but he is still up to a 1 hour slow hack or 20 mins in the school.
 
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