Bringing a horse back into work.... help please?

kellybee

kellybee

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My 16yr old Standie, (Ex track horse) whose past is something of a mystery has always been stiff in his hinds and lacking in topline. I've had him almst a year, and in that time he's dropped weight dramatically (due to encysted small redworms when I first had him), has slowly put the weight back on over the summer, during which time we built up his strength, fitness and saw improvement in his topline too. He was hacking, pleasure riding and we slowly taught him to jump this summer (yes, pacers, even 16yr old can jump!).

Then he started bucking which was completely out of character so I gave him a week off whilst waiting for his back to be treated (rotated atlas bone, slight curvature of spine and slightly mis-aligned hips). I was told to walk him in straight lines/very big circles for 20mins a day building up to an hour over a period of a week. However, the third day his field mate kicked him and he was lame. Three weeks later, he's sound again and have routinely completed the exercises given by the back lady but has been out of work for just over a month now.

Can anyone give me any pointers on where to go after he's been walked out for a week or so? I don't want to ask too much of him, especially as it's been a slow process in teaching him to use his topline instead of his underside. He's also stiff in his hinds and always has been, so not sure where to go from here.

Any help much appreciated!
 
Hi There,

Sounds like you have had a bit of a rough time. I can sympathise, my horse has been on and off work due to certain issues this summer.

Not sure if this will help, but my plan for her is to do 6 weeks of walk work, i started with 20 mins a day, and build it up 10 minutes each week. This is just hacking, to build her tendons and ligaments up and get her fitter.
After this, she will start doing some trot work, on soft ground (not too soft), starting with 5 mins and building up each week, can be split. She will do this for 5-6 weeks. Eventually, we will start to add in some short, steady canters, and gradullay build her up
over a period of 5-6 weeks.

This will mostly be done hacking, but around week 7-8, we may add in short schooling sessions, once a week. She was ridden 4 times a week, and this has slwoly been built up to 5 times and then 6 times a week. Her injury was a check ligament injury, which healed,
but then she had reactive sidebone and synovitis in her other foot.

I would say take it steady, build him up gradullay, and hopefully this will help. With the walking, it is a good forward walk, and she has built up her hindqaurters, which help her to keep her weight off her front end. I also do some leg yielding, whilst we are out hacking.

Good luck!
 
Same as baymare really.

I am bringing my horse back into work after 4 months box rest and then 4 weeks field rest. Initially we did 8 weeks of walk concentrating on working long and low. Did sessions of 20mins 3/4 times a week in the arena as we are only allowed on soft ground. Sometimes we did ground work instead of riding and plenty of lateral work to get all his muscles working again and keep his baring occupied as walking might get boring for them.

We are now at week 8 of introducing trotting. To start with we trotted just the long sides of the school and walk to short sides and built up how many trots we did in a session till I felt he was ready to trot all the way round. Then introduced one 20 m circle on each rein, then a few more seshions along the line introducing a figure of 8. Through out this trying to maintain the long and low frame. We are now doing 30-40 min rides 4 time a week in walk and trot and only had one set back. Finger crossed next week we moved onto canter.

Taking it really slowly has really benefitted him though as he's so much stronger and can hold a outline like he never has before.

Good luck with your horse x
 
I recently asked for advice about bringing a horse back into work....she's not been injured just been a field ornament for 3 years and is very unfit..'.'she's also 19
Walk, walk and more walk is what I was advised'...hacking rather than in the arena.
Short sessions building up to an hour a day then introduce s short bursts of trotting'.
We're still at the walking stage:)
 
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