Bringing a horse back into work, suggestions please!

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Cinders

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I feel this post might be tempting fate slightly as my mares not currently sound yet but fingers crossed it should only be a couple more weeks!

She's been off work for nearly 8 weeks now with lameness, had a equine muscle and joint specialist come and look at her yesterday and first of all her back was out so he sorted that, then he worked on her lame leg and reckons her stifle was slightly rotated. He said their not much wrong with her now and although she's still lame she is walking better. I've been given some stretching exercises to do with her as her leg muscles are so tight from supporting her sore leg, the man said once they become softer again she'll be sound.

So when she does come sound how do i go about bringing her back into full work. The first 3 weeks she was on box rest but the remaining 5 weeks she's been turned out during the day. She's a full TB so i don't think she'll have lost much fitness, also it's not like she damaged a tendon or anything, however i don't want to take chances and will take as long as it needs to bring her slowly back into the swing of it.

I've never had to bring a horse back into work again so i'm sure how slowly i should take it? How many weeks walking would you do? and how long before we could school, jump and compete?

thanks for any advice!
 
I am guessing you have had a vet out who says all this is okay? Will you get a vet to assess she is okay to start work and be sat on?

If so, they'll tell you. And its a minefield, it all depends what was wrong with her.

But if she was in full work 8 weeks ago, then I'd go two weeks walking up to half an hour, see how her poorly leg takes it, if all okay then 5 min trot per day for a week, on top of the walking, if that's okay then back to light normal hacking (up to an hour) and introduce schooling a week or so later, if that's all okay for a week or so, then back to normal. But really this depends on what was wrong with her and only if she's sound.
 
Nope the vet hasn't really had anything to do with her apart from the initial lameness investigation, nerve blocks and x-rays which didn't show anything. Their next step was to sent her to newmarket for proper investigation but we couldn't afford that so basically decided to turn her away and let natural healing take place. As a last resort we decided to get this therapist to have a look at her and he's hopefully done the trick. He's coming again this weekend to assess her but i certainly wont consider getting back on her until she's sound! At the moment it's basically just muscular but will ask the guy in more detail on what he advises when he comes again. thanks for the suggestions.
 
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