Back into work.....

[CPW]

I am bringing my horse back into work after five months off after laminitis - he is sound on the soft but not on the hard so am just starting off in the school - this is under the advice of the vet. He also has sacroilliac problems. Any ideas on good routine to bring him back into work and fitten him up?

 

[CBAnglo]

If he has sacroiliac problems I would start off lunging him long and low and over poles. This will encourage him to work from behind and build topline.

One of mine has a sacroiliac strain and this is what I have to do with him. I am bringing him back into work this weekend after 6 weeks off (aggravated strain + abscess) and so I am starting with lunging for 2 weeks, every other day for 10 mins or so on each rein, just walk and trot with lots of transitions and poles etc. Long warm up and long warm down. After 2 weeks I will get on for a bit of work in walk, just asking him to do spirals and transitions etc building up the time he is worked and bringing in some trot. Will see how he is getting on. Have brought him back into work so many times now and each time it has been different. When he was off work for 7 months, I spent a good month just lunging him W/T/C and polework as he had no topline at all. Then I started hacking him very gently building it up everyday.

The other times he had been ready for faster work much sooner. It really depends but if you work him quite consistently he should only need about 6-8 weeks to be in reasonable shape.